Clauses · CEFR B1 · Independent
Defining relative clauses — English clauses
A clause that identifies which one you mean. It takes no commas, because removing it would leave the sentence unclear.
The shape
noun + who / which / that + clause (no commas)
Say exactly which person or thing you mean.
In Hindi
ऐसा उपवाक्य जो बताता है कि कौन-सा — इसमें अल्पविराम नहीं लगता, क्योंकि इसे हटाने पर वाक्य अधूरा रह जाएगा।
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 |
|---|---|
The man who he called me is my uncle. | The man who called me is my uncle. "Who" is already the subject, so the extra "he" has nothing to do. |
Defining relative clauses examples
Easiest first. Every sentence is authored, with the Hindi it comes from.
This is the book that I want.
यह वह किताब है जो मुझे चाहिए।
also correct: This is the book I want.
The boy who is running is my brother.
वह लड़का जो दौड़ रहा है मेरा भाई है।
This is the room that I got.
यह वह कमरा है जो मुझे मिला।
The chair that is broken is there.
वह कुर्सी जो टूटी है वहाँ है।
The girl who is singing is my sister.
जो लड़की गा रही है वह मेरी बहन है।
The man who is standing there is my neighbour.
वह आदमी जो वहाँ खड़ा है मेरा पड़ोसी है।
The house which is on the corner is very old.
वह घर जो कोने पर है बहुत पुराना है।
I liked the film that we watched.
मुझे वह फ़िल्म पसंद आई जो हमने देखी।
The man I met is a doctor.
जिस आदमी से मैं मिल{ा|ी} वह डॉक्टर है।
also correct: The man who I met is a doctor.
I like the food that is made at home.
मुझे वह खाना पसंद है जो घर पर बनता है।
Learn these first
These come first. The rest of this makes more sense once they are automatic.
Easy to confuse with
Close enough to be mixed up with this one. Knowing the difference is most of knowing either.
- Non-defining relative clausesB2Add extra information without changing which one you mean
- The book I boughtB1Drop the relative pronoun where English drops it
Questions people ask
- What is the defining relative clauses used for?
- A clause that identifies which one you mean. It takes no commas, because removing it would leave the sentence unclear. In practice: say exactly which person or thing you mean.
- How do you form the defining relative clauses?
- noun + who / which / that + clause (no commas).
- What is the most common mistake with the defining relative clauses?
- Saying “The man who he called me is my uncle.” instead of “The man who called me is my uncle.”. "Who" is already the subject, so the extra "he" has nothing to do.
Where defining relative clauses fits
Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.
Defining relative clauses is a CEFR B1 structure — the independent 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.
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