We use defining relative clauses to say exactly which thing(s)/person(s) we are describing in a sentence.

Defining relative clauses start with a relative pronoun ‘who’, ‘which’ or ‘that’, and come immediately after the noun or pronoun they refer to.

Which relative pronoun only describes people? who

ORBIS volunteers teach doctors who live in remote places how to cure blindness.

ORBIS doctors operate on people who have eye problems.

Which relative pronoun only describes things? which

The charity which tries to cure blindness is called ORBIS.

Cataracts is a problem which causes blindness.

Which relative pronoun describes both people and things?

that

The boy that was blind could see again after the operation.ORBIS is a non-profit organisation that aims to help cure blindness.

Practice

Rewrite the following sentences by adding the phrases below as defining relative clauses.

cured her blindness helps to look after animals received an award I sent you just had an eye operation raised money for the poor in China

1 The charity is called World Wide Fund for Nature.

2 The doctor is very famous.

3 The Christmas card was designed by a blind student.

4 The charity concert was very successful.

5 The girl has been a volunteer worker for ten years.

6 Where is the baby boy?

The charity which/that helps to look after animals is called World Wide Fund for Nature.

The doctor who/that cured her blindness is very famous.

The Christmas card which/that I sent you was designed by a blind student.

The charity concert which/that raised money for the poor in China was very successful.

The girl who/that received an award has been a volunteer worker for ten years.

Where is the baby boy who just had an eye operation?

We use non-defining relative clauses to give more information about the thing(s)/person(s) we are describing.

The ORBIS plane flies to remote areas.The ORBIS plane, which has an operating room, flies to remote areas.

The cost of one operation is as little as HK$300.The cost of one operation is as little as HK$300, which is less than the price of a computer game.

Helen’s mother donated $1000.Helen’s mother, who is a volunteer worker at Cancer Research, donated $1000.

The ORBIS doctors operated on Li Wei.The ORBIS doctors operated on Li Wei, who had been hit by a rock.

* We cannot use ‘that’ in non-defining relative clauses.

Practice

Combine the following sentences using non-defining relative clauses.1 The New Year cards cost $3 each. They were designed by Alan.

2 After the operation, my grandmother could see again. My grandmother is seventy-three years old.

3 The Charity Club has eighty members. It was set up last year.

4 Project Hope sent a thank-you note to the school. The school raised $8000 in the charity walk.

5 Dr Wilson has worked for ORBIS for fifteen years. He is a very good eye doctor.

6 Our school organised a charity show for two hundred children. The children came from three different orphanages.

After the operation, my grandmother, who is seventy-three years old, could see again.

The New Year cards, which were designed by Alan, cost $3 each.

The Charity Club, which was set up last year, has eighty members.

Project Hope sent a thank-you note to the school, which raised $8000 in the charity walk.

Dr Wilson, who is a very good eye doctor, has worked for ORBIS for fifteen years.

Our school organised a charity show for two hundred children, who came from three different orphanages.