Relative Clauses

We use relative clauses to add extra information to our sentences. They help us to say more about a noun without starting a new sentence.

A clause is a group of words that includes a noun and a verb. Main clauses make complete sense on their own and we can use them as sentences. Subordinate clauses don’t make complete sense on their own, so we can’t use them as sentences.

A relative clause is a form of subordinate clause. It is a part of a sentence that gives more information about a noun.

There are two types of relative clauses: defining relative clauses and non-defining relative clauses.

Defining relative clauses give essential information about the noun. Without this information, we wouldn’t know enough about the noun. For example:

• The film that we watched was very exciting.
• The woman who works in the library is my sister.

In each of these examples the main clause is in bold and the relative clause is in italics. Notice that a defining relative clause normally comes immediately after the noun to which it refers. Also that defining relative clauses normally start with a relative pronoun. The main relative pronouns are who, whom, whose, which and that. You can find out more about relative pronouns here.

Non-defining relative clauses also add extra information about the noun but this information isn’t as essential. We usually use commas around non-defining relative clauses and always start them with a relative pronoun. Again, a non-defining relative clause normally comes immediately after the noun to which it refers.

Some examples:

• My friend, who is French, is coming to visit.
• Westminster Abbey, which is in London, is a famous church.

_{Posted by Graham}