Relative Clauses (Defining & Non-Defining)

Relative clauses are one of the most versatile tools in the IELTS candidate's grammar toolkit. They allow you to combine ideas smoothly, add detail to nouns, and create the complex sentences that the examiner is looking for. However, the distinction between defining and non-defining relative clauses — and the punctuation rules that go with them — is a frequent source of errors.

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What Is a Relative Clause?

A relative clause is a subordinate clause that modifies a noun. It begins with a relative pronoun:

Pronoun	Use
who	people (subject)
whom	people (object — formal)
which	things
that	people or things (defining clauses only)
whose	possession (people or things)
where	places
when	times

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Defining Relative Clauses

A defining (also called restrictive) relative clause identifies which person or thing we are talking about. Without it, the sentence is incomplete or unclear.

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