The Relative Clauses

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The Relative Clauses
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What is it?

• Use relative clauses to provide extra
  information. This information can either define
  something (defining clause), or provide
  unnecessary, but interesting, added information
  (non-defining clause).
• A relative clause--also called an adjective or
  adjectival clause--will meet three requirements. 
  First, it will contain a subject and verb.  Next,
  it will begin with a relative pronoun who, whom,
  whose, that, or which or a relative adverb
  when, where, or why.  Finally, it will function
  as an adjective, answering the questions What
  kind? How many? or Which one? 

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Sentence structure

•  Relative Pronoun or Relative Adverb  
   Subject    Verb     Incomplete Thought  
•  Relative Pronoun Functioning as Subject  
   Verb    Incomplete Thought

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Use in English

• The relative clauses are most commonly positioned
  immediately after the noun that they refer to,
  and often begin with a relative pronoun such as
  who, that or which. Who is used to refer to
  people, which is used to refer to things, and
  that is used to refer to people or things.
  Relative pronouns do not have masculine, feminine
  or plural forms. A relative pronoun like who or
  that can be used to refer to a man, a woman or a
  group of people

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Two kinds of Relative Clauses

• Defining Relative Clauses
• The information provided in a defining relative
  clause is crucial in understanding the meaning of
  the sentence.
• Example The woman who lives in apartment No. 34
  has been arrested.The document that I need has
  'important' written at the top.
• The purpose of a defining relative clause is to
  clearly define who or what we are talking about.
  Without this information, it would be difficult
  to know who or what is meant.
• Example The house is being renovated.
• In this case it is not necessarily clear which
  house is being renovated.

• Non-defining Relative Clauses
• Non-defining relative clauses provide interesting
  additional information which is not essential to
  understanding the meaning of the sentence.
• Example Mrs. Jackson, who is very intelligent,
  lives on the corner.
• Correct punctuation is essential in non-defining
  relative clauses. If the non-defining relative
  clause occurs in the middle of a sentence, a
  comma is put before the relative pronoun and at
  the end of the clause. If the non-defining
  relative clause occurs at the end of a sentence,
  a comma is put before the relative pronoun.
• NOTE In defining relative clauses there are no
  commas.
•  

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Lacking transitional problem

• Punctuate a relative clause correctly.
• Punctuating relative clauses can be tricky.  For
  each sentence, you will have to decide if the
  relative clause is essential or nonessential and
  then use commas accordingly.
• Essential clauses do not require commas. A
  relative clause is essential when you need the
  information it provides. Look at this example
• The children who skateboard in the street are
  especially noisy in the early evening.
• Children is nonspecific. To know which ones we
  are talking about, we must have the information
  in the relative clause. Thus, the relative clause
  is essential and requires no commas.
• If, however, we eliminate children and choose
  more specific nouns instead, the relative clause
  becomes nonessential and does require commas to
  separate it from the rest of the sentence.  Read
  this revision
• Matthew and his sister Loretta, who skateboard in
  the street, are especially noisy in the early
  evening.