Lesson 1: Non-Defining Clauses & Advanced Pronouns

Advanced Writing Style: At the B2 level, writing simple, short sentences can start to sound repetitive. To write a compelling travel blog or a professional business email, we use Non-Defining Relative Clauses.

These clauses let us insert extra, descriptive information into the middle of a sentence. Because this information is a "bonus" and not strictly necessary to identify the noun, we must always separate it with commas.

warning Crucial B2 Rule

In a non-defining clause (the ones separated by commas), you cannot use the word "that". You must strictly use "who" for people and "which" for things.

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Advanced Pronouns

Relative Pronoun

Who

Used to add extra, non-essential information about a person.

Example: Mr. Sok, who has been a guide for ten years, knows every corner of the temple.

Relative Pronoun

Which

Used to add extra, non-essential information about an object or idea.

Example: The Bamboo Train, which runs on a single track, is a thrilling ride for tourists.

Relative Pronoun

Whose

Used to show possession or relationship in a relative clause.

Example: Sophea, whose English is excellent, led our VIP tour.

Relative Pronoun

Whom

A formal pronoun used as the object of a verb or preposition.

Example: The hotel manager, with whom we spoke earlier, kindly upgraded our room.

Relative Pronoun

Where

Used to add descriptive detail about a specific location.

Example: The province, where many talented artists live, has a vibrant creative scene.

Relative Pronoun

When

Used to add descriptive detail about a time or period.

Example: April, when the national holiday is celebrated, is the hottest month of the year.

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Knowledge Check

edit_document Writing a Brochure

Choose the grammatically correct sentence for the new tourism website:

person_add Recommending a Driver

"I highly recommend Mr. Chea, _____ tuk-tuk is always perfectly clean."

mail Formal Email

"The director, to _____ I sent the proposal, approved the itinerary."

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Study Resources

Lesson Summary & Review

Let's review the key concepts covered in the interactive module above to ensure you are ready to construct complex and fluent sentences in English.

Understanding Non-Defining Clauses

A non-defining relative clause gives extra information about a noun. If you remove this clause, the sentence still makes grammatical sense and the meaning of the main noun does not change.

• Punctuation: You must always use commas to separate the non-defining clause from the rest of the sentence.
• Pronoun Restriction: You cannot use the pronoun "that" in these clauses. You must use specific pronouns like who, which, whose, or whom.