Difference between revisions of "Non-defining relative clause"
From Teflpedia
(→References) |
(→Parentheses) |
||
| (7 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| − | A '''non- | + | A '''non-defining relative clause''' (/ˌnɒndəˈfaɪnɪŋ(g) ˈrelətɪv ˈklɔ:z/), also known as a '''non-identifying relative clause''', or '''non-restrictive relative clause''' is a [[relative clause]] that acts as an [[adjectival]], adding secondary information to a [[sentence]], almost as an afterthought. [[Comma]]s are used to "isolate" the clause from the rest of the sentence and if the clause is removed, the sentence remains [[well-formed]]. |
| + | |||
== Examples == | == Examples == | ||
| Line 6: | Line 7: | ||
*My favourite dish is roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, which is difficult to find on a restaurant menu. | *My favourite dish is roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, which is difficult to find on a restaurant menu. | ||
| − | === | + | ===that cannot be used=== |
*John, who (not that) plays rugby and cricket, is always busy at weekends. [this is a bad example] | *John, who (not that) plays rugby and cricket, is always busy at weekends. [this is a bad example] | ||
| − | *Paul took me for a drive in his new car, which ( | + | *Paul took me for a drive in his new car, which ('not' that) he had bought last week. [this is a bad example] |
| − | === | + | ==='who or which cannot be omitted=== |
*We stayed at the Grand Hotel, which Ann had recommended to us. | *We stayed at the Grand Hotel, which Ann had recommended to us. | ||
| − | === | + | ===whom=== |
| − | This is one of the few cases that | + | This is one of the few cases that [[whom]] can be used (when it is the object): |
*This morning I met Diane, who (or whom) I hadn’t seen since Christmas. | *This morning I met Diane, who (or whom) I hadn’t seen since Christmas. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Parentheses == | ||
| + | |||
| + | Instead of [[comma]]s, [[parentheses]] can be used for extra distancing from the main clause, e.g: | ||
| + | |||
| + | * My brother (who is an engineer) has been working in the same company for over twenty-five years. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
| − | <references/> | + | <references/>[[category:index]] |
| − | [[ | + | [[category:relative clauses]] |
Latest revision as of 13:27, 25 May 2020
A non-defining relative clause (/ˌnɒndəˈfaɪnɪŋ(g) ˈrelətɪv ˈklɔ:z/), also known as a non-identifying relative clause, or non-restrictive relative clause is a relative clause that acts as an adjectival, adding secondary information to a sentence, almost as an afterthought. Commas are used to "isolate" the clause from the rest of the sentence and if the clause is removed, the sentence remains well-formed.
Contents
Examples[edit]
- My brother, who is an engineer, has been working in the same company for over twenty-five years.
- My favourite dish is roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, which is difficult to find on a restaurant menu.
that cannot be used[edit]
- John, who (not that) plays rugby and cricket, is always busy at weekends. [this is a bad example]
- Paul took me for a drive in his new car, which ('not' that) he had bought last week. [this is a bad example]
'who or which cannot be omitted[edit]
- We stayed at the Grand Hotel, which Ann had recommended to us.
whom[edit]
This is one of the few cases that whom can be used (when it is the object):
- This morning I met Diane, who (or whom) I hadn’t seen since Christmas.
Parentheses[edit]
Instead of commas, parentheses can be used for extra distancing from the main clause, e.g:
- My brother (who is an engineer) has been working in the same company for over twenty-five years.
