Understanding Defining and Non-defining Relative Clauses

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

Understanding Defining and Non-defining Relative Clauses

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to understand the concepts of defining and non-defining relative clauses and identify their usage in sentences.

What do you already know about defining and non-defining relative clauses?

Defining Relative Clauses

Defining relative clauses provide essential information about the noun they modify. They cannot be removed from the sentence without changing its meaning.

Defining Relative Clauses Examples

1. The book that I bought is very interesting. 

2. The girl who won the competition is my friend.

Non-defining Relative Clauses

Non-defining relative clauses provide additional information about the noun they modify. They can be removed from the sentence without changing its meaning.

Non-defining Relative Clauses Examples

1. John's car, which is red, is parked outside. 

2. My sister, who lives in London, is visiting us.

Defining vs Non-defining Relative Clauses

Defining relative clauses are not separated by commas, while non-defining relative clauses are separated by commas.

Practice 1

Identify whether the following sentences contain defining or non-defining relative clauses: 

1. The dog, which is brown, loves to play. 

2. The movie that we watched was amazing.

Defining Relative Clauses Quiz

Which of the following sentences contains a defining relative clause? 

A) The house, which is old, needs renovation. 

B) The book that I read was interesting. 

C) My friend, who is a doctor, gave me some advice.

Non-defining Relative Clauses Quiz

Which of the following sentences contains a non-defining relative clause? 

A) The cat that is sleeping belongs to Sarah. 

B) My sister, who is a teacher, lives in Paris. 

C) The car which I bought is blue.

Practice 2

Complete the following sentences with the appropriate relative pronoun: 

1. The boy _____ is my brother. 

2. The house, _____ is located on the hill, has a beautiful view.

Summary

Defining relative clauses provide essential information, while non-defining relative clauses provide additional information. Defining relative clauses do not have commas, non-defining relative clauses do.

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SB66 - Ex. 1 - 6

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.