Defining relative clauses, also called in English identifying relative clauses or restrictive relative clauses, provide detailed information that specifies a particular expression.
Defining relative clauses are not placed in commas.
Imagine, for example, that Tom is in a room with five girls. One of them is talking to him and you ask your friend whether he knows the girl. In this case, the relative clause specifies which of the five girls you mean.
Do you know the girl who is talking to Tom?
Defining relative clauses are often used in definitions.
A seaman is someone who works on a ship.
Object pronouns in defining relative clauses can be omitted (a sentence with a relative clause without a relative pronoun is called a contact clause).
The boy (who / whom) we met yesterday is very nice.
Non-defining relative clauses, also called non-identifying relative clauses or non-restrictive relative clauses, provide additional information about something, but without specifying it.
Non-defining relative clauses are placed in commas.
Imagine, for example, that Tom is in a room with one girl. They are talking to each other and you ask someone whether they know the girl. In this case, the relative clause is non-defining because it is clear what you mean.
Do you know the girl, who is talking to Tom?
In non-defining relative clauses, who/which cannot be replaced with that. Additional pronouns are required.
Jim, who/whom we met yesterday, is very nice.
How to Shorten Relative Clauses
Relative clauses with who, which, and that as the subject pronoun can be replaced with a participle.
I told you about the woman who lives next door. – I told you about the woman living next door.
Do you see the cat which is lying on the roof? – Do you see the cat lying on the roof?
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