Subject And Predicate Questions Long
A relative clause is a type of dependent clause that functions as an adjective to modify a noun or pronoun in a sentence. It provides additional information about the noun or pronoun it is modifying. Relative clauses are introduced by relative pronouns (such as who, whom, whose, which, and that) or relative adverbs (such as when, where, and why).
Relative clauses can be restrictive or non-restrictive. A restrictive relative clause provides essential information about the noun or pronoun it modifies and cannot be removed from the sentence without changing its meaning. It is usually not set off by commas. For example, in the sentence "The book that I borrowed from the library is very interesting," the relative clause "that I borrowed from the library" restricts the noun "book" and specifies which book is being referred to.
On the other hand, a non-restrictive relative clause provides additional, non-essential information about the noun or pronoun it modifies. It can be removed from the sentence without changing its meaning. Non-restrictive relative clauses are usually set off by commas. For example, in the sentence "My sister, who is a doctor, lives in New York," the relative clause "who is a doctor" provides additional information about the noun "sister" but is not necessary for understanding the main idea of the sentence.
Relative clauses are commonly used in both spoken and written English to add descriptive details and provide more specific information about a noun or pronoun. They help to make sentences more interesting and informative by adding extra information about the subject or object.