Grammar

Defining vs Non-defining Relative Clauses

Defining relative clauses identify which person or thing is meant and take no commas. Non-defining clauses add extra, non-essential information and are set off with commas; 'that' cannot introduce them.

Post

Level B2 Clauses

Summary

Defining relative clauses identify which person or thing is meant and take no commas. Non-defining clauses add extra, non-essential information and are set off with commas; 'that' cannot introduce them.

Structure

noun (+ ,) + who/which/whose/where/when + clause (+ ,)

Examples

The man who fixed my car is very reliable.
My brother, who lives in Rome, is visiting.
The town where I grew up has changed completely.
She passed the exam, which surprised everyone.

Common mistakes

• Using 'that' in a non-defining clause: 'My car, that is red, broke down' should use 'which'.
• Adding commas to a defining clause, which changes the meaning.

Related

Reduced Relative Clauses Participle Clauses

More clauses

Relative Clauses (Defining) B1

Use defining relative clauses to give essential information that identifies which person or thing you mean. Use who for people, which for things, and that for both. No commas are used.

Reported Speech B2

Use reported speech to tell someone what another person said without quoting their exact words. Tenses usually shift back, and pronouns and time expressions often change.

Reported Statements B1

Reported statements relay what someone said without quoting them directly. Tenses usually shift back one step, and pronouns and time expressions change to fit the new viewpoint.

Reported Questions B2

Reported questions turn a direct question into a statement-order clause. Yes/no questions use 'if' or 'whether', and there is no inversion or question mark in the reported form.

Reported Commands and Requests B2

Commands and requests are reported with a verb plus an object and a to-infinitive. Negative commands use 'not to' before the verb.

Reporting Verbs and Patterns C1

Beyond 'say' and 'tell', many reporting verbs summarise the function of what was said. Each follows its own grammatical pattern, such as verb + gerund, verb + object + infinitive, or verb + that-clause.

External links

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