DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

Function

A defining relative clause gives us extra information about a noun. It cannot be removed from the sentence without affecting the basic meaning.

Form

Do not need commas to separate them from the rest of the sentence.	©   The movie which/that we saw last week was directed by Martin Scorsese. © The director who/that won the award wasn’t at the ceremony. © We stayed in the place where we had our honeymoon
Come after the noun they refer to.
©       Can use which/that to refer to things. ©       Can use who/that to refer to people. ©       Can use where to refer to places.
Subject and object relative clauses	©The actress who wore the exquisite dress at the end of the movie is a model.(subject)
A noun can either be the subject or the object of a defining relative clause.
When the noun is the object of the relative clause, the relative pronoun can be left out.	©The dress that/which the actress wore at the end of the movie is exquisite (object).

Examples

We usually use a relative pronoun (e.g. who, that, which, whose and whom) to introduce a defining relative clause (In the examples, the relative clause is in bold, and the person or thing being referred to is underlined.):

• They’re the people who want to buy our house.
•  Here are some cells which have been affected.
•  They should give the money to somebody who they think needs the treatment most.

Exercise 

• Relative clauses - defining or non-defining?
      Study the situations and then decide whether the following relative clauses are defining or non-defining.
  
  
  
  I have three brothers.
   My brother who lives in Sidney came to see me last month.
   My brother, who lives in Sidney, came to see me last month.
  I have one sister.
   My sister who is 25 years old spent her holiday in France.
   My sister, who is 25 years old, spent her holiday in France.
  Bob's mum has lost her keys.
   Bob's mum who is a musician has lost her car keys.
   Bob's mum, who is a musician, has lost her car keys.
  My friend Jane moved to Canada.
   My friend Jane whose husband is Canadian moved to Canada last week.
   My friend Jane, whose husband is Canadian, moved to Canada last week.
  I am a shoe fanatic.
   The shoes which I bought yesterday are very comfortable.
   The shoes, which I bought yesterday, are very comfortable.
  Mr Robinson is very famous.
   Mr Robinson whom I met at the trade fair is a famous inventor.
   Mr Robinson, whom I met at the trade fair, is a famous inventor.
  Tamara has two cats. Both of them are black.
   Tamara's two cats which can play outside are black.
   Tamara's two cats, which can play outside, are black.
  Kevin has four cats. Two of them are black.
   Kevin's two cats which are black can play outside.
   Kevin's two cats, which are black, can play outside.
  We are on holiday. Yesterday we visited a church.
   The church which we visited yesterday is very old.
   The church, which we visited yesterday, is very old.
  We are on holiday. Yesterday we visited a church.
   St. Mary's Church which we visited yesterday is very old.
   St. Mary's Church, which we visited yesterday, is very old.