How Do You Use A Defining Or Non-Defining Relative Clause?
How To Use a Defining or Non-Defining Relative Clause Defining Relative Clauses The information provided in a defining relative clause is crucial in understanding the meaning of the sentence. Example: The woman who lives in apartment No. 34 has been arrested. The document that I need has ‘important’ written at the top. The purpose of a defining relative clause is to clearly define who or what we are talking about. Without this information, it would be difficult to know who or what is meant. Example: The house is being renovated. In this case it is not necessarily clear which house is being renovated. Non-defining Relative Clauses Non-defining relative clauses 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. Correct punctuation is essential in non-defining relative clauses. If the non-defining relative clause occurs in the middle of a sentence, a comma is p
