General English Level 4 Version 2.1 © 2004 acl Pty Ltd GELEV4 Unit 05 Topic 04.doc 2. Non-defining relative clauses When we want to give more information about the subject of a sentence (but the information is not necessary) we use a non-defining relative clause. We always put the non-defining clause immediately after the word it is adding information about in the main clause. We always use commas with a non-defining relative clause. Examples 1. Young people, who were called teenagers for the first time, were looking for something new and more exciting to listen to. 2. Michael Jackson, who was born on August 29, 1958, was the seventh of nine children. Examples Listen to the examples. 1. Rock and roll was the first music which spoke directly to teenagers. 2. Elvis Presley was the rockabilly singer who shook his hips. 3. Rockabilly was the name of the new music that young people listened to. 4. The Walkman, which was the first portable stereo, meant that teenagers could listen to music anywhere. 5. The Beatles, who brought pop music into a new era, are famous for their haircuts. WRITING 05 Relative clauses Here is a chance for you to practise using relative clauses. 1. Read the clauses. 2. Join the two clauses together. There may be more than one way in which you can do this. 3. Use “who”, “that” or “which” to make a relative clause. 4. Use commas if necessary. Example This is Susan's new car. She bought it from her friend. This is Susan's new car that she bought from her friend. or This is the new car that Susan bought from her friend. 180