Relative clauses are clauses that give extra information about a noun (person, thing, place, or time). They begin with a relative pronoun (who, which, that, whose, whom).
• The woman who lives next door is a doctor. (which woman? The one who lives next door)
• This is the book that I told you about. (which book?)
• My car, which is very old, still runs well. (extra information)
Defining relative clauses give essential information to identify the noun. Without them, the sentence is incomplete. No commas are used.
• The student who sits next to me is from Spain. (Which student? The one who sits next to me)
• This is the house that my grandfather built. (Which house?)
• I need a person who can speak Arabic. (What kind of person?)
• The book which I borrowed was fascinating.
💡 In defining clauses, you can often use "that" instead of "who" or "which".
📝 4. Non-Defining Relative Clauses
Non-defining relative clauses give extra, non-essential information about a noun that is already clear. They are separated by commas. You cannot use "that".
• My mother, who is 65 years old, still works. (I have only one mother; extra info)
• Paris, which is the capital of France, is beautiful.
• My car, which I bought in 2010, needs repairs.
• Mr. Smith, whose son is in my class, is a teacher.
⚠️ Non-defining clauses are always separated by commas. You cannot omit them.
📊 5. Defining vs Non-Defining
Feature
Defining
Non-Defining
Essential information?
Yes (identifies the noun)
No (extra information)
Commas?
No commas
Commas before and after
Can use "that"?
Yes
No
Example
The book that I read was good.
War and Peace, which I read, is long.
💬 6. Examples by Category (100+ Examples)
📌 WHO - for people (25 examples)
1. The woman who lives next door is a doctor.
2. I know a person who can speak five languages.
3. The man who called you is my brother.
4. Do you know anyone who can fix a computer?
5. The student who answered the question got a prize.
6. She is the only one who understood the problem.
7. People who exercise regularly are healthier.
8. The teacher who taught me math was excellent.
9. The girl who won the competition is my cousin.
10. Anyone who arrives late will miss the bus.
11. The detective who solved the case was famous.
12. I need someone who can help me move.
13. The artist who painted this is very talented.
14. The child who is crying wants his mother.
15. The doctor who treated me was kind.
16. The friend who visited me brought gifts.
17. The musician who played the guitar was amazing.
18. The writer who wrote this book is famous.
19. The driver who caused the accident was fined.
20. The actor who starred in the movie is my idol.
21. The chef who cooked this meal is French.
22. The student who studies hard will succeed.
23. The person who called is waiting outside.
24. The worker who repaired the roof did a great job.
25. The volunteer who helped us was very kind.
📌 WHICH/THAT - for things (25 examples)
26. This is the book that I told you about.
27. The car which broke down is in the garage.
28. The movie that we watched was boring.
29. I need a phone that has a good camera.
30. The house which is on the corner is for sale.
31. This is the best pizza that I have ever eaten.
32. The computer which I bought is very fast.
33. The song that she sang was beautiful.
34. The restaurant which serves Italian food is popular.
35. I found the keys that I lost yesterday.
36. The gift which she gave me was perfect.
37. The dress that she wore was stunning.
38. The problem which we discussed is solved.
39. The idea that he suggested was brilliant.
40. The game that they played was exciting.
41. The coffee which I drink is strong.
42. The article that I read was interesting.
43. The building which was destroyed is being rebuilt.
44. The advice that you gave me helped a lot.
45. The project which we finished is successful.
46. The shoes that I bought are comfortable.
47. The painting which hangs on the wall is valuable.
48. The book that I borrowed from the library is overdue.
49. The email which you sent was received.
50. The decision that they made was wise.
📌 WHOSE - possession (15 examples)
51. The girl whose phone rang was embarrassed.
52. The man whose car was stolen called the police.
53. The student whose mother is a doctor wants to study medicine.
54. The company whose product failed went bankrupt.
55. The family whose house burned down received donations.
56. The writer whose books are famous is coming to town.
57. The employee whose performance was excellent got a raise.
58. The country whose economy is growing attracts investors.
59. The teacher whose class I enjoy is leaving.
60. The scientist whose discovery changed the world won a Nobel Prize.
61. The artist whose paintings I love is having an exhibition.
62. The child whose toy was broken started crying.
63. The patient whose condition improved was discharged.
64. The team whose captain scored the winning goal celebrated.
65. The restaurant whose chef is famous is fully booked.
📌 Non-Defining Clauses (20 examples)
66. My mother, who is 65 years old, still works.
67. Paris, which is the capital of France, is beautiful.
68. My car, which I bought in 2010, needs repairs.
69. Mr. Smith, whose son is in my class, is a teacher.
70. London, which is a big city, has many attractions.
71. My boss, who is very strict, approved my vacation.
72. This cake, which I made myself, tastes delicious.
73. My sister, who lives in New York, is a lawyer.
74. The Eiffel Tower, which is in Paris, is famous.
75. My grandfather, who is 90 years old, still drives.
76. Our new teacher, who comes from Canada, is very nice.
77. The Mona Lisa, which was painted by da Vinci, is priceless.
78. My phone, which I dropped yesterday, is cracked.
79. Her novel, which was published last year, became a bestseller.
80. My neighbor, whose dog barks all night, is very annoying.
81. The president, who gave a speech today, promised reforms.
82. This hotel, where we stayed last summer, is excellent.
83. My best friend, whom I've known for 20 years, is moving away.
84. The Amazon, which is the largest river in the world, flows through Brazil.
85. My laptop, which I use every day, is getting slow.
📌 Mixed Practice (15 examples)
86. The book that I'm reading is very interesting.
87. My brother, who lives in London, is a doctor.
88. The woman whose bag was stolen is crying.
89. This is the restaurant where we had our first date.
90. The reason why I'm late is traffic.
91. She's the singer whose album won a Grammy.
92. The movie which we watched last night was scary.
93. I have a friend who can fix anything.
94. The building, which was built in 1900, is a museum now.
95. The student that scored the highest got a scholarship.
96. My grandmother, who is 85, still gardens every day.
97. The car that hit the tree was speeding.
98. The teacher whose class I enjoy is retiring.
99. This is the place where I grew up.
100. The reason that he gave was not convincing.
❌ 7. Common Mistakes
Mistake
Correction
❌ The book who I read is good.
✅ The book that/which I read is good.
❌ The man which lives next door is friendly.
✅ The man who lives next door is friendly.
❌ My brother who lives in London is a doctor. (if only one brother)
✅ My brother, who lives in London, is a doctor.
❌ The woman, that you met, is my aunt.
✅ The woman, whom you met, is my aunt. (or no commas if defining)
❌ Whose is that book?
✅ Who's that? / Whose book is that?
⚠️ Important Rules:
1. Use "who" for people, "which" for things, "that" for both (defining only).
2. Defining clauses have NO commas; non-defining HAVE commas.
3. "Whose" shows possession (not "who's").
4. "Whom" is formal and used as an object.
✍️ 8. Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Choose the correct relative pronoun
1. The woman ______ lives next door is a doctor. (who/which)
2. This is the book ______ I told you about. (who/which)
3. The car ______ broke down is in the garage. (who/which)
4. The girl ______ phone rang was embarrassed. (whose/which)
5. My brother, ______ lives in London, is a doctor. (who/which)
Exercise 2: Combine the sentences using a relative clause
1. The woman is a doctor. She lives next door. → ____________________
2. I read a book. It was very interesting. → ____________________
3. My brother is a doctor. He lives in London. → ____________________
4. The girl called the police. Her phone was stolen. → ____________________
5. Paris is beautiful. It is the capital of France. → ____________________
Exercise 3: Add commas where necessary (defining vs non-defining)
1. My brother who lives in London is a doctor. (if only one brother) → ____________________
2. The woman who called you is my aunt. → ____________________
3. Paris which is the capital of France is beautiful. → ____________________
4. The book that I borrowed is on the table. → ____________________
5. My car which I bought in 2010 is very reliable. → ____________________
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q1.What is the difference between defining and non-defining relative clauses?▼
Defining relative clauses give essential information to identify the noun (no commas). Non-defining clauses give extra information and are separated by commas. Example: 'My brother who lives in London is a doctor' (I have more than one brother). 'My brother, who lives in London, is a doctor' (I have only one brother, extra info).
Q2.When can I use 'that' instead of 'who' or 'which'?▼
In defining relative clauses, 'that' can replace 'who' (for people) and 'which' (for things). Example: 'The book that I read' (instead of which). 'The woman that called' (instead of who). 'That' is not used in non-defining clauses.
Q3.What is the difference between 'whose' and 'who's'?▼
'Whose' is the possessive relative pronoun (The woman whose car was stolen). 'Who's' is the contraction of 'who is' or 'who has' (Who's coming to the party?).