{"id":273406,"date":"2026-09-17T03:00:44","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T08:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/?p=273406"},"modified":"2026-09-17T03:00:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T08:00:44","slug":"defining-non-defining-relative-clauses-b1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/zh\/blog\/defining-non-defining-relative-clauses-b1\/","title":{"rendered":"\u9650\u5b9a\u6027\u4e0e\u975e\u9650\u5b9a\u6027\u5b9a\u8bed\u4ece\u53e5\uff1aB1\u82f1\u8bed\u8bed\u6cd5"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"lc-answer\"><strong>Defining relative clauses give essential information about a noun, telling us *which* specific person or thing we are talking about.<\/strong> Without this clause, the sentence meaning changes or becomes unclear. They are crucial for identifying the noun and are never separated by commas. In contrast, non-defining relative clauses provide extra, non-essential details. You can remove them, and the main sentence still makes sense and refers to the same noun. These clauses are always separated by commas, indicating that the information is additional. Both types use relative pronouns like <span data-no-translation>who<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>which<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>whose<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>where<\/span>, \uff0c \u548c <span data-no-translation>when<\/span> to connect to the noun. However, <span data-no-translation>that<\/span> can only be used in defining clauses, and you cannot omit the relative pronoun in non-defining clauses. Mastering this distinction helps you communicate with greater precision and clarity in English.<\/div>\n<h2>What Are Relative Clauses?<\/h2>\n<p>Relative clauses are parts of a sentence that give more information about a noun or pronoun. They act like adjectives, describing a person, place, thing, or idea.<\/p>\n<p>They usually begin with a relative pronoun or adverb. These words connect the clause to the noun it describes.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Common relative pronouns: <span data-no-translation>who<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>whom<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>whose<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>which<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>that<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li>Common relative adverbs: <span data-no-translation>where<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>when<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>why<\/span>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"lc-cta lc-cta-blended\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding:30px;margin:30px 0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#0E63C4,#0A2540);\"><h3 style=\"color:#fff;font-size:22px;font-weight:800;margin:0 0 8px;\">\ud83c\udf93 \u91c7\u7528\u6df7\u5408\u5f0f\u6559\u5b66\u6cd5\u5b66\u4e60\u82f1\u8bed<\/h3><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;opacity:.95;\">\u5c0f\u73ed\u6388\u8bfe \u00b7 7\u00d724\u5c0f\u65f6AI\u8f85\u5bfc \u00b7 \u5251\u6865\u8003\u8bd5\u5907\u8003<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;font-size:18px;\">\u6765\u81ea <strong><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\"><bdi><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\" translate=\"no\" dir=\"auto\">$<\/span>39<\/bdi><\/span><\/strong> <s style=\"opacity:.6;\"><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\"><bdi><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\" translate=\"no\" dir=\"auto\">$<\/span>79<\/bdi><\/span><\/s> \u6bcf\u6708<\/p><a href=\"\/zh\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;margin-top:8px;padding:13px 30px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;background:#fff;color:#0E63C4;\">\u9884\u8ba2\u8bfe\u7a0b<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>When Do We Use Defining Relative Clauses?<\/h2>\n<p>Defining relative clauses give essential information. This means the information is necessary to understand *which* person or thing you are talking about.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If you remove a defining relative clause, the meaning of the main sentence changes or becomes unclear.<\/li>\n<li>They do NOT use commas.<\/li>\n<li>You can often use <span data-no-translation>that<\/span> \u800c\u4e0d\u662f <span data-no-translation>who<\/span> (for people) or <span data-no-translation>which<\/span> (for things).<\/li>\n<li>You can sometimes omit the relative pronoun (<span data-no-translation>who<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>which<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>that<\/span>) if it is the object of the relative clause.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u4f8b\u5982 <span data-no-translation>The woman who lives next door is a doctor.<\/span> (If you say \"The woman is a doctor,\" it's unclear *which* woman.)<\/p>\n<h2>When Do We Use Non-Defining Relative Clauses?<\/h2>\n<p>Non-defining relative clauses give extra information. This means the information is interesting, but not essential to identify the person or thing.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If you remove a non-defining relative clause, the main sentence still makes sense and refers to the same noun.<\/li>\n<li>They ALWAYS use commas to separate them from the rest of the sentence.<\/li>\n<li>You CANNOT use <span data-no-translation>that<\/span> in a non-defining relative clause.<\/li>\n<li>You CANNOT omit the relative pronoun in a non-defining relative clause.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u4f8b\u5982 <span data-no-translation>My sister, who lives in Paris, is visiting next week.<\/span> (I only have one sister, so \"My sister is visiting next week\" is already clear. The clause \"who lives in Paris\" is extra information.)<\/p>\n<h2>Choosing the Right Relative Pronoun<\/h2>\n<p>The choice of relative pronoun depends on what you are describing and the type of clause.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Who \/ Whom<\/span>: For people. <span data-no-translation>Whom<\/span> is more formal and used when the pronoun is the object.<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Which<\/span>: For things, animals, or ideas.<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>That<\/span>: For people, things, or animals (only in defining clauses).<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Whose<\/span>: To show possession (for people or things).<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Where<\/span>: For places.<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>When<\/span>: For times.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u8bf7\u8bb0\u4f4f\uff1a <span data-no-translation>That<\/span> is never used in non-defining clauses. Always use <span data-no-translation>who<\/span> \u6216 <span data-no-translation>which<\/span> with commas.<\/p>\n<table>\n<caption>Comparison of Defining and Non-Defining Relative Clauses<\/caption>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>\u529f\u80fd<\/th>\n<th>Defining Relative Clause<\/th>\n<th>Non-Defining Relative Clause<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Information<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Essential (identifies the noun)<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Extra (adds more detail)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Commas<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>No commas<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Always uses commas<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Pronoun 'that'<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Can be used for people\/things<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Cannot be used<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Pronoun omission<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>Yes (if object)<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span data-no-translation>No (pronoun always present)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2>\u793a\u4f8b<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-no-translation>The student who answered the question got a prize.<\/span> (Defining \u2013 essential info)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>I read a book that was written by my favorite author.<\/span> (Defining \u2013 essential info)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>The car I bought yesterday is very fast.<\/span> (Defining \u2013 pronoun omitted)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>Mr. Smith, who is my English teacher, is very kind.<\/span> (Non-defining \u2013 extra info)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>My new laptop, which has a very fast processor, was expensive.<\/span> (Non-defining \u2013 extra info)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>London, where I was born, is a big city.<\/span> (Non-defining \u2013 extra info)<\/li>\n<li><span data-no-translation>She showed me photos of her children, whose names I can't remember.<\/span> (Non-defining \u2013 extra info)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>\u7ec3\u4e60<\/h2>\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-1860\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"1860\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"I11 L2 GRAMMAR Defining and non-defining relative clauses\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<div class=\"lc-cta lc-cta-placement\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding:30px;margin:30px 0;text-align:center;color:#fff;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#2B87DA,#29C4A9);\"><h3 style=\"color:#fff;font-size:22px;font-weight:800;margin:0 0 8px;\">\u270d\ufe0f \u4e0d\u786e\u5b9a\u81ea\u5df1\u7684\u6c34\u5e73\u5982\u4f55\uff1f<\/h3><p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;opacity:.95;\">\u53c2\u52a0\u6211\u4eec\u7684\u514d\u8d39\u5206\u7ea7\u6d4b\u8bd5\uff0c\u83b7\u5f97\u7531\u5251\u6865\u8ba4\u8bc1\u8003\u5b98\u63d0\u4f9b\u7684\u4e2a\u6027\u5316\u53cd\u9988\u3002.<\/p><a href=\"\/zh\/%e8%8b%b1%e8%af%ad\/%e5%ad%a6%e9%99%a2\/%e5%85%8d%e8%b4%b9%e6%b5%8b%e8%af%95\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;margin-top:8px;padding:13px 30px;border-radius:8px;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;background:#0A2540;color:#fff;\">\u53c2\u52a0\u6211\u4eec\u7684\u514d\u8d39\u5206\u7ea7\u6d4b\u8bd5<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>\u897f\u73ed\u7259\u8bed\u6bcd\u8bed\u8005\u5e38\u72af\u7684\u9519\u8bef<\/h2>\n<p>Spanish speakers often make mistakes with comma usage in relative clauses. In Spanish, commas are used more frequently with these clauses. In English, the comma is critical for meaning:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Incorrect comma use:<\/strong> Using commas with defining clauses. <br \/>\u9519\u8bef\uff1a <span data-no-translation>The student, who passed the exam, got a certificate.<\/span> (If there are many students, this is wrong. The clause is essential.)<br \/>\u53f3\u4fa7\uff1a <span data-no-translation>The student who passed the exam got a certificate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>\u4f7f\u7528 <span data-no-translation>that<\/span> in non-defining clauses:<\/strong> <span data-no-translation>That<\/span> is only for defining clauses.<br \/>\u9519\u8bef\uff1a <span data-no-translation>My brother, that lives in London, visited me.<\/span><br \/>\u53f3\u4fa7\uff1a <span data-no-translation>My brother, who lives in London, visited me.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Omitting the pronoun in non-defining clauses:<\/strong> You cannot remove the pronoun if the clause is non-defining.<br \/>\u9519\u8bef\uff1a <span data-no-translation>The film, I saw last night, was excellent.<\/span><br \/>\u53f3\u4fa7\uff1a <span data-no-translation>The film, which I saw last night, was excellent.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>\u5e38\u89c1\u95ee\u9898<\/h2>\n<h3>\u9650\u5b9a\u6027\u4ece\u53e5\u548c\u975e\u9650\u5b9a\u6027\u4ece\u53e5\u7684\u4e3b\u8981\u533a\u522b\u662f\u4ec0\u4e48\uff1f<\/h3>\n<p>The main difference is whether the information is essential or extra. Defining clauses provide essential information to identify the noun, while non-defining clauses provide additional, non-essential details. This difference is shown by comma usage: defining clauses have <span data-no-translation>no commas<\/span>, and non-defining clauses <span data-no-translation>always have commas<\/span>.<\/p>\n<h3>Can I use 'that' in both types of relative clauses?<\/h3>\n<p>No. You can only use <span data-no-translation>that<\/span> \u5728 <span data-no-translation>defining relative clauses<\/span>. You cannot use <span data-no-translation>that<\/span> in non-defining relative clauses. For non-defining clauses, you must use <span data-no-translation>who<\/span> (for people) or <span data-no-translation>which<\/span> (for things).<\/p>\n<h3>When can I omit the relative pronoun?<\/h3>\n<p>You can omit the relative pronoun (<span data-no-translation>who<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>which<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>that<\/span>) only in <span data-no-translation>defining relative clauses<\/span>, and only when the pronoun is the <span data-no-translation>object<\/span> of the relative clause. You can never omit the pronoun in a non-defining relative clause.<\/p>\n<h3>How do commas affect the meaning of a sentence with a relative clause?<\/h3>\n<p>Commas change the meaning significantly. For example, <span data-no-translation>\"Students who study hard pass exams\"<\/span> means only the students who study hard pass. But <span data-no-translation>\"Students, who study hard, pass exams\"<\/span> implies *all* students study hard and *all* pass, which is usually not the intended meaning.<\/p>\n<h2>\u76f8\u5173\u8bfe\u7a0b<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/zh\/?p=272800\">Defining and non-defining relative clauses<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/zh\/?p=273162\">Defining and non-defining relative clauses<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/langcom.org\/zh\/?p=273287\">Defining and non-defining relative clauses<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Defining relative clauses give essential information about a noun, telling us *which* specific person or thing we are talking about. Without this clause, the sentence meaning changes or becomes unclear. They are crucial for identifying the noun and are never separated by commas. In contrast, non-defining relative clauses provide extra, non-essential details. You can remove [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":192,"featured_media":274488,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"bwfblock_default_font":"","langcom_teaches":"Defining and non-defining relative clauses","langcom_cefr":"B1","langcom_type":"grammar","langcom_faq":"[{\"q\": \"What is the main difference between defining and non-defining relative clauses?\", \"a\": \"The main difference is whether the information is essential or extra. Defining clauses provide essential information to identify the noun, while non-defining clauses provide additional, non-essential details. This difference is shown by comma usage: defining clauses have <span data-no-translation>no commas<\/span>, and non-defining clauses <span data-no-translation>always have commas<\/span>.\"}, {\"q\": \"Can I use 'that' in both types of relative clauses?\", \"a\": \"No. You can only use <span data-no-translation>that<\/span> in <span data-no-translation>defining relative clauses<\/span>. You cannot use <span data-no-translation>that<\/span> in non-defining relative clauses. For non-defining clauses, you must use <span data-no-translation>who<\/span> (for people) or <span data-no-translation>which<\/span> (for things).\"}, {\"q\": \"When can I omit the relative pronoun?\", \"a\": \"You can omit the relative pronoun (<span data-no-translation>who<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>which<\/span>, <span data-no-translation>that<\/span>) only in <span data-no-translation>defining relative clauses<\/span>, and only when the pronoun is the <span data-no-translation>object<\/span> of the relative clause. You can never omit the pronoun in a non-defining relative clause.\"}, {\"q\": \"How do commas affect the meaning of a sentence with a relative clause?\", \"a\": \"Commas change the meaning significantly. For example, <span data-no-translation>\\\"Students who study hard pass exams\\\"<\/span> means only the students who study hard pass. But <span data-no-translation>\\\"Students, who study hard, pass exams\\\"<\/span> implies *all* students study hard and *all* pass, which is usually not the intended meaning.\"}]","_kiss_seo_title":"","_kiss_seo_excerpt":"Defining relative clauses give essential information about a noun, telling us which specific person or thing we are talking about.","_mwseo_canonical":"","_mwseo_keywords":"","_mwseo_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[168],"tags":[1133,651],"formats":[],"class_list":["post-273406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-b1-intermediate-english","tag-defining-and-non-defining-relative-clauses","tag-grammar"],"dsm_author":{"name":"\u52b3\u5c14","avatar_url":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/nsl_avatars\/1de86ea706740d324aaef3dd8bf0843b.png","archive_link":"https:\/\/langcom.org\/zh\/blog\/author\/raulmaguinahamann\/","biodata":""},"dsm_categories":[{"term_name":"B1 Intermediate 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