Non-defining relative clauses (also known as non-restrictive, or parenthetical, clauses) provide some additional information that is not essential and may be omitted without affecting the contents of the sentence.
- What is non-defining relative clauses examples?
- What's the difference between defining and non-defining relative clauses?
- How do you tell if a clause is defining or non-defining?
What is non-defining relative clauses examples?
Non-defining relative clauses give us extra information about someone or something. It isn't essential for understanding who or what we are talking about. My grandfather, who's 87, goes swimming every day. The house, which was built in 1883, has just been opened to the public.
What's the difference between defining and non-defining relative clauses?
A defining relative clause identifies who or what we are speaking about, whereas a non-defining relative clause just gives us more information about who or what we are speaking about. A defining relative clause is essential in a sentence because we need it in order to know who or what someone is describing.
How do you tell if a clause is defining or non-defining?
In defining relative clauses, the pronouns who, whom, and which are often replaced by that in spoken English. In non-defining relative clauses, you cannot replace other pronouns with that.