Defining relative clauses

These describe the preceding noun in such a way as to distinguish it from other nouns of the same class. A clause of this kind is essential to the clear understanding of the noun. In the sentence:

The man who told me this refused to give me his name 'who told me this' is the relative clause. If we omit this, it is not clear what man we are talking about. Notice that there is no comma between a noun and a defining relative clause.

Defining relative clauses usually follow the + noun, but they can also be used with a/an + noun, plural nouns without the and the pronouns all, none, anybody, somebody etc. and those. Clauses following a/an + noun, plural nouns without the and somebody/someone/something sometimes define their noun/pronoun only indirectly. The noun/pronoun in these cases is usually the object of a verb or preposition:

/ met someone who said he knew you.

The book is about a girl who falls in love with... Sometimes these clauses are separated from their noun/pronoun by a word or phrase:

There's a man here who wants...

I saw something in the paper which would interest you. But normally relative clauses should be placed directly after their noun or pronoun:

The noise that he made woke everybody up. She was annoyed by something that I had said.

73 Relative pronouns used in defining relative clauses The forms are as follows:

74 Defining relative clauses: persons

A Subject: who or that who is normally used:

The man who robbed you has been arrested.

The girls who serve in the shop are the owner's daughters. Only those who had booked in advance were allowed in. Would anyone who saw the accident please get in touch with the police?

But that is a possible alternative after all, everyone, everybody, one, nobody and those:

Everyone who/that knew him liked him.

Nobody who/that watched the match will ever forget it.

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