RELATIVE CLAUSES

TYPES OF RELATIVE CLAUSES

• DEFINING – They give NECESSARY

information and is ESSENTIAL to the meaning
of the main sentence.
– He is the actor who was killed in a car crash.
• NON-DEFINING – They give EXTRA
information and is NOT ESSENTIAL to the
meaning of the main sentence.
– John, who was very lazy, failed the test again.
 DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

• RELATIVE PRONOUNS:
PRONOUNS
– Who / that (people)
– Which / that (things)
– Whose (possession)
– When (time)
– Where (place)
– Why (reason)
– What (= “the thing that”)
 DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

• Defining relative clauses ARE NOT put in

commas.
• Who / which / that CAN BE OMITTED when
they are the object of the relative clause.
– That is the letter (which/that) Helen sent me.
• Whose / where / when / why / what ARE NOT
NORMALLY OMITTED even if they are the
object of the relative clause.
– That is the hotel where the President is staying.
 NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

• RELATIVE PRONOUNS:
PRONOUNS
– Who (people)
– Which (things)
– Whose (possession)
– When (time)
– Where (place)
– Why (reason)
– What (= “the thing that”)
 NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

• Non-Defining relative clauses ARE PUT in

commas.
• The relative pronouns CAN NOT BE OMITTED.
– John, who is very lazy, failed his test again.