English – Grammar: Relative Clauses Defining and Non-Defining Advanced Usage – 3rd Year Secondary Bac – Algerian Curriculum

English – Grammar: Relative Clauses Defining and Non-Defining Advanced Usage – 3rd Year Secondary Bac – Algerian Curriculum

Relative clauses are essential for combining ideas and adding information to your sentences. They are frequently tested in the Baccalaureate exam and are crucial for achieving a high score in writing. This lesson covers the advanced aspects of defining and non-defining relative clauses.

What are Relative Clauses?

Relative clauses are dependent clauses that modify a noun or pronoun. They begin with a relative pronoun (who, whom, which, that, whose) or a relative adverb (where, when, why).

Defining vs. Non-Defining Relative Clauses

Feature	Defining (Restrictive)	Non-Defining (Non-Restrictive)
Purpose	Identifies which person/thing we mean	Adds extra information
Commas	No commas	Commas around the clause
“That” usage	Can use “that”	Cannot use “that”
Omitting pronoun	Can omit when it’s the object	Cannot omit the pronoun
Example	“The student who studies hard will pass.”	“My brother, who lives in London, is a doctor.”

Relative Pronouns in Detail

1. WHO (for people as subject)

• Defining: “The woman who lives next door is a teacher.”
• Non-defining: “Mrs. Smith, who lives next door, is a teacher.”

2. WHOM (for people as object – formal)

• Defining: “The man whom I met yesterday is a famous writer.”
• Informal alternative: “The man who/that I met yesterday…” or omit the pronoun.

3. WHICH (for things and animals)

• Defining: “The book which I bought is very interesting.”
• Non-defining: “My car, which is only two years old, broke down.”

Note: “Which” can also refer to a whole clause: “He passed the exam, which surprised everyone.”

4. THAT (for people, things, animals – only in defining clauses)

• “The film that (or which) I saw was amazing.”
• “The girl that (or who) won the prize is my cousin.”

5. WHOSE (for possession – people and things)

• “The student whose phone rang was embarrassed.”
• “The house whose roof is red belongs to my uncle.”

6. WHERE (for places)

• “This is the school where I studied.”
• “Paris, where I spent my childhood, is beautiful.”

7. WHEN (for times)

• “I remember the day when we first met.”
• “Summer, when the weather is warm, is my favorite season.”

Omitting the Relative Pronoun

You can omit the relative pronoun when it is the object of the defining relative clause:

• With pronoun: “The film which/that I watched was boring.”
• Without pronoun: “The film I watched was boring.”

You CANNOT omit the pronoun when:

• It is the subject: “The man who called you is here.” (cannot omit “who”)
• It is a non-defining clause: “My father, who is 60, still works.” (cannot omit)

Prepositions in Relative Clauses

• Formal: “The person to whom I spoke was helpful.”
• Informal: “The person who/that I spoke to was helpful.”

Exercise

1. Combine the sentences using a relative clause: “I met a girl. Her father is a famous actor.”
2. Correct or not? “My sister, that lives in Paris, is coming to visit.” (If wrong, correct it.)
3. Rewrite removing the relative pronoun where possible: “The book which I borrowed from the library was excellent.”

For more grammar, see Reported Speech and Passive Voice.