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Year 8 English — Defining and non-defining relative clauses

Tell a clause that says which one from a clause that only adds extra information, and punctuate each correctly.

Name: ________________________

  1. 1.Put the cards in order to make one correct sentence with a defining relative clause.

    • last week
    • has run out.
    • which
    • you lent me
    • The pen

  2. 2."The runners who trained on the hills finished first." There are no commas. What does the sentence tell you?

    • a) Some of the runners trained on the hills, and those are the ones who finished first.
    • b) The runners finished first, and it happens that they had all trained on the hills.
    • c) Every runner trained on the hills.
    • d) None of the runners trained on the hills.

  3. 3.One relative pronoun can never introduce a clause sitting between a pair of commas. Write it.

  4. 4.The speaker has only one uncle. Which version is punctuated correctly?

    • a) My uncle, who lives abroad, is coming on Sunday.
    • b) My uncle who lives abroad, is coming on Sunday.
    • c) My uncle who lives, abroad, is coming on Sunday.
    • d) My uncle, who lives abroad is coming on Sunday.

  5. 5.Match each relative pronoun to what it stands in for.

    • who
    • whom
    • whose
    • which
    • where
    • when
    • a person, as the subject of the clause
    • something belonging to the person or thing
    • a place
    • a thing or an animal
    • a person, as the object of the clause
    • a time

  6. 6.Match each sentence to what its punctuation tells you.

    • The passengers who had tickets were allowed on.
    • The passengers, who had tickets, were allowed on.
    • My friends who live nearby came early.
    • My friends, who live nearby, came early.
    • All of the passengers had tickets.
    • Only some of my friends live nearby.
    • All of my friends live nearby.
    • Only some of the passengers had tickets.

  7. 7.Compare "My sister who lives in the hills is a doctor" with "My sister, who lives in the hills, is a doctor". What does the first version suggest that the second does not?

    • a) The speaker has only one sister.
    • b) The sister has left the hills.
    • c) The speaker has more than one sister.
    • d) The sister is not really a doctor.

  8. 8.Which sentence is wrong?

    • a) The film that we watched last night was long.
    • b) The film, that we watched last night, was long.
    • c) The film which we watched last night was long.
    • d) The film we watched last night was long.

Answer key — Year 8 English — Defining and non-defining relative clauses

  1. 1. 1. The pen 2. which 3. you lent me 4. last week 5. has run out.
  2. 2. a) Some of the runners trained on the hills, and those are the ones who finished first.
  3. 3. that
  4. 4. a) My uncle, who lives abroad, is coming on Sunday.
  5. 5. who → a person, as the subject of the clause; whom → a person, as the object of the clause; whose → something belonging to the person or thing; which → a thing or an animal; where → a place; when → a time
  6. 6. The passengers who had tickets were allowed on. → Only some of the passengers had tickets.; The passengers, who had tickets, were allowed on. → All of the passengers had tickets.; My friends who live nearby came early. → Only some of my friends live nearby.; My friends, who live nearby, came early. → All of my friends live nearby.
  7. 7. c) The speaker has more than one sister.
  8. 8. b) The film, that we watched last night, was long.