Non-defining relative clauses


Relative clauses - non-defining relative clauses
Relative clauses add extra information to a sentence by defining a noun. They are usually divided into two types – defining relative clauses and non-defining relative clauses.

Non-defining relative clauses

Look at this sentence.
·         My grandfather, who is 87, goes swimming every day.
‘who is 87’ is a non-defining relative clause. It adds extra information to the sentence. If we take the clause out of the sentence, the sentence still has the same meaning.

Look at some more examples.
·         My eldest son, whose work takes him all over the world, is in Hong Kong at the moment.
·         The film, which stars Tom Carter, is released on Friday.
·         The car, which can reach speeds of over 300km/ph, costs over $500,000.
In the first sentence, it is clear which son is being talked about and the relative clause provides extra information. In the second sentence, the speaker thinks you know which film you are talking about, and the information about Tom Carter is just something interesting. In the third sentence, the speaker thinks you already know which car is being discussed. The information about the speed is just for interest.

Defining or non-defining?

Remember that defining relative clauses are used to add important information. The sentence would have a different meaning without the defining relative clause.
·         I’m going to wear the skirt that I bought in London. 
·         The skirt, which is a lovely dark blue colour, only cost £10. 
The first sentence with a defining relative clause tells us which skirt. The second sentence, with a non-defining relative clause, doesn’t tell us which skirt – it gives us more information about the skirt. The context (which is missing here) makes it clear which skirt is being talked about.
Non-defining relative clauses can use most relative pronouns (which, whose etc,) but they CAN’T use ‘that’ and the relative pronoun can never be omitted.
·         The film, that stars Tom Carter, is released on Friday.
Non-defining relative clauses are more often used in written English than in spoken English. You can tell that a clause is non-defining because it is separated by commas at each end of the clause.
Relative Clauses: defining relative clauses, las relatives clauses u oraciones de relativo son frases que se unen a una oración principal y sirven para dar información sobre una persona, objeto o lugar que se ha mencionado previamente en la oración principal.
Son, por tanto, oraciones subordinadas que se unen a la frase principal mediante los relative adverbs or pronouns (pronombres o adverbios relativos), palabras que actúan como nexo entre ambas. 

Las relative clauses u oraciones de relativo equivalen a oraciones subordinadas adjetivas y, por tanto, hemos de diferenciar entre:
1. Oraciones subordinadas adjetivas especificativas (defining relative clauses)
2. Oraciones subordinadas adjetivas explicativas (non-defining relative clauses) 
Cada una tiene unas características y el uso de los pronombres o adverbios relativos cambiará en función del tipo de oración. En este post explicaremos las oraciones subordinadas adjetivas explicativas o non-defining relative clauses. 
NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES (explicativas) 
Las non-defining relative clauses se caracterizan por dar información extra sobre la persona, cosa o lugar al que nos referimos en la oración principal. La información que añaden las non-defining clauses no es necesaria para comprender a qué nos referimos y, como actúan a modo de explicación, VAN ENTRE COMAS.


My neighbour, who is French, is very rich (mi vecino, que es Francés, es rico)

Si quitamos la non-definig relative clause (,who is French,) podríamos entender la frase perfectamente (my neighbour is rich). Esto explica que la non-defining clause añade información extra que no es necesaria para comprender de qué hablamos. 

Compara: 
The man who I told you about is very friendly (el hombre del que te hablé es muy simpático) → Esta frase contiene un relative clause que no se puede omitir porque es importante para la comprensión de toda la frase. Estamos ante una defining relative clause.

My teacher, who has been working at the same school for 5 years, is getting married on Saturday(mi profesor, que lleva 5 años trabajando en la misma escuela, se casa el sábado) → En esta frase la información who has been working at the same school for 5 years  no es fundamental para entender la frase. Estamos ante una non-defining relative clause, separada de la oración principal por comas.  

PRONOMBRES RELATIVOS
Los pronombres relativo que se van a utilizar en las non-defining clauses son:

WHO → para hacer referencia a personas 
My sister, who works in a bank, is moving house next week (mi hermana, que trabaja en un banco, se muda la semana que viene) 

WHICH → para hacer referencia a cosas
The building, which is very old, costs a lot of money (el edificio, que es muy antiguo, cuesta mucho dinero) 

THAT → nunca usamos that en las non-defining
The building, that is very old, costs a lot of money 

WHO y WHICH: SUJETO U OBJETO DE UNA NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE
Al igual que pasaba en las defining relative clauses, Who y Which pueden actuar de sujeto u objeto en las non-defining relative clauses.

1. Función de sujeto
Alison's sister, who is 19, has just passed her driving test (la hermana de Alison, que tiene 19 años, acaba de aprobar el examen de conducir) 

The building, which is very old, costs a lot of money (el edificio, que es muy antiguo, cuesta mucho dinero) 

El relativo tendrá función de sujeto si el antecedente al que hace referencia  (Alison's sister o the building)  actúa de sujeto en la oración subordinada:
Alison's sister
is 19
Sujeto
predicado

The building
is very old
Sujeto
predicado




2. Función de objeto
She gave me the money, which I put in my purse (ella me dió el dinero, el cual me guardé en la cartera)

Sarah Robbins, who you met last week, will be at the party (Sara Robbins, a quien conociste la semana pasada, estará en la fiesta)

El relativo tendrá función de objeto si el antecedente al que hace referencia (the money, Sarah Robbins) actúa de objeto en la oración subordinada:
I
put
the money
in my purse
Sujeto
verbo
objeto

You
met
Sarah Robbins
last week
Sujeto
verbo
objeto


Truco: Cuando el pronombre relativo actúa de objeto le sigue siempre un sujeto (pronombre sujeto o sintagma nominal)
She gave me the money, which I put in my purse. 

¡Importante!
→ En las non-defining relative clauses, también se puede utilizar el relativo Whom en lugar de who para hacer referencia a personas, cuando éste tiene la función de objeto. Se utiliza en registros formales. 

Sarah Robbins, whom you met last week, will be at the party (Sara Robbins, a quien conociste la semana pasada, estará en la fiesta)

→ ¡En las non-defining NUNCA se omite el pronombre relativo!

My uncle John, who lives in Manchester, is coming to visit me next week ✔
(mi tio John, que vive en Manchester, me va a visitar la semana que viene) 
My uncle John, lives in Manchester, is coming to visit me next week X

Sarah Robbins, who you met last week, will be at the party ✔
Sarah Robbins, who you met last week, will be at the party X


EJERCICIO
Decide si las frases a continuación contienen defining o non-defining clauses:
Si crees que contiene una defining clause: escribe defining en la caja.
Si crees que contiene una non-defining clause: reescribe la frase en la caja añadiéndole las comas. 

No escribas el punto final de frase en la línea ni dejes un espacio detrás de la última palabra que escribas en la línea.                                                      Escribe mayúscula sólo cuando corresponda. 


1.- My sister who works in a bank is moving house next week.
___________________________________________________________.

2.- The supermarket which is near my mother’s house is closing down.
___________________________________________________________.
3.- The capital city of Spain which has a population of about 5 million inhabitants is in the Centre of the country.
_____________________________________________________.

4.- The local beach which was full of people was very dirty.
__________________________________________________.

5.- The footballer who was injured last Saturday earns a lot of money.
________________________________________________. 

LINKS PARA CONSULTAR MAS INFORMACIÓN SOBRE EL TEMA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rV6EY1Zqis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un-JNzrxe0E
https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/relative_clauses.htm

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