RELATIVE CLAUSE

DEFINING AND NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE

WordsWords are the smallest meaningful bits of a sentence.

Example: An old man is carrying a sack of money.

Each word has their own class.

Carry is a verb – it tells us what happens.

Man is a noun – it names things.

Old is an adjective – it modifies a noun.

We put words together to make a phrase/clause /sentence.

Phrases

A phrase is a group of related words that does not include a subject and verb.

several people

the story

the long and winding road

Clause

A clause is a group of related words containing a subject and a verb

An independent clause - which could be its own sentence

"She is older than her brother" dependent clauses – which can’t stand by

themselves 

Sentences

A sentence may consist of two or more clauses together.

Corruption affects you even if you don’t get close to it.

Relative Clauses

Relative clauses are dependent clauses introduced by a Relative Pronoun (that, which, whichever, who, whoever, whom, whomever, whose, and of which).

Relative ClauseThe boy is my brother. Which boy are you

talking about?

He is wearing a cap. Oh I see! The boy who is wearing a cap is your brother.

DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE

FUNCTION:

Defining Relative Clause is used to identify the person or thing we are talking about.

DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE

Example:- I know a lot of people who have stopped

eating meat.- You can see people that have got rings.- I only pierce young people whose parent

or guardian is with them.

DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE

1. Independent Clause: I thanked the woman.

Dependent/relative Clause: She helped me.

I thanked the woman who/that helped me

2. Independent Clause: I saw the man.

Dependent/relative Clause: He closed the door.

I saw the man who/that closed the door.

*) who/that is the subject of the relative/dependent clause

DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE

RELATIVE PRONOUNS

RELATIVE PRONOUNS

People that, who

Things that, which

Places wherePossessive whoseTime When

DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE1. I thanked the woman.

She helped me.

I thanked the woman who/that helped me

2. I saw the man.

He closed the door.

I saw the man who/that closed the door.

*) who/that is the subject of the relative clause

*) we do not repeat the subject

DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE1. I visited the poor. Their houses are so messy.

I visited the poor whose house are so messy.

2. I apologize the man. I spilled his coffee.

I apologize the man whose coffee I spilled.

*) whose CANNOT be erased/omitted

*) Whose + the noun are placed at the beginning of the relative clause

*) we do not repeat the possesive pronoun

DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSEWe can erase the relative pronoun who, which, or that in defining relative clauses if (1)the relative pronoun is not the subject of the relative clause OR (2)the relative pronoun is not followed immediately by a verb.

DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE

1. The girl is happy. She won the race.

The girl who won the race is happy.We cannot erase relative pronoun (who) because it is the Subject of relative clause

2. The movie wasn’t good. We saw it last night.

The movie (that) we saw last night wasn’t good.

We can erase relative pronoun (that) because it is NOT the Subject of relative clause

Non-defining Relative ClauseIbu Cicilia, who teaches Bahasa

Indonesia, is a very friendly teacher.

Who are we talking about?

Main clause: Ibu Cicilia is a very friendly teacher.

Dependent clause: She teaches Bahasa Indonesia.

NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE

FUNCTION:

Non-Defining Relative Clause is used:

1)to give extra information about a person or a thing.

2)To comment on the situation described in the first part of the sentence, before the comma

Mick Shannon, who is a qualified body piercer, took me to his salon.

Main clause: Mick Shannon took me to his salon.

Dependent clause: who is a qualified body piercer.

He finished by giving the girl advice on how to help the skin get better, which was a nice professional touch.

Main clause: He finished by giving the girl advice on how to help the skin better.

Dependent clause: which was a nice professional touch

NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE

More EXAMPLE:- My father, who is a wonderful cook, promised to

make a cake for my 18th birthday.- Josia, who did not come to class yesterday,

explained his absence to the teacher.

NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSENOTE:- is always separated from the rest of the

sentence by commas.- We can never omit the relative pronoun

(who, which, where, whose) in a Non-Defining Relative Clause.

- We cannot use the pronoun ‘that’

DEFINING vs NON DEFINING

Compare:1. The professor who teaches Chemistry 101 is an

excellent lecturer.

2. Professor Wilson, who teaches Chemistry 101, is an excellent teacher.

In (1), no commas are used because the Relative Clause is important/necessary to identify which professor is meant.

In (2), commas are used because the Relative Clause is not important/necessary to identify who Professor Wilson is.

Practice

Activity 28 Task B

Participle ClausesInstead of using a full relative clause we can sometimes use a participle clause.

Form Use Example

Present participle To say what the person/thing is doing

You can see many people wearing rings everywhere.

= You can see many people who are wearing earings everywhere.

Past participle To say what is/was done to the person/thing mentioned

I was looking at the walls covered with photos of clients.

=I was looking at the walls which were covered with photos of clients.

Prepositional Phrase

You can omit the relative pronoun and the verb be when they are followed by a prepositional phrase in DEFINING Relative Clauses.

The computers in our classroom are fast. = The computers that are in our classroom are fast.

Prepositional Phrase

An adjective can also come before the prepositional phrase.

ADJ. + PREP. PHRASE

Example:

- Young workers low in self-esteem are unusual.

- Students great at Mathematics have a chance to join International Olympiad.

Exercises

Page 33

a) Task 7

b) Task 8

EXERCISE - Answers

Task 71. (ND)2. (ND): Body piercing, which has become very popular,

is not a very expensive fashion.3. (D)4. (D)5. (D)6. (ND): St Petersburg, which is sometimes called the

‘Paris of the north’, has been extensively renovated.7. (D)

EXERCISE-Answers

Task 82. I know somebody whose father has got a tattoo on his

back.3. I read a leaflet that/which said body piercing was

dangerous.4. I went to a salon where they did body piercing.5. My sister dyed her hair pink, which I find attractive/is an

attractive colour.6. I saw a girl who had each part of her face pierced.7. They opened a beauty salon in St George’s Square,

where there used to be a perfume shop.

PART A: Combine the following clauses

1. Clause 1: The doctor was very gentle.

Clause 2: The doctor examined the sick child.

The doctor who examined the sick child was very gentle.

2. Clause 1: The people were late.

Clause 2: I was waiting for the people.

The people (whom/that) I was waiting for were late.

3. Clause 1: The man is my father.

Clause 2: I respect his opinions the most.

The man whose opinion I respect the most is my father.

4. Clause 1: The dress is new.

Clause 2: She is wearing the dress.

The dress (which/that) she is wearing is new.

5. Clause 1: Mr. Cart has a painting.

Clause 2: The painting’s value / Its value is inestimable.

Mr. Cart has a painting whose value is inestimable.

PART B: Split the sentences below into two independent clauses

1. We enjoyed the city where we spent our vacation.

We enjoyed the city. We spent our vacation there.

2. I love Paris, where we spent our last Christmas holiday.

I love Paris. We spent our last Christmas holiday in Paris.

3. Matthew, who speaks Russian very well, applied for the job.

Matthew applied for the job. Matthew speaks Russian very well.

4. The professor whose course I am taking is excellent.

The professor is excellent. I am taking his course.

5. The people whose house we visited were nice.

The people were nice. We visited their house.

EXERCISEPART A: Supply the correct Relative Pronoun!1. The man ___________ wallet was stolen called the police.2. Did I tell you about the woman _________ I met last night?3. We are studying sentences __________ contain adjective clauses.4. I saw the girl _________ crashed to my car yesterday.5. The meeting _________ I went to was interesting.6. I apologized the man __________ tea I spilled.7. I love the restaurant ___________ we first met.8. I am reading a book _________ was written by Andrea Hirata.9. The town ___________ I grew up is small.10. I like a girl ____________ character is unique and unusual.

AnswersPART A: Supply the correct Relative Pronoun!1. The man whose wallet was stolen called the police.2. Did I tell you about the woman who I met last night?3. We are studying sentences which contain adjective clauses.4. I saw the girl who crashed to my car yesterday.5. The meeting which I went to was interesting.6. I apologized the man whose tea I spilled.7. I love the restaurant where we first met.8. I am reading a book which was written by Andrea Hirata.9. The town where I grew up is small.10. I like a girl whose character is unique and unusual.

EXERCISEPART B: combine the two clauses in each

number. Put commas when necessary! 1.The book was good. I read it.2.Mr. Brown is very proud of his son’s

achievement. His son won the spelling contest.3.The building is very old. He lives in that building.4.Hawaii is a favorite vacation spot. It consists of

eight principal islands.5.Mr. Cart has a painting. The painting’s value is

inestimable.

AnswersPART B: combine the two clauses in each

number. Put commas when necessary! 1.The book which I read was good.2.Mr. Brown, whose son won the spelling contest,

is very proud of his son’s achievement.3.The building where he lives is very old.4.Hawaii, which consists of eight principal islands,

is a favorite vacation spot. 5.Mr. Cart has a painting whose value is

inestimable.

EXERCISEPART C: Decide whether the sentence below is

Defining (D) or Non-Defining (ND). Add commas to the Non-Defining sentence.

1. (D / ND) Barbara who is a hairdresser has her own beauty salon.

2. (D / ND)Bandung which is sometimes called Paris van Java has been visited by many tourists.

3. (D / ND) I only pierce people who have commitment to do body piercing.

4. (D / ND) We stayed in a hotel whose pool was not used by the guests.

5. (D / ND) My eldest sister who is wearing the blue jacket is going to get married.

AnswersPART C: Decide whether the sentence below is

Defining (D) or Non-Defining (ND). Add commas to the Non-Defining sentence.

1. ND Barbara, who is a hairdresser, has her own beauty salon.

2. ND Bandung, which is sometimes called Paris van Java, has been visited by many tourists.

3. D4. D5. ND My eldest sister, who is wearing the blue jacket, is

going to get married.

2. The TV breaks down all the time, which makes us listen to the radio more. (ND)

3. The fire brigade haven’t managed to put out the fire which broke out at 5 a.m. (D)

4. The report which/that Amnesty International published this month describes human rights violations in Asia.

5. Charles Perry, whose lifestyle is constantly being discussed in the popular press, will host a chat shown on TV5.

6. Some African animal species which are threatened with extinction have to be helped by international organizations.