Relative Clauses

What is a relative clause?

A relative clause gives information about a noun.

The student who asked the question stayed after class.

The clause who asked the question describes the student.

Who, which and that

Who commonly refers to people.

Which commonly refers to things.

That can often refer to people or things in defining relative clauses.

• The teacher who helped me was patient.
• The book which I borrowed was useful.
• The article that we discussed was controversial.

Defining relative clauses

A defining relative clause identifies which person or thing you mean.

The students who completed the task may leave.

The relative clause tells us which students.

Defining clauses are not normally separated by commas.

Non-defining relative clauses

A non-defining relative clause adds extra information about a noun that is already identified.

My brother, who lives in Malmö, is visiting this weekend.

The clause adds information but is not needed to identify my brother.

Non-defining clauses are separated by commas.

That is not normally used in non-defining relative clauses.

Whose

Whose expresses possession.

The researcher whose article we read will give a lecture.

Leaving out the relative pronoun

In some defining relative clauses, the relative pronoun can be omitted when it is the object.

The film that we watched was excellent.

The film we watched was excellent.

But not when the pronoun is the subject:

The student who called me was absent.

The report was published yesterday. The report contains new data.

Combined:

The report, which was published yesterday, contains new data.

The relative clause adds extra information without requiring a separate sentence.

1. Identify the noun you want to describe.
2. Decide whether the added information identifies the noun or merely adds extra detail.
3. Choose the correct relative word.
4. Use commas for non-defining clauses.
5. Check whether the relative pronoun can be omitted.

Incorrect: The student which answered was correct.

Better: The student who answered was correct.

Incorrect: My teacher that works in room 204, is absent.

Better: My teacher, who works in room 204, is absent.

Incorrect: The book who I borrowed was useful.

Correct: The book that I borrowed was useful.

Which sentence correctly uses a non-defining relative clause?

• A. My sister who lives in Uppsala, is visiting.
• B. My sister, that lives in Uppsala, is visiting.
• C. My sister, who lives in Uppsala, is visiting.
• D. My sister which lives in Uppsala is visiting.

Answer: C. The added information is non-defining, so commas are used and who refers to a person.

• Relative clauses add information about a noun.
• Who commonly refers to people; which to things.
• Defining clauses identify the noun and normally use no commas.
• Non-defining clauses add extra information and use commas.
• Whose expresses possession.
• Some object relative pronouns can be omitted.