15 - non-defining relative clauses

Instituto de Estudios Superiores Belén PROFESORADO EN INGLÉS

Gramática Inglesa II

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NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

Look at the difference between these two sentences:

1 - The boy who lives next door is having a party tonight.

The underlined clause is a defining relative clause. It tells us which boy is being

talked about. There are no commas before and after a defining relative clause.

2 - Darren, who lives next door, is having a party tonight.

The underlined clause is a non-defining relative clause. It does not tell us which boy

we are talking about; we already know that from the name. It gives us extra information

about Darren.

A non-defining relative clause in the middle of a sentence has a comma before and

after it. A non-defining relative clause at the end of a sentence has a comma before it and a

full stop at the end.

SUBJECT RELATIVE PRONOUNS:

This is my friend Jane, WHO has just returned from Italy.

The relative pronoun who refers to Jane and it functions as the subject of the verb

has ... returned in the relative clause.

Mike's car, WHICH is only six months old, broke down last night.

The relative pronoun which refers to Mike's car and it functions as the subject of the

verb is in the relative clause.

OBJECT RELATIVE PRONOUNS:

The woman next door, WHO/WHOM I met for the first time last week, is

moving next month.

Who or whom refer to the woman next door and function as the object of the verb

met in the relative clause.

Whom is more formal and is generally used in formal written English. Who is more

common in spoken English.



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Unlike the object relative pronoun in defining relative clauses, the object relative

pronoun in non-defining relative clauses cannot be omitted.

That book about the First World War, WHICH I finished last week, was

really interesting.

Which refers to that book about the First World War and functions as the object of

the verb finished in the relative clause. We cannot omit it.

RELATIVE PRONOUNS – OBJECT OF A PREPOSITION:

A) - Marjorie Campbell, WHO/WHOM we have all depended on so much,

has just announced her retirement.

B) - Marjorie Campbell, on WHOM we have all depended so much, has just

announced her retirement.

Who or whom in sentence A) - and whom in sentence B) - refer to Marjorie

Campbell and function as the object of the preposition on.

a) The new pedestrian crossings, WHICH there has been much discussion

about, are going to be in use from the beginning of next month.

b) The new pedestrian crossings, about WHICH there has been much

discussion, are going to be in use from the beginning of next month.

Which refers to the new pedestrian crossings and functions as the object of the

preposition about.

NOTES:

1 - POSITION OF PREPOSITION:

In the A) - sentences, the preposition comes at the end of the relative clause.

This is less formal and is becoming more common.

In the B) - sentences, the preposition comes before the relative pronoun.

This word order is used in more formal written English.

Who or whom?: When the preposition comes before the relative pronoun, it

is only possible to use whom for people. When the preposition comes at the

end of the relative clause, it is possible to use who or whom.

2 - POSSESSIVE RELATIVE PRONOUN:

Amanda Lovelace, WHOSE husband died last year, has now lost her job.



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Whose refers to Amanda Lovelace. It is her husband who died. Whose husband

functions as the subject of the verb died.

This is our son John, WHOSE friends you will be meeting at the party later

on.

Whose refers to our son John. It is his friends you will be meeting. Whose friends

functions as the object of the verb will be meeting.

A) - We are hoping for a visit from Henry Webster, WHOSE support we

have so much depended on.

B) - We are hoping for a visit from Henry Webster, on WHOSE support we

have so much depended.

Whose support functions as the object of the preposition on. The preposition can

go at the end of the relative clause, or it can go before the relative pronoun, which is quite

formal. It is more common to put it at the end of the relative clause.

SUMMARY

For people For things For possession

Subject who which whose

Object who/whom which Whose

SPOKEN VERSUS WRITTEN ENGLISH: Non-defining relative clauses which are in the middle of a sentence are quite formal

and are more commonly used in written English than in spoken English. In spoken English,

we usually prefer to use shorter sentences or to link clauses together with simple

conjugations.

For example, in written English, we may write:

Ann Roberts, whose first job was in this department, has just been

appointed Director.

but in spoken English, we are more likely to say something like:



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Ann Roberts has just been appointed Director. Do you remember? Her first

job was here in this department.

PRACTICE 58A IN YOUR NOTEBOOK, REWRITE THE SENTENCES MAKING THE SECOND SENTENCE INTO

A NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE AND PUTTING IT INTO THE CORRECT PLACE.

1. When I was in town, I met your sister. She was shopping for some clothes.

When I was in town, I met your sister, who was shopping for some clothes.

2. Their house needs a lot of work doing to it. It is near the beach.

______________________________________________________________________

3. Sandra's just got a new job with Capital Insurers. It's a much better company than

the last one she worked for.

______________________________________________________________________

4. The new manager seems to be a very capable woman. I met her last week.

______________________________________________________________________

5. This case is full of books. I carried it

all the way from the station.

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

6. The Games International Company

has just gone bankrupt. We have done business with them for many years.

______________________________________________________________________

7. The hospital has handed out redundancy notices to all its staff. It is due to close

down next year.

______________________________________________________________________



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8. The prisoners are requesting more time out of their cells. Their families are

campaigning on their behalf.

______________________________________________________________________

9. The new government is now facing major problems. It came to power with a lot of

public support.

______________________________________________________________________

10. Her latest novel is really good. I read it on holiday.

______________________________________________________________________

11. The Home Affairs Minister is suspected of being involved in a financial scandal. The

opposition have accused the minister of lying.

______________________________________________________________________

12. The Education Department is changing its policy on single sex schools. Mrs

Parkinson is in charge of the department.

______________________________________________________________________

13. The Lilley and Swan department store has made reductions on most of its goods.

The store has a sale on at the moment.

______________________________________________________________________

14. The principal actor could hardly speak last night due to a sore throat. He normally

has a wonderful voice.

______________________________________________________________________

15. The sales manager is planning a new advertising campaign. I support her ideas

______________________________________________________________________

58B USE THE SENTENCES IN THE BOX TO MAKE NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES. INSERT

AN APPROPRIATE CLAUSE INTO EACH OF THE SENTENCES.



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1. This new drug could have bad side effects.

This new drug, which is very powerful, could have bad side effects.

2. Her father is said to be dying of cancer.

______________________________________________________________________

3. The Prime Minister said that he was very saddened by the news of the air crash.

______________________________________________________________________

4. The story she gave was that she had not realized how late it was.

______________________________________________________________________

5. Agatha Christie was a very prolific writer.

______________________________________________________________________

6. The sub-tropical gardens are open all year round.

______________________________________________________________________

7. The manager of the restaurant said that she was very sorry about the undercooked

fish.

______________________________________________________________________

8. Our Professor of Psychology has written some very interesting books.

______________________________________________________________________

9. We packed a picnic and walked down to the beach.

______________________________________________________________________

Her books are read all over the world. It was very crowded.

We love to walk round them. It is very powerful.

He is staying in a nursing home. I like her very much.

Her parents believed it. She came over to apologize to us.

He is staying in his holiday home in Scotland at the moment. I always attend her lectures.



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10. Next Saturday, I am going to visit my Aunty Sheila

______________________________________________________________________

DEFINING AND NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES 59 UNDERLINE ALL THE RELATIVE CLAUSES IN THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE

60 EXTRACT THE UNDERLINED RELATIVE CLAUSES AND ANALYSE THEM AS WE

HAVE DONE ON THE BLACKBOARD

POETRY AND THE WAR

ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY THINGS ABOUT THE FIRST WORLD WAR WAS THE ENTHUSIASM WITH

WHICH THE MAJORITY OF SOLDIERS WENT OFF TO FIGHT FOR THEIR COUNTRY. THOSE YOUNG, PATRIOTIC MEN,

WHO RUSHED TO THE ENLISTMENT CENTRES, HAD NO IDEA WHAT LAY AHEAD OF THEM. THEY DID NOT KNOW THAT

THEY WOULD LIVE FOR MONTHS IN HOLES THEY HAD DUG IN THE MUD. THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT IT WOULD BE

LIKE TO WATCH A FRIEND WHO HAD BEEN HORRIBLY INJURED DIE A PAINFUL DEATH. AND SO THEY WERE EXCITED,

EVEN THRILLED, ABOUT THE PROSPECT OF GOING TO WAR.

THIS WAS THE FIRST WAR IN WHICH THE IMAGE-MAKERS MADE AN IMPACT. THERE WERE POSTERS WHICH

ASKED WOMEN TO ENCOURAGE THEIR MEN TO GO TO WAR: 'IF HE DOES NOT THINK THAT YOU AND YOUR COUNTRY

ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR - DO YOU THINK HE IS WORTHY OF YOU?'

THE MOOD WHICH SEIZED THE COUNTRY WAS ONE OF PATRIOTIC AND HEROIC STRUGGLE. AT THE SAME

TIME, IT WAS GENERALLY BELIEVED THAT IT WOULD ALL BE OVER IN A FEW MONTHS.

THE WAR FEVER WHICH GRIPPED THE NATION STIRRED UP THE EMOTIONS OF EVERYONE AND THERE WAS A

HUGE GROWTH IN THE WRITING OF POETRY. AT FIRST THE POEMS WERE PROUD AND OPTIMISTIC: 'NOW IN THY

SPLENDOUR GO BEFORE US SPIRIT OF ENGLAND', BUT AS THE WAR DRAGGED ON, THE WRITERS OF POETRY BECAME

ANGRY AT THE MYTHS THEY HAD BEEN TOLD. THEY WANTED PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT THE HORRIBLE REALITY OF

WAR, WHICH BRUTALIZED THE PEOPLE WHO TOOK PART.

ONE WRITER WHO PUT THESE FEELINGS INTO WORDS VERY EFFECTIVELY WAS WILFRID OWEN, WHO, IN

THE POEM “ANTHEM FOR DOOMED YOUTH”, WROTE 'WHAT PASSING BELLS FOR THESE WHO DIE AS CATTLE?' THE

POETRY OF WILFRID OWEN, SIEGFRIED SASSOON, ROBERT GRAVES AND OTHERS, WHICH DESCRIBED THE HORRIFIC

REALITY OF WAR, ALSO QUESTIONED ITS MORALITY. MANY OF THE POETS WERE WEALTHY, PRIVILEGED MEN WHO

HAD NOT AT FIRST BEEN ANTI-WAR, BUT WHOSE ATTITUDES WERE CHANGED BY WHAT THEY SAW.



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61 STATE THE FUNCTION OF THOSE RELATIVES ACCORDING TO THE DIFFERENT

SENTENCE PATTERNS