In Grammar 9-1 and 9-2 we saw many examples of relative clauses. However, most of them reflected one type of clause: Defining Adjective Clause. We also have Non-Defining Adjective Clauses. In this lesson, we’ll look at each one and see what the differences are.
A Defining Adjective Clause is a necessary part of a sentence, as it defines which noun the speaker is referring to.
- The man who sat down was Mike. (Defining Adjective Clause)
In this sentence, you can't omit "who sat down." It defines which man.
A Non-Defining Adjective Clause is extra information in a sentence. The noun the speaker is referring to is clear, so the information is not necessary for the meaning of the sentence.
- The man, who I had never met before, was looking at me strangely. ( Non-Defining Adjective Clause).
In this sentence, you can omit "who I had never met before." It does not define which man, so it is simply extra information.
Relative Pronouns Used
Defining Adjective Clauses
For people
- who
- that
- X
For things
- which
- that
- X
Non-Defining Adjective Clauses
For people
- who
For things
- which
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