Non-defining relative clauses: the extra information – relative clause exercises for extra information

This B2 drill lesson gives non-defining relative clause exercises: extra information between commas about someone or something we already know.

Grammar: Who, which, whose, where and when after a comma, never that, which for a whole idea, and how commas change the meaning.
Topic: A walking tour: the leaflet for Fallowmere, an invented old town, its back page, a visitor's review, the guide's message and a chat with Zinnia.
Activities: Choices, gap-fills, sorting, matching, meaning and comma quizzes, sentence joining, word order, a table, a memory game, drag-and-drop texts, a chat and a test.

What's inside

Chapter 1The rule
- PictureUnlock
- Study the scheme: non-defining relative clausesGrammar schemeTry it
- Is the sentence correct? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Sort the sentences: who, which, whose, where or when?Sort into columnsTry it
- Choose the right wordChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: the right relative wordFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 2Who, which, whose, where or when?
- Choose who or which: people and thingsChoose the optionTry it
- Fill in the gaps: people and thingsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose where, when or which: places and timesChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: places, times and ownersFill in the gapsUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endingsMatchUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right wordsQuizUnlock
- Read the “Meet the team” page and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
Chapter 3Commas change the meaning
- Choose the right meaningQuizUnlock
- Sort the sentences: do they need commas?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Choose the sentence with the right commasQuizUnlock
- Sort the sentences: can you leave out the word in brackets?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Choose the right word: with commas or withoutChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: with commas and withoutFill in the gapsTry it
Chapter 4Which for a whole idea
- Choose the right word: a comment on the whole sentenceChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: add a commentFill in the gapsUnlock
- Write the two sentences as oneFill in the gapsUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: sentences with commasUnjumbleUnlock
- Read the school newsletter and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropTry it
- Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: A walk through old Fallowmere
- Read the walking-tour leafletReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the leaflet again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read the back of the leaflet and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Dagny's review and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read Mireille's message to her group and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Zinnia texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose the right word: family and friendsChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: work and schoolFill in the gapsUnlock
- Sort the sentences: correct or wrong?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endings: travelMatchUnlock
- Fill in the table: two sentences into oneFill in the tableUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: extra informationUnjumbleUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: everyday EnglishQuizUnlock
- Is it correct English? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: what does it mean?Memory gameUnlock
- Choose the right word: a noun or the whole idea?Choose the optionUnlock
- Write the sentences again with extra informationFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Halina's letter from camp and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read the hotel review and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the news story and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the right answer: mixed practiceQuizUnlock

Grammar: non-defining relative clauses: extra information

A non-defining clause adds extra information about a person, thing, place or time that is already clear, so the sentence still works without it: My grandma, who is ninety, still swims every morning. Commas set the clause off, and it can comment on a whole idea too: The bus was late, which made me late for work.

Non-defining relative clauses: the extra information

Add extra information about a person, thing, place or time between commas. We already know who or what we mean.

Who, which, whose, where or when?

Who is for people, which for things, and whose replaces his, her or their. Where and when add a place or a time with a full clause: We stayed in Rome, where my aunt lives. As subject or object, a place takes which: Rosa's Diner, which my parents love.

Extra information between commas

a person, thing, place or time, who / which / whose / where / when + clause ,the rest of the sentence

My grandma, who is ninety, still swims every morning.

We drove to Denver, where my cousin was getting married.

The bus was late, which made me late for work.

Which word?

Word	Use it for	Example
who	people	My boss, who is from Chile, speaks four languages.
which	things, and places as the subject or object	Our fridge, which is twenty years old, still works.
whose	his / her / their	Leo, whose sister is a pilot, loves planes.
where	a place + subject + verb	We stayed in Rome, where my aunt lives.
when	a time + subject + verb	I was born in 2003, when we lived in Ohio.
which	the whole idea before it	He forgot my birthday, which really hurt me.

Where do the commas go?

A clause in the middle takes two commas: My uncle, who lives in Alaska, loves the cold. At the end, one is enough: I texted Maya, who was still at work. Names and things there is only one of, like my mom or Paris, take commas.

In the middle of a sentence: two commas. My uncle, who lives in Alaska, loves the cold.
At the end of a sentence: one comma. I texted Maya, who was still at work.
Names, and people or things there is only one of (my mom, Paris, our school), take commas: Paris, which…

Commas change the meaning

With no commas, a defining clause says which one: My brother who lives in Ohio is a doctor (I have more brothers). With commas, it's extra: My brother, who lives in Ohio, is a doctor (I have one). Only defining clauses allow that or drop an object pronoun.

Which one? No commas (defining)

The clause tells us which person or thing we mean.
My brother who lives in Ohio is a doctor. (I have more brothers.)
that is fine: the bus that goes downtown
An object pronoun can go: the cake (that) you made

Extra information: commas (non-defining)

We already know who or what we mean.
My brother, who lives in Ohio, is a doctor. (I have one brother.)
Never that after a comma: My brother, who (not: that) lives…
Never leave out the pronoun: Our car, which we bought in May, …

Which for a whole idea

Which can refer to the whole sentence before it: We missed the train, which meant a long wait. It rained all week, which was a shame. Neither what nor that can do this job.

which for a whole idea

which can refer to the whole sentence before it: We missed the train, which meant a long wait. It rained all week, which was a shame. (Not: …, what meant… · …, that meant…)

Formal English and common mistakes

Formal English uses whom for an object person, Dr. Ames, whom we met yesterday, though who is fine too. Watch for My sister, that lives in Rome, The movie, who we saw last night and Our car, we bought in May.

Formal English and more

whom for an object person in formal English: Dr. Ames, whom we met yesterday, … (who is fine too). whose also works for things: the bridge, whose arches… Numbers + of whom / of which: I have three brothers, two of whom live in Texas. (More at C1.)

Common mistakes

My sister, that lives in Rome, is a doctor.
My sister, who lives in Rome, is a doctor.
never that after a comma
The movie, who we saw last night, was great.
The movie, which we saw last night, was great.
who for people, which for things
He was late, what annoyed everyone.
He was late, which annoyed everyone.
which for a whole idea
Our car, we bought in May, is already dirty.
Our car, which we bought in May, is already dirty.
never leave out the pronoun

Examples

Our neighbor, who grew up in Kenya, teaches us Swahili words.who: a person
The city museum, which opened in 1950, is free on Sundays.which: a thing or place
Ms. Ibarra, whose kids go to my school, is a firefighter.whose: his / her / their
We spent July at the lake, where the water is freezing.where: a place
Come at six, when the kids are home.when: a time
Grandpa joined a gym, which nobody expected.which: the whole idea

More lessons on this grammar: Relative clauses lessons and exercises

Try the non-defining relative clause exercises

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What's in the lesson

41 auto-checked exercises
3 games
1 real-life document
1 grammar scheme
1 picture

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

add extra information about a person or a thing with who or which: My grandfather, who is eighty-eight, still drives to the store.
use whose, where and when: Mr. Hill, whose dog barks all night, lives next door. We stayed in Lisbon, where my parents met.
comment on a whole sentence with which, not what: Ben passed his driving test, which surprised everyone.
read what the commas say: My sister who lives in Lima (I have more sisters), My sister, who lives in Lima, (I have one)
keep that out after a comma and never drop the pronoun: Our coach, who we all love, is leaving, not Our coach, we all love

Grammar:: non-defining relative clauses · who / which / whose / where / when · commas · which for a whole clause · defining vs non-defining clauses
Topic:: grammar practice · travel · walking tours · history · old towns

Teaching tips

Introduce a partner in one sentence: pairs interview each other, then each student presents the partner with a non-defining clause: Lina, whose brother is a pilot, has never flown.
Cover the clause with a finger: if the sentence still makes sense and we know who or what is meant, the clause is extra, and the commas stay.
Write a walking tour of your own town: after the Fallowmere leaflet, groups write four stops with which, where, when and whose, then swap and check each other's commas.

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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · B2

English Grammar Practice · B2 has 24 drill lessons, one grammar point each: the future perfect and continuous, the third and mixed conditionals, wishes, past modals, the impersonal passive, have something done, participle clauses, reporting verbs and verb patterns. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words.See the course

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