Non-defining Relative Clauses

If the main clause continues after the relative clause, use two commas: one before it and one after it. After the second comma, we return to the main idea.

If the relative clause reaches the end of the sentence, put one comma before it and the normal end punctuation after it. Do not put a comma before the full stop.

Who links an extra fact to a person, and which links it to a thing. Do not use that in this kind of relative clause.

If the pronoun is the object rather than the subject, both who and the more formal whom are possible for a person: Lina, who/whom you met. Whom cannot replace subject who in Lina, who works here.

Whose comes before a noun and expresses possession or a relationship: whose phone, whose team, whose sister. Do not add his, her or their after it.

Whose does not mean who is. The contraction who’s expands to who is or who has, depending on the construction. Whose is also possible with things and organisations when describing a part or property of them.

Where means “in or at that place”: it is followed by information about an action or state there. Which can be the subject or object of a verb even when the noun is a town, café or building.

Compare: working in a place → where I work; liking the place itself → which I like; the place itself being closed → which is closed. In which can also mean “in that place”; use an appropriate preposition with which for other location relationships, such as “at” or “near”.

In a full non-defining relative clause, you cannot simply leave out the relative word, even when it is the object. At the same time, it already fills the subject or object role: do not duplicate that role with she, he, it or them.

When joining two sentences, find the repeated person or thing. Replace that reference with the relative word and place the new clause next to the noun it describes.

The colleagues who work remotely joined online identifies a group: the colleagues working remotely were the ones who joined online. The colleagues, who work remotely, joined online adds a characteristic of an already identified group of colleagues. Both sentences are grammatical, but they organise information differently.

A name or my does not automatically guarantee extra information: the context may require clarification of exactly which person is meant. Here, the exercises explicitly establish an already known person or ask for a fact to be presented as extra information.

In a short message, choose the main fact, add only a useful detail, and check the comma boundaries. Other constructions, such as two separate sentences, are also possible in the language; when the task specifically asks for a relative clause, they do not meet its learning objective.

Compare the comment’s meaning with its possible referent. If it gives the size, colour or another property of a specific thing, which can describe that thing. If it assesses what happened, the comment can concern the whole idea.

A comma alone does not distinguish the cases: a supplementary noun description also takes a comma. Read the entire construction. For ambiguity, add context or name the event explicitly; proximity to which does not settle every ambiguity.

In which helped us, which itself is subject: the fact helped us. Do not add another it. When which represents one fact or situation, the verb agrees with that singular meaning: which is, which helps. A plural subject in the first clause does not change this.

In which I expected, I is already subject and which represents what I expected. A verb therefore does not always immediately follow which. Extra it after expected would repeat the same object. Retain which in both patterns.

In an ordinary written sentence, put a comma before this supplementary comment. This pattern requires which: do not replace it with that or what, or omit it. A first-language linking word does not by itself determine the English pronoun.

A separate sentence with This or That can also express the idea correctly: We waited. That was sensible. It is another structure. If a task requests one sentence with which, two grammatical sentences fail only that learning condition.

In conversation, a short comment can be a separate turn: Which is handy. It draws on what the other person just said. Do not label an appropriate conversational reaction incorrect merely because it starts with Which; a self-contained written-sentence task should combine the fact and comment.

Which does not mean “because” or “as a result” in every sentence. The verb and context show whether the comment names an outcome, feeling, assessment or expectation. Which surprised me reports a reaction; which I expected reports a match with expectations.

Choose the comment’s tense by meaning too. A past event can receive a present assessment: I missed the call, which is a problem now. Do not mechanically copy the first clause’s tense.

First formulate the fact. Then choose what to say about it: it was convenient, caused a problem, was surprising or met an expectation. Connect the parts and check that the reader understands which fact is assessed.

If several actions and things accumulate before which, avoid a vague comment. Shorten the first clause, supply context or name the relevant event in a separate sentence. The pattern helps in everyday conversation and work messages; no need to lengthen every sentence just to use it.

'Additional' does not mean 'unimportant' or 'untrue'. Removing a non-defining clause leaves the main message about the same referent, but loses one fact.

Removing a defining clause often leaves a grammatical sentence too. However, it may cover a different group or no longer explain which object to choose. The test 'the sentence is still grammatical' does not determine the type on its own.

A non-defining clause within a sentence has a comma before and after it. At the end of a sentence, it needs a comma before it, and the sentence ends with the usual full stop or other final punctuation.

Do not automatically put a comma before an English relative word such as which. Defining relative clauses do not need commas.

In a defining clause, who or that can refer to people, and which or that can refer to things. In a non-defining clause in modern standard writing, use who for people and which for things; that is not suitable here.

Which does not automatically mean non-defining. Restrictive which is standard; some editorial styles, particularly American ones, prefer that. Unless a particular style is specified, both forms are acceptable for things in a defining clause.

In a defining clause, an object relative pronoun can be omitted: the report I sent. The subject I remains after the omission. Do not omit a subject pronoun from a full relative clause: the report that arrived.

Keep the relative word in a non-defining clause, even when it is an object. Do not duplicate it with it, he, she or them in the same role.

My brother who lives in Madrid often distinguishes this brother from others. My brother, who lives in Madrid, presents his place of residence as an additional fact about a brother already identified for the listener.

The commas alone do not prove there is only one brother. Someone may have several brothers but be talking about one already mentioned. A name also often identifies a person, but when two people share the name, a defining specification may be needed. Determine the role of the information in the particular conversation.

First decide whether the relative clause identifies the referent or adds a fact about it. Then check the comma boundaries, the relative word, and the subject and object roles.

In open exercises, compare your answer with the model and criteria. Different natural wording or a construction with the same meaning may be correct. A grammatical phrase that changes the relevant group or lacks the requested relative clause does not meet the exercise's aim.