B1 · Mittelstufe Kapitel 11

Adding Extra Information and Formal Details

4 Gesamtregeln
43 Beispiele
7 Min.
Regeln in diesem Kapitel Schnelle Übung

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Elevate your communication by seamlessly weaving extra details and formal precision into your English sentences.

  • Distinguish between essential and non-essential information.
  • Apply commas correctly to structure complex thoughts.
  • Master formal prepositional phrasing to sound professional.
Add detail, gain clarity, sound professional.

Was du lernen wirst

Want to add rich detail and clarity to your English? This chapter shows you how to smoothly include extra information using commas and master formal language, so you can express complex ideas precisely and confidently.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Use relative clauses to combine two short sentences into one fluid, detailed statement.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: Employ formal prepositional structures in professional correspondence.

Kapitel-Leitfaden

Overview

As you navigate the B1 level in English, you're moving beyond basic sentences and starting to express more nuanced and complex ideas. This chapter is your key to unlocking that next level of clarity and sophistication. We're diving into the essential skills for adding extra information and formal details, which are crucial for sounding natural and precise, especially in written English or more formal spoken contexts.
Mastering these structures will significantly enhance your ability to communicate effectively, ensuring your message is always understood exactly as you intend.
You'll learn how to seamlessly weave in additional facts and explanations without making your sentences clunky or confusing. This isn't just about sounding fancy; it's about being clear and concise, whether you're describing a person, an object, or a situation. We'll explore different types of relative clauses – the building blocks for this kind of detail – and show you how to use commas to manage the flow of information.
This includes understanding the subtle yet powerful difference between essential and non-essential information.
Furthermore, we'll equip you with the tools to handle more formal language. This is vital for academic writing, professional emails, or even just impressing an English speaker with your command of the language. By the end of this guide, your B1 English grammar will feel much more robust, allowing you to articulate complex thoughts with confidence and precision, making your English sound truly advanced.

How This Grammar Works

At the heart of adding extra information and formal details are relative clauses. These are parts of a sentence that describe a noun, giving us more specific data about it. They typically start with words like who, whom, which, that, or whose.
The critical distinction here is between defining and non-defining relative clauses.
A defining relative clause provides essential information that pinpoints *which* specific noun you're talking about. If you remove it, the meaning of the main sentence changes or becomes unclear. For instance,
The student who answered the question correctly passed the exam.
Here,
who answered the question correctly
tells us *which* student.
We don't use commas with defining clauses, and we can often use that instead of who or which.
In contrast, a non-defining relative clause adds extra, non-essential information. It's like a bonus detail. The sentence would still make sense and identify the noun without it.
These clauses are always set off by commas. For example,
My brother, who lives in London, is visiting next week.
The main point is
My brother is visiting next week.
The fact that he lives in London is just additional info. You *must* use who for people and which for things in non-defining clauses; that is never used.
For more formal contexts, especially in writing, we often place prepositions *before* the relative pronoun. Instead of saying
The colleague I spoke *to*
, formal English prefers
The colleague to whom I spoke.
Similarly,
The project *which I am working on*
becomes
The project on which I am working.
This structure elevates the formality and precision of your language.
Finally, to describe quantities within a previously mentioned group, we use relative clauses with quantifiers. These are also non-defining and use commas. We say
quantifier + of + whom/which.
For instance,
I invited ten friends to the party, all of whom accepted.
Or,
She bought three books, none of which she had read before.
This allows you to elegantly provide specific details about a subgroup, enriching your descriptions without creating separate sentences.

Common Mistakes

Learning to correctly add extra information is vital for your B1 English grammar, but it's easy to make a few common errors.
  1. 1✗ Using 'that' in non-defining clauses or forgetting commas.
✗ My car, that is red, is fast.
✓ My car, which is red, is fast.
*Explanation:* Non-defining clauses, which add extra, non-essential details, always use which (for things) or who (for people) and are separated by commas. 'That' is only for defining clauses.
  1. 1✗ Incorrectly placing prepositions in formal relative clauses.
✗ The person who I sent the email to was out of office.
✓ The person to whom I sent the email was out of office.
*Explanation:* In formal English, prepositions should precede whom (for people) or which (for things).
  1. 1✗ Not using 'of whom'/'of which' correctly with quantifiers.
✗ I have two brothers, both who live abroad.
✓ I have two brothers, both of whom live abroad.
*Explanation:* When quantifying a previously mentioned group in a non-defining clause, use
quantifier + of whom
(for people) or
quantifier + of which
(for things) after a comma.

Real Conversations

A

A

Did you enjoy the concert last night?
B

B

Yes, it was fantastic! The lead singer, who has an incredible voice, really brought the house down. And the band, which had a new drummer, sounded tighter than ever.
A

A

"I'm finalizing the report for the CEO."
B

B

Right. Did you get the figures from Sarah?
A

A

Yes. The data, all of which was verified by her department, confirms our initial projections. The CEO, to whom I will present the findings directly, expects a thorough explanation.
A

A

Have you seen John recently?
B

B

"Oh, John? My old classmate, whom I haven't seen in ages, is actually coming to my party next week. He's bringing his new dog, which I hear is a Golden Retriever."

Quick FAQ

Q

When should I use 'which' instead of 'that' when adding extra information?

You use which when the information is extra, or non-essential, and set off by commas. For example,

The new office, which is on the third floor, has great views.
If the information is essential to identify the noun, you use that (or which without commas), like
The office that is on the third floor has great views.

Q

What's the main difference between to whom and who...to?

To whom is a formal structure where the preposition comes before the relative pronoun, typically used in written English or very formal speech (e.g.,

The client to whom I sent the email
). Who...to is an informal and more common structure in everyday spoken English (e.g.,
The client who I sent the email to
). Both are grammatically correct but convey different levels of formality.

Q

Can I use all of that or none of that instead of all of which or none of which?

While all of that or none of that can be used in some contexts, particularly informally, when referring back to a *previously mentioned noun or clause* as part of a non-defining relative clause, you should use

all of which
or
none of which.
For example,
She mentioned several problems, all of which need attention.

Q

Why are commas so important when adding extra information with relative clauses?

Commas are crucial because they signal whether the information is essential or non-essential. Using them correctly prevents misunderstandings and makes your writing clearer. Incorrect comma usage can completely change the meaning or make a sentence ungrammatical.

Cultural Context

Native English speakers use these patterns constantly, though often unconsciously. The more formal structures (like prepositions before whom/which and quantifiers) are far more common in written English – reports, academic papers, formal emails – than in casual conversation. In daily speech, speakers tend to opt for simpler, less formal constructions like splitting the preposition from the relative pronoun or rephrasing entirely.
Understanding this distinction helps you sound natural whether you're chatting with a friend or writing a professional document.

Wichtige Beispiele (8)

1

The profile that has the blue checkmark is the real one.

Das Profil, das den blauen Haken hat, ist das Echte.

Relativsätze: Bestimmend vs. Nicht-bestimmend (Meaning Difference)
2

My laptop, which I bought only last month, is already lagging.

Mein Laptop, den ich erst letzten Monat gekauft habe, hängt schon wieder.

Relativsätze: Bestimmend vs. Nicht-bestimmend (Meaning Difference)
3

My brother, who lives in Sydney, is a fantastic surfer.

Mein Bruder, der in Sydney lebt, ist ein fantastischer Surfer.

Nicht-definierende Relativsätze: Zusätzliche Informationen (mit Kommas)
4

The new restaurant, which opened last week, serves delicious vegan options.

Das neue Restaurant, das letzte Woche eröffnet hat, serviert leckere vegane Optionen.

Nicht-definierende Relativsätze: Zusätzliche Informationen (mit Kommas)
5

The professor, to whom I submitted my thesis, provided invaluable feedback.

Der Professor, dem ich meine Abschlussarbeit eingereicht habe, gab mir unschätzbares Feedback.

Formale Präpositionen in Relativsätzen (to whom, for which)
6

This is the complex issue for which a solution is urgently needed.

Das ist das komplexe Problem, für das dringend eine Lösung benötigt wird.

Formale Präpositionen in Relativsätzen (to whom, for which)
7

I have three brothers, all of whom are engineers.

Ich habe drei Brüder, die alle Ingenieure sind.

Relativsätze mit Mengenangaben (all of whom, none of which)
8

He sent me ten emails, none of which I have read yet.

Er hat mir zehn E-Mails geschickt, von denen ich noch keine gelesen habe.

Relativsätze mit Mengenangaben (all of whom, none of which)

Tipps & Tricks (4)

🎯

Der "Zeigefinger"-Trick

Kannst du mit dem Finger auf die Person oder Sache zeigen und sagen: 'Genau DIE!', dann ist es ein definierender Satz. Keine Kommas nötig! THAT one!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relativsätze: Bestimmend vs. Nicht-bestimmend (Meaning Difference)
💡

Kommas sind dein Wegweiser

Denk immer an die Kommas! Sie zeigen optisch, dass die Information extra ist und das Nomen nicht definiert. Wenn du den Satzteil weglassen kannst und der Hauptsatz noch Sinn ergibt, brauchst du Kommas.
My car, which is red, is parked outside.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nicht-definierende Relativsätze: Zusätzliche Informationen (mit Kommas)
💡

Wann du 'Whom' benutzt

Wenn du das Relativpronomen im Nebensatz durch 'him' oder 'her' ersetzen kannst, nimm 'whom'. Geht 'he' oder 'she', dann ist 'who' richtig. Denk dran: 'to him' wird zu to whom.
The man to whom he gave it.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Formale Präpositionen in Relativsätzen (to whom, for which)
⚠️

Das Komma ist super wichtig!

Vergiss niemals das Komma vor dem Quantor! Es zeigt an, dass diese Info zusätzlich ist und verhindert, dass dein Satz zu lang wird.
I have two dogs, both of which love to play.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relativsätze mit Mengenangaben (all of whom, none of which)

Wichtige Vokabeln (5)

clause a part of a sentence containing a verb define to explain the nature or meaning of something formal appropriate for official or serious situations quantifier a word expressing amount, like all or none preposition a word showing relationship like to, for, or with

Real-World Preview

users

Professional Introduction

Review Summary

  • Noun + that/who + verb
  • Noun, + which/who + verb, + rest
  • Prep + whom/which
  • Quantifier + of + whom/which

Häufige Fehler

You don't need 'he' if 'who' already acts as the subject. The extra 'he' is redundant.

Wrong: My brother, who lives in Paris, he is a chef.
Richtig: My brother, who lives in Paris, is a chef.

When using a formal structure, the preposition moves to the front, and the object pronoun is removed.

Wrong: The person that I spoke to him was nice.
Richtig: The person to whom I spoke was nice.

Use 'which' or 'whom' to connect the clause to the main sentence, not 'them'.

Wrong: I have many books, all of them are new.
Richtig: I have many books, all of which are new.

Next Steps

You've unlocked a higher level of English precision! Keep practicing, and don't be afraid to use these structures in your daily writing.

Write a formal email to a professor describing your research interests.

Continue to: Mastering Ability and Polite Requests

Schnelle Übung (10)

Welcher Satz ist grammatisch korrekt?

Choose the best sentence for a formal essay:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She wrote five books, all of which are famous.
Dieser Satz verwendet das korrekte Relativpronomen ('which' für Bücher) und enthält das notwendige Komma. Perfekt für formelle Texte!

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relativsätze mit Mengenangaben (all of whom, none of which)

Finde den Fehler in diesem Satz über eine spezifische, schon bekannte Person.

Find and fix the mistake:

Mr. Smith that is my teacher is very kind.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Mr. Smith, who is my teacher, is very kind.
Da wir seinen Namen kennen, ist die Information nur eine Ergänzung. Wir brauchen Kommas und 'who' statt 'that'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relativsätze: Bestimmend vs. Nicht-bestimmend (Meaning Difference)

Wähle die korrekte Form, um den formalen Satz zu vervollständigen.

The candidate, _____ the committee voted unanimously, accepted the position.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: for whom
Da 'the candidate' eine Person ist und die Präposition 'for' vor dem Relativpronomen steht, ist 'whom' die korrekte formale Wahl.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Formale Präpositionen in Relativsätzen (to whom, for which)

Finde und korrigiere den Fehler im Satz.

Find and fix the mistake:

The new cafe that has a rooftop terrace is very popular.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The new cafe, which has a rooftop terrace, is very popular.
Der Satzteil 'has a rooftop terrace' fügt nicht-essentielle Informationen zum 'the new cafe' hinzu (das durch 'the new' bereits einzigartig genug identifiziert ist). Daher braucht es Kommas, und 'which' muss anstelle von 'that' in nicht-notwendigen Relativsätzen verwendet werden.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nicht-definierende Relativsätze: Zusätzliche Informationen (mit Kommas)

Welcher Satz impliziert, dass der Sprecher mehr als einen Bruder hat?

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: My brother who lives in London is a doctor.
Keine Kommas bedeutet, dass es ein definierender Relativsatz ist. Er identifiziert, welcher Bruder von mehreren gemeint ist.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relativsätze: Bestimmend vs. Nicht-bestimmend (Meaning Difference)

Finde und korrigiere den Fehler im formalen Satz.

Find and fix the mistake:

This is the objective to who we are striving.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: This is the objective to which we are striving.
'Objective' ist eine Sache, daher sollte 'which' verwendet werden. 'Whom' ist für Personen. Die Präposition 'to' steht korrekt vor 'which'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Formale Präpositionen in Relativsätzen (to whom, for which)

Wähle das richtige Relativpronomen und die richtige Zeichensetzung.

My best friend ___ is a brilliant artist, just had her first exhibition.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: , who
Da 'my best friend' bereits identifiziert ist, fügt der Satzteil 'is a brilliant artist' zusätzliche, nicht-essentielle Informationen hinzu. Daher muss er mit Kommas abgetrennt werden, und 'who' wird für Personen verwendet.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nicht-definierende Relativsätze: Zusätzliche Informationen (mit Kommas)

Setze 'that' oder 'which' ein. Denk an die Komma-Regel!

Tokyo, ___ is the capital of Japan, is a huge city.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: which
Das ist ein nicht-definierender Relativsatz (Extra-Info über einen einzigartigen Ort), also müssen wir 'which' verwenden, niemals 'that'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relativsätze: Bestimmend vs. Nicht-bestimmend (Meaning Difference)

Welcher Satz verwendet die formale Relativsatzstruktur korrekt?

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The regulations, about which they complained, were difficult.
In formalen Relativsätzen steht die Präposition vor 'which' für Dinge. 'That' wird in dieser formalen Struktur nicht verwendet.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Formale Präpositionen in Relativsätzen (to whom, for which)

Fülle die Lücke mit dem richtigen Relativpronomen aus.

I have two best friends, both of ___ live in London.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: whom
Wir verwenden 'whom', weil wir uns auf Personen (friends) beziehen. Denk an den Herzschlag-Test!

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relativsätze mit Mengenangaben (all of whom, none of which)

Score: /10

Häufige Fragen (6)

Definierende Relativsätze sagen dir, *welches* Ding oder welche Person du meinst (ganz wichtig). Nicht-definierende Relativsätze geben nur extra Infos zu etwas, das du schon kennst (sozusagen ein Bonus). Zum Beispiel:
My car, which is red, is fast.
Für nicht-definierende Relativsätze benutzt du immer Kommas. Sie sind wie kleine Klammern um die zusätzliche Information herum. Denk an:
My sister, who lives in Berlin, is a doctor.
Er fügt zusätzliche, nicht-essentielle Informationen zu einem bereits klar identifizierten Nomen hinzu. Stell es dir wie eine hilfreiche Randnotiz oder ein Bonus-Detail vor, nicht etwas Entscheidendes, um zu verstehen, von wem oder was du sprichst.
My neighbor, who is a retired teacher, bakes amazing cookies.
Am einfachsten erkennst du es an den Kommas! Nicht-notwendige Relativsätze sind immer mit Kommas abgetrennt. Versuche auch, den Satzteil wegzulassen; wenn der Hauptsatz immer noch perfekt Sinn ergibt, ist er nicht-notwendig.
My dog, which is a Golden Retriever, loves to swim.
'Who' ist das Subjekt (wie 'he' oder 'she'), während 'whom' das Objekt ist (wie 'him' oder 'her'). In förmlichen Sätzen mit einer Präposition davor wird immer 'whom' benutzt, z.B. to whom.
He is the man whom I saw.
Diese Struktur zu beherrschen, macht dein Englisch präziser und formeller. Das ist wichtig in wissenschaftlichen Texten, im Beruf und wenn du einen schlauen Eindruck machen willst, z.B.
the report for which I was responsible
.
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