Providing Extra Information
Defining and Non-defining Relative Clauses
Relative pronouns are used to connect two clauses in order to either define or provide additional information about a subject or an object.
who - persons
which - things
where - places
when - times
that - both persons and things
whose - possessive
Defining Relative Clauses
Defining relative clauses provide information which is essential to completely understand the sentence.
Example:
This is a model of the current currency in circulation.
Capital assets are necessary to start a business.
That is the building that our CTO had interest in acquiring.
Defining relative clauses identify persons or things that otherwise would not be automatically understood.
Relative Pronouns in Defining Relative Clauses
| Person | Thing | Subject | who, that | which, that | Object | that, who, whom | that, which | Possessive | whose | whose, of which |
Non-defining Relative Clauses
Non-defining relative clauses provide information which is not essential, but adds additional information.
Example:
The expiration date, which was clearly posted, was cited in the lawsuit.
Sharon, the loan officer, will review your income statement in the morning.
Tanya is the endorser of this project.
Note:
Correct punctuation is essential in non-defining clauses. A comma is placed both before and after the non-defining clause.
Relative Pronouns in Non-Defining Relative Clauses
| Person | Thing | Subject | who | which | Object | who, whom | which | Possessive | whose | whose, of which |
- More than 80 pages of grammar and English usage explanations
- 1,500 example sentences read by native speakers for pronunciation practice
- Key phrase pages with multiple pages focusing on key phrases for your industry
Purchase English for Business and Commerce