Meaning & use
relative clause
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Meaning
nouncountable
A group of words that describes a noun and begins with a word like 'who', 'which', or 'that'.
Grammar: Countable; often used with 'defining' or 'non-defining' before it.
Patterns
- a relative clause
- defining relative clause
- non-defining relative clause
In the sentence 'The book that I bought is heavy', 'that I bought' is a relative clause.
A defining relative clause gives essential information about the noun and is not separated by commas.
Non-defining relative clauses add extra information and are set off by commas, as in 'My brother, who lives in Paris, is a chef.'
Word forms
| plural | relative clauses |
|---|
Common combinations
- defining relative clause
- A defining relative clause tells us which person or thing we mean.
- non-defining relative clause
- A non-defining relative clause is separated by commas and can be left out without changing the main meaning.
- introduce a relative clause
- We use 'who' to introduce a relative clause that refers to a person.
Synonyms and how they differ
- adjective clause
- Adjective clause is an older term for the same thing; it emphasizes that the clause functions like an adjective.
Word family
- relative pronoun noun
- A word like 'who', 'which', or 'that' that begins a relative clause.
- relative adverb noun
- A word like 'where' or 'when' that begins a relative clause.
Commonly confused: relative clause or noun clause?
relative clause vs noun clause
A noun clause acts as a noun (subject or object), while a relative clause describes a noun.
Practice
Which sentence contains a relative clause?
Choose one answer.
In 'The man who called you is my uncle', 'who called you' is a relative clause describing 'the man'. The other options contain noun clauses or comparative clauses, not relative clauses.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “relative clause”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.