Page 67 - Grasp English B1+ (Grammar Book)

Robotics 11

Defining/non-defining relative clauses

Defining relative clauses describe the noun to distinguish it from other nouns of the same class.
We do not need commas to separate defining relative clauses.

We use who to describe people.
We use which to describe objects and animals.
We use where to describe places.
We use when to describe time.
We use whose to describe possessions.

When we take the defining relative clause out of the sentence, it does not make sense.
The bag which has a drawing of an elephant is one of my birthday presents.
(Without the defining clause ‘which has a drawing of an elephant’ we would not know which bag it is.)

We can use that instead of who or which without a difference in meaning.
The man who/that is standing over there is a famous Bollywood actor.

Non-defining relative clauses give extra information about what we already know. We need commas
to separate non-defining relative clauses. When we take the non-defining relative clause out of the
sentence, it still makes sense.
Jason, who works for an international company, makes a lot of money.
(We do not need to know that he works for an international company. It is giving us extra information.)

We cannot use that instead of who or which in non-defining relative clauses.

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