A Non-Defining Relative Clause is extra information in a sentence. It is not necessary for the meaning of the sentence. A Defining Relative Clause is a necessary part of a sentence as it defines which noun the speaker is referring to.
- The man who sat down was Mike. (Defining Relative Clause) (In this sentence,you can't omit "who sat down." It is defining which man.)
- The man, who I had never met before,was looking at me strangely. (Non-Defining Relative Clause) (In this sentence, you can omit "who I had never met before." It is simply extra information.)
Non-Defining Relative Clauses give us secondary (ie - extra) information about a person or thing.
- My friend John, who is from Canada, loves to play football.
- The report, which is on the table, was completed yesterday.
Defining Relative Clauses are more common in spoken English. Non-Defining Relative Clauses are more formal and common in writing. In speaking, we usually say two sentences instead of one sentence with a Non-Defining Relative Clause.
- My friend John loves to play football. He's from Canada. (Spoken)
- My friend John, who is from Canada, loves to play football. (Written)
Non-defining Relative Clauses
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