Defining vs non-defining clauses, who/which/that/whose, and when the pronoun can disappear
I can describe people and things with relative clauses and control the comma distinction.
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
The barista who remembers everyone's order deserves a statue.
The barista who remembers everyone's order deserves a statue.
Our flat, which we bought in 2019, has doubled in value — the bank, whose money it really is, is thrilled.
Our flat, which we bought in 2019, has doubled in value — the bank, whose money it really is, is thrilled.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Two clause types with different rules:
| defining (no commas) | non-defining (commas) | |
|---|---|---|
| people | who / that | who only |
| things | which / that | which only |
| possession | whose | |
The woman who lives next door (which one? — defining) × My neighbour, who is 90, runs marathons (extra info). Object pronouns can vanish in defining clauses: the film (that) we watched.
Apply this grammar in B1 course exercises
Practice ExercisesCommas added to defining clauses
Defining = no commas; extra info = commas + who/which
Object pronoun repeated
the film we watched — no extra it
The barista who remembers everyone's order deserves a statue.
The barista who remembers everyone's order deserves a statue.
Defining who — no commas in English.
Our flat, which we bought in 2019, has doubled in value — the bank, whose money it really is, is thrilled.
Our flat, which we bought in 2019, has doubled in value — the bank, whose money it really is, is thrilled.
Non-defining which + whose with commas.
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Practice in course
Apply this grammar in B1 course exercises