Restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses
In this lesson, we look at the difference between two kinds of relative clause. A relative clause is a special kind of subordinate clause, and like other subordinate clauses it is introduced by a subordinating conjunction. More specifically, the introduction of a relative clause can be carried out by a relative pronoun.
The two types of relative clauses we will be looking at are:
Welcome back!
Englicious is totally free for everyone to use!
But you will have to log in to see our library of teaching resources.
If you don’t have an account, that’s perfectly OK. You can register (for free).
It only takes a minute or two.
Restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses: Activity 1
In what situation would somebody use the clause the car which is yellow?
For example:
- The car which is yellow is mine, the car which is blue is yours, and the car which is red is John’s.
If I say the car which is yellow, am I giving you more information about a particular car we were already talking about by telling you its colour, or am I helping you to identify the car by telling you that it is the yellow one I want to discuss, rather than a red or blue one?
Restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses: Activity 2
Sort these examples of relative clauses from the ICE-GB corpus according to whether you think they are restrictive (identifying) or non-restrictive (adding). Were there any cases where you had difficulty deciding which reading to choose? What clues did you use to help you decide?
Restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses: Activity 3
Non-restrictive relative clauses are often – although not always – surrounded by commas, which separate the additional information that the relative clause contains. In the following examples, see if you can put the commas in the right place to separate out the restrictive relative.
Restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses: Activity 4
Have a go at writing your own relative clauses by mixing and matching the clauses below. Join them together with that, which or who.