What are Defining Relative Clauses?
Defining relative clauses are subordinate clauses that provide essential information to identify which person or thing you are talking about. Without this clause, the sentence meaning becomes unclear or incorrect. They are introduced by relative pronouns: who (for people), which (for things), that (for people or things), or whose (possessive). Defining clauses are written without commas because the information is necessary.
A defining relative clause identifies or restricts the noun and is essential to the sentence's meaning. It uses relative pronouns (who, which, that, whose) with no commas, and the clause cannot be removed without changing the core meaning.
- 1↓Identify Main NounFind the noun you need to describe (e.g., 'person', 'book')
- 2↓Choose Relative Pronounwho = people, which = things, that = either, whose = possessive
- 3↓Add ClauseAdd who/which/that + verb + info (no commas)
- 4Test NecessityRemove clause — does the meaning still work? No = defining clause.
Step-by-step worked examples
Write a defining relative clause: 'The woman works here. She has red hair.'
Identify noun: 'woman' Choose pronoun: 'who' (people) Combine: 'The woman who has red hair works here.' Test: Remove clause — 'The woman works here' is vague (which woman?). Clause is defining ✓
Combine using 'which': 'The car is fast. It has a new engine.'
Main noun: 'car' Relative pronoun: 'which' (things) Combine: 'The car which has a new engine is fast.' Test: Remove clause — 'The car is fast' leaves a question (which car?). Defining ✓
Use 'whose': 'The student passed the exam. Her determination was strong.'
Noun: 'student' Pronoun: 'whose' (possessive) Combine: 'The student whose determination was strong passed the exam.' Test: Without clause, 'The student passed' is incomplete. Defining ✓
Flashcards
Quick quiz
Q1.Which sentence has a defining relative clause?
Q2.Fill: 'The book ___ you lent me is interesting.'
Q3.Combine: 'A chef prepares food. The chef trained in France.' (Defining)
Q4.True or False: Defining clauses must always include the relative pronoun.
The full card deck, worked steps and AI-tutor support for “What are Defining Relative Clauses?” are in Notek — study by hand before your exam.
Common mistakes
Adding commas to a defining clause. — Correct: Defining clauses have NO commas; non-defining clauses have commas around them.
Using the wrong relative pronoun (e.g., 'who' for things). — Correct: Use 'who' for people, 'which' for things, 'that' for either.
Removing the defining clause and expecting the sentence to mean the same thing. — Correct: Defining clauses are essential — without them, the meaning is unclear or incomplete.
Using 'which' for people. — Correct: 'which' is for things and animals; 'who' is for people.
FAQ
What is a defining relative clause?
A clause that identifies or restricts the noun — essential to the sentence meaning. It uses who, which, that, or whose with NO commas.
When should you use commas with relative clauses?
Never with defining clauses (no commas). Always with non-defining clauses (commas before and after).
What is the difference between who and that?
'who' is standard for people, 'that' is informal but also acceptable for people. 'which' is only for things.
Can you omit the relative pronoun?
Yes, only if it is the object of the clause: 'The book (that) I read' — but not if it is the subject: 'The book that arrived.'