NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

Non- defining relative clauses do not tell us  which person or  thing the speaker means: these clauses give more information about a person or a thing already identified.

Christina' s mother , who is 63, has just broken her right foot ( who is 63 does not tell us which woman: we already know that it is Christina's mother)

Christina's hometown , which is in the north of Spain,  is a beautiful  Asturian village.( which is in the north of Spain does not tell us which hometown : we already know that it´s  Christina's hometown)

These kind of clauses are more common in a formal style, especially in writing. When we write these clauses, we put commas (,)  at the beginning  of the clause ( and often at the end of it ,too)

1. Using Who and Which
2. Whose, Where, When and Whom
3. Non-defining with  prepositions
4. Exercises

1. Using Who and Which

We use who for people and which for things. That cannot be used.

Peter's parents, who are both doctors, live next door. (Not : that are both doctors)

We cannot leave out "who" or "which". These pronouns cannot be omitted.

She gave me the book, which I had lent her. (Not: ... the book, I lent her)

2. Whose, Where, When and Whom

We can use all these pronouns in non-defining relative clauses.

Brenda Smith, whose husband is the actor Sean Mann, is a good friend of mine
We are going on holiday in May, when the weather isn´t so hot.

We use whom instead of who when it is the object of a verb in a non-defining.

Brenda Smith, whom/who I met when I was at school , is married to Sean Mann

3. Non-defining with  prepositions

In formal style we can use  a preposition before which and whom, but in everyday speech it´s more common to  put the preposition at the end of the clause and to use who instead of whom. Remember that we cannot leave out the relative pronoun even when it´s the object of the relative clause

She´s studying Japanese , about which I know very little
She´s studying Japanese ,  which I know very little about

Mr Smith, to  whom  I talked, was not in the office.
Mr Smith,   who  I talked to, was not in the office.
 

4. Exercises

Exercise 1