The woman who is talking is my teacher.
- Language
- English
- Level
- B1
- Unit
- Relative Clauses and Connectors
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
Relative clauses are parts of a sentence that give more information about a noun. They usually start with words like 'who', 'which', or 'that'. There are two types: defining (necessary information) and non-defining (extra information).
When to use it
Use relative clauses in English to give more details about a person or thing. Defining clauses tell us which person or thing you mean. Non-defining clauses add extra information that is not necessary to understand the main idea.
Key forms
- 'who' for people: The man who lives next door is friendly.
- 'which' for things/animals: The book which is on the table is mine.
- 'that' for people or things (defining clauses only): The car that I bought is red.
- Non-defining clauses use commas: My sister, who lives in Paris, is coming to visit.
Examples
This is the cake that I made yesterday.
My car, which is very old, still works well.
I have a friend who speaks three languages.
Tips
- Do not use 'that' in non-defining relative clauses (with commas).
- Remember to use commas for non-defining clauses, but not for defining clauses.
- 'Who' is for people, 'which' is for things and animals, 'that' is for people or things (in defining clauses).
Exceptions and edge cases
- In spoken English, 'that' is often used instead of 'who' or 'which' in defining clauses.
- Sometimes the relative pronoun can be omitted in defining clauses: 'The book (that) I read was interesting.'