Clauses · CEFR B2 · Confident

Non-defining relative clauses — English clauses

A clause that adds information you could remove. It needs commas, and it can never use "that".

The shape

noun, who / which + clause, …

Add extra information without changing which one you mean.

In Hindi

ऐसा उपवाक्य जिसे हटाया जा सकता है। इसमें अल्पविराम ज़रूरी है, और "that" कभी नहीं आता।

CoCap explains every structure in both languages, because a rule you understand in Hindi is a rule you can use in English.

The mistake to fix first

The sentence Indian-English speakers actually produce, and the reason it is wrong.

Commonly said	Correct English
My brother, that lives in Pune, is a doctor.	My brother, who lives in Pune, is a doctor. A clause between commas cannot use "that" — it takes who or which.

Commonly said

Correct English

My brother, that lives in Pune, is a doctor.

My brother, who lives in Pune, is a doctor.

A clause between commas cannot use "that" — it takes who or which.

Learn these first

These come first. The rest of this makes more sense once they are automatic.

Defining relative clausesB1Say exactly which person or thing you mean

Questions people ask

What is the non-defining relative clauses used for?: A clause that adds information you could remove. It needs commas, and it can never use "that". In practice: add extra information without changing which one you mean.
How do you form the non-defining relative clauses?: noun, who / which + clause, ….
What is the most common mistake with the non-defining relative clauses?: Saying “My brother, that lives in Pune, is a doctor.” instead of “My brother, who lives in Pune, is a doctor.”. A clause between commas cannot use "that" — it takes who or which.

Where non-defining relative clauses fits

Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.

Non-defining relative clauses is a CEFR B2 structure — the confident band — and it belongs to clauses. CoCap’s syllabus files every structure this way so you can learn in order instead of jumping between whatever a search happened to return.

Reading it is not the same as saying it.

CoCap turns this page into practice: Hindi sentence in, English sentence out, corrected one thing at a time. Free, no card.

Practise the non-defining relative clauses →

CoCap · Free English practice for India · About · Contact

CoCap