Relative Clause

Definition

A relative clause is a type of dependent clause that modifies a noun or pronoun, providing additional information about it. It typically begins with a relative pronoun such as 'who,' 'whom,' 'whose,' 'that,' or 'which,' and is essential in clarifying the meaning of a sentence by specifying which person or thing is being referred to.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Relative clauses can be restrictive or non-restrictive; restrictive clauses are essential to the meaning of the sentence, while non-restrictive clauses provide additional, non-essential information and are usually set off by commas.
2. The choice between 'who' and 'that' can depend on whether the antecedent (the noun being modified) refers to people or things, respectively.
3. Relative clauses can help to avoid ambiguity in sentences by clearly defining which person or thing is being discussed.
4. They contribute to the complexity and richness of language by allowing for more detailed descriptions within sentences.
5. Relative clauses can sometimes be omitted when they are non-restrictive and do not affect the overall meaning of the sentence.

Review Questions

• How do relative clauses function within a sentence to provide clarity and detail?
  • Relative clauses function as modifiers that provide additional information about nouns or pronouns in a sentence. By introducing details about the subject or object, they clarify which specific person or thing is being referred to. This added specificity helps eliminate ambiguity, allowing the reader to understand exactly what is meant without confusion.
• Compare and contrast restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses with examples.
  • Restrictive relative clauses are essential to the meaning of the sentence because they specify which particular noun we are talking about. For example, 'The book that I borrowed was interesting' means there is one specific book being discussed. Non-restrictive relative clauses, however, add extra information that isn’t necessary for understanding; for instance, 'The book, which I borrowed last week, was interesting' provides additional context but can be removed without losing the main point. This distinction affects punctuation: restrictive clauses have no commas, while non-restrictive ones do.
• Evaluate the impact of using relative clauses on sentence structure and readability in complex texts.
  • Using relative clauses can greatly enhance sentence structure by allowing writers to incorporate detailed information in a concise manner. However, if overused, they can also complicate readability by creating long, winding sentences that may confuse readers. It’s important for writers to balance the use of relative clauses to maintain clarity while still providing rich detail. The choice of whether to include a relative clause can impact how engaging and comprehensible complex texts are for their audience.

Related terms

Independent Clause: A clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence, containing a subject and a predicate.

Dependent Clause: A clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and relies on an independent clause for its meaning.

Noun Phrase: A group of words that functions in a sentence as a subject, object, or prepositional object, typically centered around a noun.