Non-defining rel. clauses

Article excerpt · target grammar marked

Dublin Pride, which began as a small march of a few hundred people in 1983, has grown into one of the largest civic celebrations in Ireland.

Grammar Reference · Non-defining rel. clauses

Structure: who / which

Use who for people, which for things. Always add commas. The singer, who comes from Brazil, opened the show.

Structure: whose

Use whose to show possession. The director, whose idea this was, won an award.

Never 'that'

Non-defining clauses never use that. The event, which began in 1983, is now huge. ✓ NOT 'that'.

Common error

The parade that draws millions ✗ (defining, no commas) → The parade, which draws millions, ✓ — add commas

01Exercise 1 — Form · Write the Correct Form

Non-defining rel. clauses

1.The festival, takes place every June, attracts visitors from thirty countries.

2.The lead organiser, has run the event for ten years, announced her retirement.

3.The programme, was designed by a committee of volunteers, received great reviews.

4.The performer from Lagos, voice carried across the square, returned for a second set.

5.Cape Town's festival, blends music and street theatre, is held each December.

6.The dragon dance troupe, came from Taipei, performed for forty minutes.

02Exercise 2 — Transform

rewrite with the new structure

1.São Paulo holds the largest parade. It draws three million people.

2.The festival director announced the theme. Her committee voted on it last autumn.

3.The samba group performed near the river. They rehearsed for three months.

4.The closing concert lasted two hours. It attracted the biggest crowd of the day.

5.The spoken word artist spoke about belonging. His family came from West Africa.

03Exercise 3 — About You

in your notebook

Personalise: complete five sentences about yourself using the target grammar.

Non-defining rel. clauses01classplan.ai