Relative clauses add essential or additional information to a sentence and are introduced by relative pronouns or adverbs. Defining relative clauses specify which noun we are talking about and affect the meaning of the sentence if removed.
You can see if a relative clause is defining or non-defining by removing it from the sentence.
If you remove a defining relative clause, the sentence has a different meaning or is incomplete. - That’s the student who failed English class three times
If you remove a non-defining relative clause, the sentence still has the same meaning. - My brother, who lives in California, is an engineer.
A relative clause is a phrase that adds information to a sentence. All relative clauses describe a noun, and they begin with one of these relative pronouns or relative adverbs.
which (to describe things – non-defining relative clauses)
that (to describe things – defining relative clauses)
whose (to describe possession)
whom (to describe people – object)
who (to describe people – subject)
Relative Pronouns
which or that
Use that for defining relative clauses, and don’t use a comma before it. -The bananas that I bought on Monday are rotten.
Use which for non-defining relative clauses, and use a comma before it.
- The bananas, which I bought on Monday, are rotten.