English — Grammar: Relative Clauses (Defining and Non-defining) — 3rd Year Secondary (Literary Stream) — Baccalaureate — Algerian Program

English — Grammar: Relative Clauses (Defining and Non-defining) — 3rd Year Secondary (Literary Stream) — Baccalaureate — Algerian Program

Relative clauses give extra information about a noun. There are two types: defining and non-defining.

1. Defining Relative Clauses

These clauses give essential information about the noun. Without them, the sentence meaning changes.

• Who (people): The woman who lives next door is a doctor.
• Which (things): The book which is on the table is mine.
• That (people and things): The car that I bought is red.
• Whose (possession): The girl whose father is a teacher is my friend.
• Where (place): The school where I study is big.
• When (time): I remember the day when we met.

2. Non-defining Relative Clauses

These clauses give extra information. They are set off by commas. Removing them doesn’t change the main meaning.

• My mother, who is a teacher, loves reading.
• Paris, which is the capital of France, is beautiful.
• Note: That cannot be used in non-defining clauses.

3. Key Differences

Defining	Non-defining
No commas	With commas
Essential information	Extra information
Can use “that”	Cannot use “that”
Cannot remove	Can remove

Exercises

1. Join with a relative clause: I have a friend. She speaks five languages.
2. Identify if defining or non-defining: “My car, which is blue, is very old.”
3. Correct: “The man which is standing there is my uncle.”

📍 دروس مشابهة:

• اللغة الفرنسية — Les couleurs et les formes géométriques — السنة الأولى إبتدائي — المنهاج الجزائري
• مهارات التعلم — كتابة التقارير — السنة الرابعة متوسط — المنهاج الجزائري
• علوم — الشمس: مصدر الضوء والحرارة (ملخص الدرس) — السنة الأولى ابتدائي