✨ L1: Non-Defining Relative Clauses
Welcome to B2 Grammar Essentials! At the B1 level, you learned how to use relative clauses to identify people or things. Today, we will learn about a special type called a Non-Defining Relative Clause1. These clauses don't identify the noun; instead, they give us extra2, interesting information about it.
Defining vs. Non-Defining: The Comma is Key!
The biggest difference between the two types of relative clauses is the use of commas. Commas completely change the meaning of the sentence.
Defining Relative Clause3 (No Commas)
This gives essential4 information to tell us which person or thing we are talking about.
"My sister who lives in Battambang is a doctor."
(This means I have more than one sister. The clause is essential to know which sister I mean.)
Non-Defining Relative Clause (With Commas)
This gives extra, "bonus" information. If we remove it, the sentence still makes sense. It is used when we already know exactly who or what is being discussed (e.g., a unique person like "my mother" or a specific place like "Angkor Wat").
"My sister, who lives in Battambang, is a doctor."
(This means I have only one sister. We already know who she is. Her location is just extra information.)
Rules for Non-Defining Clauses
There are two very important rules for these clauses:
- You MUST use commas (or a comma and a period) to separate the clause from the rest of the sentence.
- You CANNOT use the relative pronoun 'that'. You must use 'who' for people and 'which' for things.
People (who): "Mr. Dara, who is my favorite teacher, is very kind."
Things (which): "The Bamboo Train, which is a famous attraction, is very popular with tourists."
Places (where): "Battambang, where I grew up, is a beautiful city."
Possession5 (whose): "My friend Lina, whose brother is a famous singer, invited me to a concert."
🧠 Practice Quiz: Punctuation & Pronouns
Choose the correct option or combine the sentences.
- Which sentence is grammatically correct?
a) My car, that is blue, is parked outside.
b) My car, which is blue, is parked outside.
Answer: b. (We must use 'which' for things in a non-defining clause, not 'that'.) - Combine these sentences: "Angkor Wat is a world-famous temple. It is located in Siem Reap."
Answer: Angkor Wat, which is located in Siem Reap, is a world-famous temple. - The man _______ lives next door to me is from France. (who / , who,)
Answer: who. (This is a defining clause because it tells us *which* man. No commas needed.) - My oldest brother, _______ works as an engineer, lives in Phnom Penh. (who / that)
Answer: who. (This is non-defining because "my oldest brother" is specific. We cannot use 'that'.)
📝 Homework: Combine the Sentences
Combine the sentences using a non-defining relative clause. Remember to use commas correctly!
- My favorite cafe is Kinyei Cafe. It is located near the river in Battambang.
Answer: My favorite cafe is Kinyei Cafe, which is located near the river in Battambang. - My best friend is named Sam. He is very good at playing the guitar.
Answer: My best friend is named Sam, who is very good at playing the guitar. - The Royal Palace is in Phnom Penh. It is a popular tourist destination.
Answer: The Royal Palace, which is a popular tourist destination, is in Phnom Penh.
Vocabulary Glossary
- Non-Defining Relative Clause: (Noun Phrase) - ឃ្លាភ្ជាប់មិនកំណត់ (khléa ph'choăp mĭn kâm'nât) - A clause that gives extra, non-essential information about a noun that is already specific. It is separated by commas. ↩
- Extra: (Adjective) - បន្ថែម (bân'thaeum) - More than is usual or necessary; additional. ↩
- Defining Relative Clause: (Noun Phrase) - ឃ្លាភ្ជាប់កំណត់ (khléa ph'choăp kâm'nât) - A clause that gives essential information to identify which person or thing we are talking about. It does not use commas. ↩
- Essential: (Adjective) - ចាំបាច់ (cham'bach) - Absolutely necessary; extremely important. ↩
- Possession: (Noun) - កម្មសិទ្ធិ (kâm'mâ'sĭt) - The state of having, owning, or controlling something. ↩