The girl who I met yesterday lives in Paris
They girl, who lives in Paris, loves reading novels
These sentences are quite similar, both include:
- They include a similar subject
- A relative pronoun: WHO that links both sentences
- This part is called RELATIVE CLAUSE, a clause which acts as an adjective, describing the subject of the sentence.
Then, let's focus on the difference between both types of relative clauses. Look at the following mind map:
RELATIVE CLAUSES. GRAMMAR. JUANA MORAL'S ENGLISH SITE |
They are both different: the first sentence includes essential information, which cannot be deleted whereas the second can be omitted without any important change: The girl loves reading novels.
PRO TIPS:
- IN SPANISH: ORACIONES ESPECIFICATIVAS (DEFINING) ORACIONES EXPLICATIVAS (NON-DEFINING)
- DEFINING:
- WHO/WHICH can be replaced by THAT.
- Essential information. Not use commas
- t.
- NON DEFINING:
- WHO/WHICH, CANNOT be replaced by THAT. (THAT IS NOT USED).
- Extra information.
- We use commas. Paul, who works in hospital, lives in a small flat.
- WHOM is used in fomal language. It has the function of complement: This is the boy WHOM I met yesterday.
- WHOSE always has the function of determiner, that is, it accompanies a noun, expressing possesion and relation to a person: She was the girl whose house was burn
Let us see the different RELATIVE PRONOUNS IN MORE DETAIL
- Match the following parts of the sentences with a relative pronoun (level 3º, 4º ESO):
a. China is the place ....................Chinese people live
b. The students .................. cheated in the exam won't pass English
c. The elephant is an animal ....................... lives in Africa
d. Mary, .................brother lives in Australia, is in my class
e. The girl .............I was sitting with was amusing
f. A computer is a device .................helps you do many activities
g. Alexander lives in the house.................... I grew up.
2. Form sentences with a relative pronoun (4º ESO)
a. Matt has got a car. It is very fast. Matt has got a car which is very fast.
b. The student published a story. It won a competition. The student published....
c. That's my cousin Jane. She works in a shop. That's my cousin Jane............
d. That's the park. I used to go there when I was young. That's the park .........
e. Yesterday I met Kevin. His sister travels very often. Yesterday I met Kevin.......
f. Most of my friends went to the party. It was at Peter's. Most of my friends went to the party......
Finally, let us finish with some activities to distinguish between defining and non defining relative clauses.
3. Rewrite to form non-defining relative clauses. Use the pronouns in brackets.
a. Amy is my sister. She is older than me. (WHO) Amy, who is my sister, is older than me.
b- THis food smells nice. It is really tasty. (WHICH)
c. Mr Watson is very helpful. He is a doctor. (WHO)
d. THat disco was closed. We wanted to go there. (WHERE)
e. That book was boring. I read it last year. (WHICH)
See also the following activitites:
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