Relative Pronouns in Non-Defining Clauses
Non-defining relative clauses add some information about some object or the whole principal clause, but this information does not influence a lot the structure and content of the whole sentence. If we omit this part, the sentence will be grammatically appropriate.
Let’s consider the sentence:
- Wolves, which are predators and rather dangerous to encounter in the wild, have lived in this zoo for several years and they are quite friendly to people.
This sentence tells us about some wolves that live in the zoo and are partially domesticated. If we omit the part separated by commas, the information about the wolves living in the zoo will not change:
- Wolves have lived in this zoo for several years, and they are quite friendly to people.
Such clauses are also called parenthetical or non-restrictive, and they are separated by commas or parentheses. They consist of a relative pronoun as a conjunction, a verb, and other elements, providing additional information.
Remember
The relative pronouns that are normally used in such sentences include: which, who, whom, whose. ‘That’ is never used in these clauses because it adds a specific meaning.
- ✔️ This engineer, that lives in the house next to us, has been my father’s friend for many years.
- ❌ This engineer, who lives in the house next to us, has been my father’s friend for many years.
Relative Pronouns Functions in the Sentence
The relative pronouns mostly refer to a noun in the principal clause playing the specific functions of parts of sentences:
| Person | Thing | Place | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | who | which | |
| Object | who / whom | which | where |
| Possessive | whose | whose |
1. A Subject
✔️ That man, who is talking to a young lady now, is my professor of History.
2. An Object
- ✔️ The tap on the kitchen sink, which I installed last month, needs replacement.
- ✔️ The beautiful garden, where I liked to spend my free time, is old and jungly now.
3. A Possessive
✔️ My classmate Peter Brooks, whose father was our Math teacher, told me that he was going to make a discovery.
Some Peculiarities of Using Relative Pronouns in Non-Defining Clauses
There are special cases when we use relative pronouns in non-defining clauses in a bit different way.
1. Use with Introductory Expressions
The introductory phrases which can be used before a relative pronoun include the following:
| all of | both of | many of | one of |
| some of | either of | much of | two of, etc. |
| any of | each of | most of | |
| a few of | half of | none of |
- ✔️ We have 20 students in our class, a few of whom are very good athletes.
- ✔️ I had learned a lot of rules at school, half of which were successfully forgotten.
- ✔️ Nick liked several places in his hometown, one of which was especially dear to him.
2. ‘Which’ Referring to the Whole Previous Clause
The relative pronoun ‘which’ can refer to the whole information provided in the principal clause but not just one word from it.
- ✔️ Kate had left before I arrived, which was not exactly what I had dreamt of.
- ✔️ I want to win a gold medal, which is rather difficult.
Conclusion
Relative pronouns feature several characteristics which are used in non-defining relative clauses. Non-defining relative clauses have one essential difference from defining relative clauses. In defining clauses, pronouns ‘who’, ‘whom’, and ‘which’ can be replaced by the pronoun ‘that’. It is impossible to do in non-defining clauses.
You cannot leave out a relative pronoun in non-defining clauses, either. Though, it is quite possible in defining clauses.
Remember to use commas to separate a non-defining relative clause from the rest of the sentence.