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B2 Grammar
Defining & Non-Defining Relative Clauses
**Defining relative clauses** — essential information (no commas):
- The man **who works** at Salesforce is my cousin.
- The phone **that I bought** was expensive.
- "That" can replace "who/which" in defining clauses.
**Non-defining** — extra information (WITH commas):
- My sister, **who lives in Melbourne**, is a doctor.
- The Ganges, **which flows through Prague**, is sacred.
- ❌ Cannot use "that" in non-defining clauses.
**Whose** (possession):
- The teacher **whose class** I attended was excellent.
**Where / When:**
- Vancouver is the city **where** I grew up.
- 2020 was the year **when** everything changed.
**Omitting the relative pronoun:**
- The book **(that/which) I read** was interesting. ✅ (object)
- The man **who called** is my boss. ❌ Cannot omit (subject).
Examples
The pasta that my mother makes is the best in the world.
Sydney, which is the country's financial capital, never sleeps.
💡 If removing the clause changes the meaning of the sentence, it's defining (no commas). If it just adds extra info, it's non-defining (with commas).