Relative Clauses

Defining and Non-defining Relative Clauses

• Add one of the pieces of information below to each sentence.
• Add an appropriate relative pronoun.
• Put the relative clause in the right place in the sentence.
• Add commas if necessary.

has almost 100 members are growing in Seven Acre wood is an aviation expert
you don’t understand is set in the centre of Turkey started last month
stand up all day in their job caused so much damage in the city I went to school with
head office is in Istanbul stole a car from outside the supermarket

1. The university table tennis club meets every weekday evening.

2. People often suffer from backache.

3. Professor Brian Wright was asked to comment on the latest helicopter crash.

4. The airline has recently started flights between Istanbul and New York.

5. The strike by train drivers is costing the country over ₤1 million per week.

6. The trees are being destroyed by a strange disease.

7. Go through the passage and mark the words.

8. The police are looking for two boys aged about 14.

9. Bill Stravingham’s new film is his best yet.

10. My friend has just gone to live in Ankara.

11. The hurricane has now headed out to sea.


Answer Key
Relative Clauses
Defining and Non-defining

• Add one of the pieces of information below to each sentence.
• Add an appropriate relative pronoun.
• Put the relative clause in the right place in the sentence.
• Add commas if necessary.

has almost 100 members are growing in Seven Acre wood is an aviation expert
you don’t understand is set in the centre of Turkey started last month
stand up all day in their job caused so much damage in the city I went to school with
head office is in Istanbul stole a car from outside the supermarket

1. The university table tennis club meets every weekday evening.
, which has almost 100 members, - Non-defining - commas
2. People often suffer from backache.
who stand up all day in their job - Defining – no commas
3. Professor Brian Wright was asked to comment on the latest helicopter crash.
, who is an aviation expert, - Non-defining - commas
4. The airline has recently started flights between Istanbul and New York.
whose head office is in Istanbul - Defining – no commas
5. The strike by train drivers is costing the country over ₤1 million per week.
, which started last month, - Non-defining - commas
6. The trees are being destroyed by a strange disease.
which are growing in Seven Acre wood - Defining – no commas
7. Go through the passage and mark the words.
which you don’t understand - Defining – no commas
8. The police are looking for two boys aged about 14.
who stole a car from outside the supermarket - Defining – no commas
9. Bill Stravingham’s new film is his best yet.
, which is set in the centre of Turkey, - Non-defining - commas
10. My friend has just gone to live in Ankara.
who I went to school with - Defining – no commas
11. The hurricane has now headed out to sea.
, which caused so much damage in the city, - Non-defining - commas