What is a relative clause?

A relative clause is one kind of dependent clause. It has a subject and verb, but can’t
stand alone as a sentence. It is sometimes called an “adjective clause” because it
functions like an adjective—it gives more information about a noun. A relative clause
always begins with a “relative pronoun,” which substitutes for a noun, a noun phrase,
or a pronoun when sentences are combined.
The relative pronouns are:

Relative pronoun as subject (in red):

I like the person. The person was nice to me.

I like the person who was nice to me.

I hate the dog. The dog bit me.

I hate the dog that bit me.

I am moving to Louisville, KY. It is home to the Muhammad Ali Museum.

I am moving to Louisville, KY, which is home to the Muhammad Ali Museum.

Relative pronoun as object (in red):

I like the bike. My father gave me the bike.

I like the bike that my father gave me.

RULES

 First, it will contain a subject and verb.

 Next, it will begin with a relative pronoun [who, whom, whose, that, or which] or
a relative adverb [when, where, or why].
 Finally, it will function as an adjective, answering the questions What kind? How
many? or Which one?
 A relative clause does not express a complete thought, so it cannot stand alone
as a sentence. To avoid writing a fragment, you must connect each relative
clause to a main clause.

To calm his angry girlfriend, Joey offered an apology which Francine did not
accept.

We tried our luck at the same flea market where George found Amazing Spider-
Man #96 in fair condition.

 Punctuating relative clauses can be tricky. For each sentence, you will have to
decide if the relative clause is essential or nonessential and then use commas
accordingly.

Essential clauses do not require commas. A relative clause is essential when

you need the information it provides.

The children who skateboard in the street are especially noisy in the early
evening.

Children is nonspecific. To know which ones we are talking about, we must have
the information in the relative clause. Thus, the relative clause is essential and
requires no commas.

If, however, we eliminate children and choose more specific nouns instead, the
relative clause becomes nonessential and does require commas to separate it
from the rest of the sentence.

Read this revision:

Matthew and his sister Loretta, who skateboard in the street, are especially
noisy in the early evening.
TYPE

DEFINING CLAUSES

A defining or identifying clause tells us which specific person or thing we are talking
about in a larger group of people or things. If a defining relative clause is removed, the
meaning of the sentence changes significantly. A defining relative clause is not
separated from the rest of the sentence by commas or parentheses.

EXAMPLES

The woman who visited me in the hospital was very kind.

The umbrella that I bought last week is already broken.

The man who stole my backpack has been arrested.

The weather that we had this summer was beautiful.

NON-DEFINING CLAUSES

A non-defining or non-essential clause gives us more information about the person or

thing we are talking about. If a non-defining relative clause is removed from a sentence,
we lose some detail, but the overall meaning of the sentence remains the same. Non-
defining relative clauses are always set off from the rest of the sentence with commas
or parentheses.

EXAMPLES

The farmer, whose name was Fred, sold us 10 pounds of potatoes.

Elephants, which are the largest land mammals, live in herds of 10 or more adults.

The author, who graduated from the same university I did, gave a wonderful
presentation.

My mother, who is 86, lives in Paris.