|
 Defining
Relative Clauses VS. Non-defining relative clauses (来源：英语聊天室 http://chat.EnglishCN.com)
| >Non-defining
Relative Clauses |
They
provide interesting additional information which is not essential
to understanding the meaning of the sentence.
Example:
Mrs. Jackson, who is very intelligent,
lives on the corner.
"Mrs
Johnson lives on the corner" provides a good piece of information.
We also know that she is very intelligent, thanks to the relative
clause (another interesting piece of information).
NB:
YOU MUST USE COMMAS!
| >Defining
Relative Clauses |
-
their information is crucial in understanding the meaning of the
sentence.
- if you remove them, the sentence has a different meaning or no
meaning at all.
Examples:
The
woman who lives in apartment No. 34
has been arrested.
What woman? The woman who lives in apartment n°34, not another
woman.
A
defining relative clause clearly defines who or what we are talking
about. Without this information, it would be difficult to know who
or what is meant.
NB:
NO COMMAS!
Defining
Relative Clauses
| |
Person
|
Object
|
| Subject |
who,
that
|
which,
that
|
| Object |
Ø,
that
(also:
who, whom)
|
Ø,
that
(also:
which)
|
| Possessive |
whose |
whose,
of which |
Examples:
>Subject:
Example: Children who
(that) play with fire are in
great danger of harm.
The man who bought
all the books by Hemingway has died.
Which
is better? which/who
OR that?
> who and which: written English
> that: oral English
>Object:
Example: That's the boy (Ø , that,
who, whom) I invited to the party.
There's the house (Ø, that, which)
I'd like to buy.
>Possessive:
Example: He's the man whose
car was stolen last week.
They were sure to visit the town whose
location (OR the location of which)
was little known.
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