Non-defining relative clauses: , who / , which / , whose
A non-defining relative clause gives extra information about a noun we already know. It goes between commas; without it, the sentence still makes sense.
One step at a timeRules
Rule 1: who (people) and which (things)
Use who for people and which for things and animals. (For pets, who is also very common: *Our dog, who is ten, …*)
Pattern: noun, who / which + …, rest of the sentence
Example: My aunt, who lives in Bursa, is a chef.
Example: My watch, which was a present, is broken.
Rule 2: whose and where
Use whose for possession and where for places.
Example: Ece, whose mom is a vet, has three cats.
Example: Izmir, where we spend our summers, is lovely.
Rule 3: No that, no leaving out!
In clauses with commas we never use that, and we never leave out who / which. (When the person is the object, formal English also uses whom: *Our coach, whom everyone likes, …*)
Example: My laptop, which I bought last year, is very fast.
Example: Our coach, who everyone likes, is leaving.
Rule 4: which for a whole sentence
which can refer to the whole previous clause.
Pattern: clause, which + …
Example: We won the match, which was amazing.
Example: The train was late, which annoyed everyone.
Common mistakes
My mom, that is a teacher, loves books.→ My mom, who is a teacher, loves books.No that in clauses with commas.
He lost his keys, what was a problem.→ He lost his keys, which was a problem.Use which for a whole clause.
Ali, who's dad is a pilot, travels a lot.→ Ali, whose dad is a pilot, travels a lot.Possession → whose (who's = who is).
Position 12 of 23 topics at B2.