Relative clauses (defining and non-defining)

• 8 Relative clauses (defining and non-defining)

  8.1

  Restrictive vs. Non-restrictive

  

  

  Relative clauses are divided into two types, distinguished by whether the information is essential:

  • Restrictive (defining): Provides essential information, identifying "which one," with no comma.
  • Non-restrictive (non-defining): Provides extra information; removing it does not affect identification, so it is set off by commas.

  （冠词）The 男人man （关系代词）who 打电话called 是is 我的my 老板boss.

  The man who called is my boss. (Restrictive: identifies which man)

  我的My 老板boss （关系代词）, who 是is 非常very 友善kind 打电话, called 我me.

  My boss called me, and he is a very nice person. (Non-restrictive: supplementary information)

  Note: A comma signals a non-restrictive clause, indicating the information is an aside.

  8.2

  Commas and Which

  There are also differences in the choice of relative pronouns between the two types of clauses:

  • Restrictive: Use who / that for people, which / that for things; may be omitted when functioning as an object.
  • Non-restrictive: Use who for people, which for things; that cannot be used, and it cannot be omitted.

  这This 书book （关系代词）, which 我I 读read 去年last year 是, is 优秀excellent.

  *I read this book last year, which was excellent. (Non-restrictive, use which)

  Note: that is never used in non-restrictive clauses: ~~My boss, that is kind, …~~ ✗ → My boss, who is kind, … ✓.

  Common Errors

  • ❌ ~~My mother who lives in Beijing is a teacher.~~ → ✓ My mother**, who** lives in Beijing**,** is a teacher. — Unique people or things (mother, Beijing, sun) can only take non-restrictive clauses; omitting commas implies "you have several mothers".
  • ❌ ~~He failed the exam, it made his parents angry.~~ → ✓ …the exam**, which** made his parents angry. — A comma cannot directly join two sentences; a comma plus which refers to the entire preceding situation.
  • ❌ ~~My boss, I met yesterday, is kind.~~ → ✓ My boss, who(m) I met yesterday, is kind. — The relative pronoun in a non-restrictive clause cannot be omitted.
  • Commas must appear in pairs: When a clause is inserted mid-sentence, it requires commas on both sides: My boss, who is kind, called me.

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