General English Level 5 GELEV5 Unit 02 Topic 04.doc Non-defining relative clauses A non-defining relative clause just adds more information about the subject of a sentence. This information is not needed to identify the person or thing. We always use a comma with a non-defining relative clause. Example Melinda Watson, who is the leader of the National Green Party, writes about why we should save our forests. Who introduces the extra information about Melinda Watson. The meaning of the sentence would not change if this information were left out. The sentence would still be complete. Position of relative clauses We always put a relative clause directly after the noun it defines or gives more information about. Around me, trees, which were hundreds of years old, reached high into the sky. These trees protected thousands of other plants that were growing there. '"Which were hundreds of years old" gives extra information about the trees. "That were growing there" defines the other plants. When we insert the non-defining relative clause within the main clause, we put a comma at each end of the clause. Examples Listen to the examples. 1. People who care about the environment are sometimes called "greenies". 2. The article that Melinda Watson wrote was very interesting. 3. We must remember the many animals that live in the forest. 4. Melinda Watson, who writes a lot of articles, wrote an article about preserving forests. 5. The forests, which are important to life on earth, are disappearing rapidly. 6. Bluebirds, which live in the forests, are endangered. 7. The forests could be used for tourism, which is a very profitable industry. 73 QUESTLANGUAGE