Examples of Non-Defining Relative Clauses for Academic Writing

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 📌 Non-defining relative clauses add extra information to a sentence. This information is not essential to the sentence's core meaning.
• ✍️ They are always set off by commas.
• 🚫 They cannot use 'that' to introduce the clause; 'who', 'which', or 'whose' are used instead.
• 🌍 They provide additional context or description about a noun that is already clearly identified.
• 💡 Removing a non-defining relative clause will not change the fundamental meaning of the sentence.

Practice Quiz

1. Which of the following sentences correctly uses a non-defining relative clause?
   1. A. My sister who lives in London is a doctor.
   2. B. My sister, who lives in London, is a doctor.
   3. C. The book that I borrowed was very interesting.
   4. D. The car which is parked outside is mine.
2. Choose the sentence where the relative clause provides extra, non-essential information.
   1. A. The student that studies hard usually succeeds.
   2. B. The building, which was built in 1920, is now a historical landmark.
   3. C. People who exercise regularly are generally healthier.
   4. D. The movie that we watched last night was scary.
3. Which word CANNOT be used to introduce a non-defining relative clause?
   1. A. Who
   2. B. Which
   3. C. That
   4. D. Whose
4. Identify the sentence that uses commas correctly with a non-defining relative clause.
   1. A. The author J.K. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter series.
   2. B. The author, J.K. Rowling, wrote the Harry Potter series.
   3. C. The author J.K. Rowling, wrote the Harry Potter series.
   4. D. The author, J.K. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter series.
5. Which sentence maintains its core meaning even if the relative clause is removed?
   1. A. The phone that I bought yesterday is already broken.
   2. B. The restaurant, which is on Main Street, is very popular.
   3. C. The shoes that he wore were uncomfortable.
   4. D. The song which she sang was beautiful.
6. Choose the sentence that uses a non-defining relative clause to add extra information about a person.
   1. A. The teacher who is very strict is not liked by students.
   2. B. My father, who is a lawyer, works very hard.
   3. C. Students that study regularly get good grades.
   4. D. The doctor that treated me was very kind.
7. Select the sentence that correctly uses 'whose' in a non-defining relative clause.
   1. A. The artist whose paintings are famous lives in Paris.
   2. B. The artist, whose paintings are famous, lives in Paris.
   3. C. The artist whose paintings are famous, lives in Paris.
   4. D. The artist, whose paintings, are famous lives in Paris.