Meaning - summary

Reminder
Defining or non-defining?  That is the question.
Sometimes sentences that would otherwise be identical can have very different meanings, through the use of defining or
non-defining relative clauses. For example:
Defining relative clause Non-defining relative clause

"My friend who’s interested in politics is coming for lunch."

"My friend, who’s interested in politics, is coming for lunch."
- I am specifying which friend is coming for lunch by
- I'm talking about one friend and he/she is interested in politics.
mentioning his/her interest in politics.
- This probably answers the question, 'Who is coming for
- This probably answers the question, 'What are you doing today?'
lunch?'

Example
Defining relative clauses | Examples  
They’re just the people who you knew.  
She’s the politician who recently left her job in government.  
She’s the politician who was campaigning to save the local hospital.
Reminder
Defining relative clauses | Meaning and use  
A defining relative clause tells us which specific thing is being referred to (of many possibilities).  Without the
defining relative clause, the meaning of the sentence changes. For example:
Examples Meaning
They’re just the people who you knew (that Many people were at the demonstration – but I’m only talking about the ones that
were there).   you know.
She’s the politician who recently left her job in There are many politicians – but only one has recently left her government job (and
government.  that’s who I am talking about).
She’s the politician that was campaigning to There are many politicians – but only one campaigned to save the local hospital
save the local hospital.  (and that’s who I am talking about).
Relative clauses are used in both formal and informal situations. “That” is used more frequently in informal writing and
when speaking.
Example
Non-defining relative clauses | Examples
There were lots of police dogs, which was quite frightening.
She’s more interested in housing problems now, which she’s spending all her time on.
Reminder
Non-defining relative clauses | Meaning and use  
Non-defining relative clauses gives us extra information about something, without defining which thing (or groups of
things) are being referred to. For example:
Examples Meaning
There were lots of police dogs, which was quite frightening. Police dogs were present AND their presence was quite frightening.
Suzie’s more interested in housing problems now, which Suzie’s more interested in the issue of ‘housing problems’ than in
she’s spending all her time on. the past AND she is spending all her time on solving housing problems.
We usually place prepositions at the end of relative clauses, although, they may go before the relative pronoun when in
formal situations. For example:  
She’s more interested in housing problems now, which she’s spending all her time on. (informal/neutral)  
She’s more interested in housing problems now, on which she’s spending all her time. (formal)