Defining and Non-Defining Relative Clauses - English Grammar Lesson

hi in today's lesson you're going to learn about defining and non defining clauses in English what they are the differences between them and how to use them keep watching until the end where there will be a short quiz to see how much you've learned so let's get started so let's start with what is a clause a clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb which form a sentence or part of a sentence so an example could be I can't cook very well but I make quite good pancakes I can't cook very well is a clause and I make quite good pancakes is a clause to they are main or independent clauses that is they aren't equal importance and could each exist as a separate sentence but we won't go into that today each fleurs has a subject I and a verb here cook and make whereas a relative Clause starts with a relative pronoun either who which that who's where when whom and why for example the man who called you is my dentist the relative Clause is who called you there are two types of relative clause defining and non defining so what is a defining relative clause defining relative clauses give us essential information that we need to understand what or who is being referred to a defining relative clause usually comes immediately after the noun it describes for example the dentist who treated me is my uncle the relative clause tells us which dentist we are talking about it is essential information if we removed the clause we would not know which dentist we are talking about and it comes immediately after the noun it describes here the dentist whereas relative clauses that give us extra information are called non defining relative clauses for instance my uncle is a dentist who plays at the same cricket club as you we already know which dentist it's my uncle who plays at the same cricket club as you does not tell us which dentist we are talking about it just adds extra information so what are the other differences between defining and non defining relative clauses first up defining relative clauses are never separated from the rest of the sentence by commas the dentist who treated me is my uncle has no comments whereas non-defining relative clauses must be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas my uncle is a dentist comma who plays at the same cricket club as you defining relative clauses and non defining relative clauses may both begin with these relative play pronouns who the people the woman who lives next door is a doctor this is essential information without the relative clause we would not know which woman we were talking about so it's a defining relative clause whereas my brother Tim who lives in Scotland is a doctor is a non-defining relative clause because it is simply adding extra information notice the two commas when it is in the middle of a sentence which for things Brian works for a company which makes computers here it is a defining relative clause it is essential information otherwise we do not know which company Brian works for where Alice Brian told me about his new job , which he is not enjoying very much this is adding extra information so it's a non-defining relative clause notice the comma whose instead of his/her or their we usually use whose as a relative pronoun to indicate possession by people and animals so in a defining clause we could say we met some people whose car had broken down essential information to know who we met or in a non defining clause Sam whose car had broken down was in a bad mood this is simply adding extra information so it's a non defining clause where four places in a defining Clause you could say what is the name of the place where you went on holiday this is essential information or non defining Jane has just been to Oxford where her dad lives when four times I remember the day when I met you essential information some defining and additionally in defining relative clauses using when the when can be omitted so you could also say so I remember the day I met you and this picture was taken yesterday when it was raining this is adding extra information so therefore it's a non defining Clause home for people as the object of a clause this is mainly used in written English and is increasingly rare for example this is George whom you met last year and in a non defining Clause this morning on that Charles whom I hadn't seen for ages some relative pronouns can only be used in defining clauses Y can only be used in a defining relative clause after the words the reason so for example the film was the reason why he became famous unlike when the relative pronoun Y can be admitted in defining relative clauses so you can also say the film was the reason he became famous and you cannot use Y in non-defining relative clauses that can only be used in defining relative clauses to replace who whom or which so you could say the picture which hands on the wall or also correct is the picture that hangs on the wall or with who the woman who he married or the woman that he married or this is George whom you met last year or this is George that you met last year equally correct so you cannot use that in non-defining relative clauses next who which or that can be omitted when they're the object of the clause the medicine which or that the doctor gave me should be taken twice a day here the medicine is the object of the clause the subjects doing the action as the doctor what did he give the medicine the object of the clause so here you can leave out which or that and just say the medicine the doctor gave me should be taken twice a day whereas in non defining clauses you cannot leave out the relative pronoun both in defining and non defining relative clauses the relative pronoun can defy the subject or the object of the verb so firstly in defining relative clauses we have the picture which he hangs on the wall is old here the relative pronoun which describes the subject of the sentence the picture and here the man who she married is Spanish who is defining the object of the verb in non defining relative clauses is the same in this sentence the building which is very old needs repairing which is defining the subject of the verb and this sentence the boat owner who we've just seen loves meeting people who defines the object of the verb for both defining and non defining relative clauses we always admit the object pronoun her/him it etc when we make a relative clause so you could say we know little about the woman that he married and not we know little about the woman that he married her or this picture shows Bob's wife Lucy who he married in 2019 and not this picture shows Bob's wife Lucy who he married her in 2019 in both defining and non defining relative clauses you usually have the preposition at the end of the clause so is the one which he is responsible for at work in a defining clause and Sue who my mother worked with has become a teacher in formal English in both defining and non defining relative clauses you sometimes have a preposition at the beginning of the clause followed by which four things or whom four people so in defining relative clauses you could say it's the one for which he was responsible at work and in non defining relative clauses sue with whom my mother worked has become a teacher also in both defining and non defining relative clauses we cannot use that after a preposition in a relative clause so you would say the room in which the meeting was held was too small and not the room in that the meeting was held was too small and finally defining relative clauses are used in writing and speaking whereas non defining relative clauses are more common in writing than in speaking so now it's your turn choose the correct sentence between the two sentences given pause the video if you need to and think about the reasons why this is the case one have you ever been back to the town that you were born in notice the comma before the relative blow and pronoun or have you ever been back to the town you were born in with no commas the second sentence is correct this is essential information otherwise you would not know which town you are talking about so it's a defining relative clause and therefore has no commas to my left ankle which I broke last winter is still giving me trouble notice in the first sentence there are no commas and in the second there are the correct sentence is the second one with the commas here the clause which I broke last winter is extra information and not essential to understanding the sentence therefore it is a non-defining relative clause and needs commas 3 the friend that I want to intrude introduce you to is away this weekend or the friend that I want to introduce you to her is away this weekend write your answer down below in the comment section and explain why this is the correct answer and I promise to get back to you with feedback on how you've done that's it for now I hope you feel more confident using defining and non defining clauses in English remember to like this video if you found it useful share it with your friends and colleagues learning English they'll thank you for it and don't forget to subscribe to my channel Oxford English now for more free English videos so take care that's it for now and see you very soon bye bye

Channel: Oxford English Now

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Keywords: defining and non-defining relative clauses, relative clauses exercises, relative pronouns exercises, non defining relative clauses, defining relative clauses, defining and non-defining relative clauses exercises, defining non defining relative clauses, relative clauses

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Length: 12min 51sec (771 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 25 2019