DEFINING & NON DEFINING

RELATIVE CLAUSES
Carlos Ramos
 DEFINITION
Como revisamos anteriormente, las relative clauses se
utilizan para agregar, complementar o unir
información, sin embargo, hay una categoría para
definir si las clausulas son necesarias o meramente
complementarias.

Defining: Do you know the boy who always dresses in black?

Non defining: Salome, who lives in Bogotá, is turning one in
December
 DEFINIFING CLAUSES
Las defining relative clauses nos aportan información
real, aportando información complementaria, no extra.
Es decir, que todo lo que se menciona nos ayuda a
comprender un mensaje.
En ésta categoría las clausulas no se utilizan las comas,
y el pronombre relativo puede ser omitido al no
aportar información extra.

That’s the man who sold the world

That’s the man. He sold the world
 NON DEFINING CLAUSES
Las non defining relative clauses nos aportan
información no extra. Por lo cual si se eliminan, el
mensaje todavía tendría sentido. En ésta categoría las
clausulas utilizan las comas, para diferenciar la
información adicional.

Kurt, who passed away, was a great singer

Kurt was a great singer
 OMISSION
La idea de omitir o no las clasulas, se refiere directamente a la
comprensión del mensaje, en las defining relative clauses, si se
omite se pierde una parte del mensaje original.
The dentist who treated me is my uncle

En el caso de las non defining relative clasuses, es más sencillo

omitiras ya que sólo se perderia información extra, no necesaria
para comprender el mensaje original.
My uncle is a dentist, who really likes the Beatles
 DIFFERENCES
DEFIING (ESSENTIAL INFO) NON DEFINING (EXTRA INFO)
WHO (for people) WHO (for people)
The girl who lives next door is a My neighbor, who is a nurse, is
nurse very nice

WHICH (for places, animals, WHICH (for places, animals,

things) things)
Brian works for a company which Brian, who is my best friend, works
sells shoes for a shoe company

WHOSE (possession) WHOSE (possession)

We met some people whose car Gloria, whose car broke down,
broke down was in a bad mood

WHERE (places) WHERE (places)

What is the name of the place, I travelled to Pereira, where my
where you went on holidays? friend lives, to see the views.
 PRACTICE
1. This is the place ______ I saw him the last time.
where | which | that
2. That's the man ______ daughter has won the lottery.
which | who | whose
3. Do you know the musician ______ is playing the guitar.
who | - | that
4. The painting, ______ was finished in 1850, is one of the most
representative works of that time.
which | - | that
5. This is the person ______ I introduced you a few weeks ago.
which | that | -