30 Relative Clauses: Defining

Relative Clauses (Defining & Non-Defining) are used to give extra information about a person, a thing etc. {see Pronouns - Relative, A1 Level}

Defining Relative Clauses give essential information to define the object (person, thing etc.) we are talking about.

Defining Clauses are usually used after the noun it describes.

Relative pronouns:

• Who (can be used for people);
• Which (can be used for things);
• That (is used for both people and things) are used to introduce Defining Clauses.

You cannot use comma to separate Defining Relative Clauses.

The structure is as follows:
Clause + relative clause + complement.

• The man who lives next door is going to organize a cocktail party.
• My aunt who works in a school became a widow.
• The man that celebrated his silver wedding anniversary is 53 years old.

We use Defining Relative Clauses to give an essential information about somebody or something that we refer to. Defining Relative Clauses usually come after the nouns they describe. Defining Relative Clauses may be composed of several things (relative pronoun, verb, subject or object of the verb).