Defining relative clauses

What is a Defining Relative Clause?

What is a Relative Clause? Introduction

Relative clauses give additional information about a noun. They are generally divided into two types:

• those that are defining
• and those that are Non-defining

Defining Relative Clauses

They help us to define the object or subject of the sentence.

The example below helps us to understand which is the table that my father made.

This is the table which my father made.

We use who, whose, whom, which, that, where, when and what to introduce a defining relative clause (a clause that gives essential information to help us identify somebody or something)

More examples:

He’s the man who works in the hotel reception.

She’s the basketball trainer whose team won the league.

John is the man with whom I played tennis at the weekend.

We saw the film which won the Oscar.

That’s the new film that I told you about.

We went to see the river where I learnt to swim.

I was on holiday when I first met my girlfriend.

My mother told me what I should do if I saw a fire.

 When can you leave out “who” “that” or “which”?

When “who“, “that” or “which” are the object of the verb in the relative clause, they can be omitted:

• – Gerry is the player who I played with at school. (“Gerry” is the object of the verb played)
• – Gerry is the player I played with at school. (“I” is the subject of the verb played)

• – These are the shoes which I bought in the sales. (“shoes” are the object of the verb bought)
• – These are the shoes I bought in the sales. (“I” is the subject of the verb bought)

• – That’s the new film that he told you about. (“the film” is an object of told)
• – That’s the new film he told you about. (“he” is the subject of told)

Check out non-defining Relative Clauses here >>