English — Grammar: Relative Clauses — Defining and Non-Defining — 3rd Year Secondary — Literary Stream — Algerian Curriculum

Relative Clauses: Defining and Non-Defining

1. Relative Pronouns

• Who : for people (The woman who lives next door is a doctor.)
• Which : for things and animals (The book which I bought is interesting.)
• That : for people and things (in defining clauses only)
• Whose : for possession (The man whose car was stolen called the police.)
• Whom : for people (object) – formal (The person whom I met…)
• Where : for places (The town where I was born is small.)
• When : for time (The day when we met was special.)

2. Defining Relative Clauses

These clauses are essential to identify the noun. Without them, the sentence is incomplete.

• The students who study hard will pass the exam.
• I like books that have a good story.
• No commas are used with defining clauses.

3. Non-Defining Relative Clauses

These clauses give extra information that is not essential. They are separated by commas.

• My sister, who lives in London, is a journalist.
• The Eiffel Tower, which was built in 1889, is in Paris.
• We cannot use that in non-defining clauses.

4. Exercises

Exercise : Join the sentences using a relative pronoun.

1. I know the woman. She lives next door. > I know the woman _______.
2. He bought a car. It is very fast. > He bought a car _______.
3. The man is my neighbour. His son is a doctor. > The man _______.
4. Paris is a beautiful city. I visited it last year. > Paris, _______, is beautiful.

Answer Key

1. who lives next door · 2. which/that is very fast · 3. whose son is a doctor is my neighbour · 4. which I visited last year

See also Passive Voice and Reported Speech.

📍 دروس مشابهة:

• اللغة الإنجليزية — Comparatives and Superlatives — 3rd Year Middle School — Algerian Curriculum
• English — Literary Analysis: How to Analyze a Text with BAC Examples — 3rd Year Secondary
• English — Grammar: Relative Clauses (Defining and Non-Defining) — 3rd Year Literary Stream — Algeria