Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Defining clauses identify exactly who/what you mean; non-defining clauses just add extra details using commas.
- Defining: No commas, 'that' is okay, essential for meaning. Example: 'The car that I bought is red.'
- Non-Defining: Use commas, 'that' is NOT okay, extra info only. Example: 'My car, which is red, is fast.'
- Omission: In defining clauses, you can drop 'who/which/that' if it's the object. Example: 'The book (that) I read.'
Overview
The cat that is white is so moody라고 말한다면, 그들은 제한적 관계절(defining relative clause)을 사용하고 있는 것입니다. 왜일까요? that is white라는 부분이 없다면, 어떤 고양이를 말하는 것인지 알 수 없기 때문입니다!My cat, which is white, is so moody라고 말한다면, 그것은 비제한적 관계절(non-defining relative clause)입니다. 고양이가 하얗다는 사실은 단지 추가적인 정보일 뿐입니다.How This Grammar Works
The movie that we watched last night was awesome이라고 말한다면, that we watched last night이라는 절이 레이저 포인터가 됩니다. 제가 정확히 어떤 영화를 의미하는지 알려주죠. 만약 이 부분을 빼고 그냥 The movie was awesome이라고만 한다면, 여러분은 "어떤 영화 말이야?Inception, which we watched last night, was awesome이라고 말한다면, 여러분은 이미 그 영화가 *인셉션*이라는 것을 알고 있습니다. 우리가 어젯밤에 그것을 봤다는 사실은 단지 작은 보너스 정보입니다. 그 포스트잇을 떼어내도 Inception was awesome이라는 문장은 여전히 완벽하게 말이 됩니다.My girlfriend who lives in London is coming to visit은 다른 도시에 다른 여자친구가 있다는 것을 암시하지만(위험한 발언이죠!), My girlfriend, who lives in London, is coming to visit은 그냥 단 한 명뿐인 여자친구가 어디에 사는지 알려줄 뿐입니다.
Formation Pattern
the laptop, my boss).
who 또는 that(제한적) 또는 who만(비제한적) 사용합니다.
which 또는 that(제한적) 또는 which만(비제한적) 사용합니다.
that은 집을 좋아하는 성격이라고 기억하세요. 제한적 관계절에만 살고 비제한적 관계절로는 절대 가지 않습니다.
I, you, we 등)가 오면 관계대명사를 완전히 생략할 수 있습니다(The phone [that] I bought). 비제한적 관계절에서는 관계대명사가 필수입니다. 파티를 절대 떠나지 않는 VIP 같은 존재죠.
When To Use It
I want the burger that has no onions라고 말한다면, 그 절은 100% 필요합니다.The hotel that we stayed at was trash), 기술적인 문제로 불평할 때(The update that I downloaded broke my phone) 아주 좋습니다.Sarah, who has ten years of experience in marketing, joined our team.과 같은 문장을 볼 수 있습니다.Paris, 유일한 관계 my mother 등)에 사용하세요.Taylor Swift, who is currently on tour, just released a new album.이라고 말할 것입니다. 테일러가 누구인지는 다들 알죠. 투어 정보는 그냥 '덧붙이는 말'입니다.
Common Mistakes
- 쉼표 드라마: 비제한적 관계절에서 쉼표를 잊어버리는 것이 가장 흔한 실수입니다.
My dad who is a doctor lives in Berlin이라고 쓰면 아빠가 여러 명이고 그중 의사인 아빠를 식별하는 것이 됩니다. 아주 특이한 가족 관계가 아니라면 쉼표가 필요합니다:My dad, who is a doctor, lives in Berlin. - 'That' 함정: 비제한적 관계절에서
that을 사용하는 것.✗ Paris, that I love, is beautiful.이라고 말할 수 없습니다. 매트릭스의 오류처럼 들리죠. 대신which를 사용하세요:✓ Paris, which I love, is beautiful. - 'Who' 혼동: 가끔 사람에게
which를 사용하는 사람들이 있습니다. 그러지 마세요!✗ The guy which lives next door는 큰 실수입니다.✓ The guy who lives next door가 맞습니다. - 이중 주어: 절 뒤에 여분의 대명사를 추가하는 것.
✗ The car that I bought it is fast.it은 필요 없습니다! 관계대명사that이 이미 목적어 역할을 하고 있습니다. 간결하게 쓰세요:✓ The car that I bought is fast. - 생략 강박: 비제한적 관계절에서 관계대명사를 생략하려고 하는 것.
✗ My brother, lives in Tokyo, is a chef.그 간격을 메우기 위해who가 필요합니다:✓ My brother, who lives in Tokyo, is a chef.
Contrast With Similar Patterns
My friend, a professional gamer, is rich). 이것은 My friend, who is a professional gamer, is rich와 매우 유사합니다. 차이점은 관계절은 동사(is)를 사용하는 반면, 동격은 명사구만 사용한다는 점입니다. 둘 다 '추가 정보'를 위해 사용되며 둘 다 쉼표를 좋아합니다.The girl who is sitting over there라고 말하는 대신 그냥 The girl sitting over there라고 말할 수 있습니다. 이것은 더 고급스럽고 '멋진' 말하기 방식으로, 원어민처럼 들리게 해줍니다. 이것은 관계대명사가 주어인 제한적 관계절일 때만 가능합니다.I know what you did). 관계절은 명사를 설명합니다(예: I know the person who did it). 하나는 '무엇'에 관한 것이고, 다른 하나는 '누구'에 관한 것입니다. 그것은 비밀을 아는 것과 그 비밀을 말한 사람을 아는 것의 차이와 같습니다.Quick FAQ
제한적 관계절에서 which를 사용할 수 있나요?
네, 가능합니다! The car which I bought는 완전히 괜찮지만, 일상 대화에서는 that이 더 흔합니다. 다만 비제한적 관계절에서는 절대 that을 사용하지 마세요.
who나 that을 생략해도 되나요?
제한적 관계절이고 그 뒤에 다른 주어가 있는 경우에만 가능합니다. The man [who] I saw는 괜찮습니다. The man who saw me는 안 됩니다. 여기서 who가 주어이기 때문입니다.
왜 이름 뒤에 쉼표가 필요한가요?
이름이 이미 그 사람을 식별해주기 때문입니다. John이라고 하면 우리는 그가 존이라는 것을 압니다. 그 뒤의 정보는 자동으로 '추가' 정보가 되므로 쉼표가 필요합니다.
이것이 글의 톤을 바꾸나요?
완전히요. 비제한적 관계절은 여러분을 더 상세하고 세련된 사람처럼 보이게 합니다. 제한적 관계절은 여러분을 직설적이고 명확하게 보이게 합니다. 이것들을 올바르게 사용하면 '기초' 영어를 벗어났음을 보여줄 수 있습니다.
만약 누나가 두 명이라면요?
스페인에 사는 누나에 대해 말하고 싶다면 My sister who lives in Spain이라고 말하세요. 쉼표 없이요! 이것은 듣는 사람에게 여러분이 두 명 중 한 명을 골라 말하고 있음을 알려줍니다. 마법 같죠?
Relative Pronoun Selection
| Function | For People | For Things | For Places/Time |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Subject
|
who / that
|
which / that
|
N/A
|
|
Object
|
who / whom / that / (ø)
|
which / that / (ø)
|
where / when
|
|
Possessive
|
whose
|
whose / of which
|
N/A
|
Pronoun Omission (Defining Only)
| Full Form | Short Form (Omitted) | Condition |
|---|---|---|
|
The man who I met
|
The man I met
|
Pronoun is the Object
|
|
The book that you read
|
The book you read
|
Pronoun is the Object
|
|
The man who lives here
|
NOT POSSIBLE
|
Pronoun is the Subject
|
Meanings
Relative clauses provide more information about a noun. Defining clauses limit the noun to a specific one, while non-defining clauses provide supplementary details about a noun already identified.
Defining (Restrictive)
Tells us which specific person or thing we are talking about. Without it, the sentence is incomplete or unclear.
“The students who studied hard passed the exam.”
“I'm looking for the keys that I left on the table.”
Non-Defining (Non-Restrictive)
Adds extra information about a noun we already know. The sentence still makes sense if you remove this clause.
“My brother, who lives in New York, is a chef.”
“The Eiffel Tower, which was built in 1889, is in Paris.”
Object Pronoun Omission
In defining clauses, if the relative pronoun is the object of the verb, it can be deleted.
“The movie (that) we watched was boring.”
“The person (who) I called didn't answer.”
Reference Table
| 특징 | Defining Clause (제한적 용법) | Non-Defining Clause (비제한적 용법) |
|---|---|---|
|
Purpose
|
명사를 특정해요
|
추가 정보를 제공해요
|
|
Commas
|
쉼표를 사용하지 않아요
|
항상 쉼표를 사용해요
|
|
Can use 'that'?
|
네 (아주 흔해요)
|
아니요 (절대 안 돼요!)
|
|
Can omit pronoun?
|
네 (목적어일 경우)
|
아니요 (절대 안 돼요)
|
|
Example
|
The car that I like...
|
My car, which I like,...
|
|
Meaning if removed
|
문장이 불분명해져요
|
문장이 여전히 명확해요
|
격식 수준 스펙트럼
The colleague with whom I collaborated on the project is absent. (Workplace)
The colleague who I worked with on the project is away. (Workplace)
The guy I worked with is out. (Workplace)
My project partner's ghosting today. (Workplace)
관계절: 정체성 테스트
제한적 용법 (필수)
- 쉼표 없음 특정
- 'That' 사용 일상/데일리
비제한적 용법 (추가)
- 쉼표 있음 보너스 정보
- 'That' 사용 불가 엄격한 규칙
제한적 vs 비제한적
쉼표를 쓸까 말까?
해당 절을 제거해도 문장이 여전히 의미가 통하나요?
해당 명사가 특정 이름이거나 고유한 것인가요 (예: 'Paris')?
관계대명사 사용 제한
둘 다 안전하게 사용 가능
- • Who (for people)
- • Which (for things)
- • Whose
- • Where
제한적 용법에서만 사용
- • That
- • Omission (Zero pronoun)
수준별 예문
The boy who is happy is my brother.
The boy who is happy is my brother.
I have a dog that is big.
I have a dog that is big.
This is the book that I want.
This is the book that I want.
The girl who lives here is nice.
The girl who lives here is nice.
The car which he bought is blue.
The car which he bought is blue.
The man (who) I saw yesterday was tall.
The man (who) I saw yesterday was tall.
I like the city where I was born.
I like the city where I was born.
She is the teacher who helps me.
She is the teacher who helps me.
My sister, who lives in Rome, is a lawyer.
My sister, who lives in Rome, is a lawyer.
The laptop that I use for work is broken.
The laptop that I use for work is broken.
London, which is the capital of the UK, is huge.
London, which is the capital of the UK, is huge.
The man whose car was stolen is very angry.
The man whose car was stolen is very angry.
The company, which was founded in 1920, is closing.
The company, which was founded in 1920, is closing.
He failed his driving test, which was a surprise.
He failed his driving test, which was a surprise.
The candidate for whom I voted didn't win.
The candidate for whom I voted didn't win.
Is that the reason why you were late?
Is that the reason why you were late?
The building, the roof of which was damaged, is old.
The building, the roof of which was damaged, is old.
Anyone wishing to leave early may do so.
Anyone wishing to leave early may do so.
The method by which they achieved this is unknown.
The method by which they achieved this is unknown.
The town, where many artists live, is very vibrant.
The town, where many artists live, is very vibrant.
The project, the success of which remains to be seen, is costly.
The project, the success of which remains to be seen, is costly.
He was late, as is often the case with him.
He was late, as is often the case with him.
Whosoever finds the key shall be rewarded.
Whosoever finds the key shall be rewarded.
The situation, albeit difficult, is not hopeless.
The situation, albeit difficult, is not hopeless.
혼동하기 쉬운
Learners often use them interchangeably in all contexts.
Learners aren't sure when to use the object form 'whom'.
Both describe nouns but use different structures.
자주 하는 실수
The man which lives here.
The man who lives here.
I like the book what you gave me.
I like the book that you gave me.
The girl she lives next door is nice.
The girl who lives next door is nice.
I saw the man who he is a doctor.
I saw the man who is a doctor.
The house that I live is small.
The house where I live is small.
This is the man who's car is red.
This is the man whose car is red.
The movie who I saw was good.
The movie that I saw was good.
My mother, that is 50, is a nurse.
My mother, who is 50, is a nurse.
Paris which is in France is beautiful.
Paris, which is in France, is beautiful.
The man, who I met him, was nice.
The man, who I met, was nice.
The car, that's engine is broken, is mine.
The car, whose engine is broken, is mine.
문장 패턴
The ___ who ___ is ___.
___, which is ___, is ___.
The ___ (that) I ___ was ___.
The person whose ___ is ___.
Real World Usage
My bestie, who is literally the cutest, just graduated!
I am looking for a role that allows me to use my coding skills.
The suspect, who was arrested late last night, is being questioned.
Did you find the keys I lost?
The theory, which was first proposed in 1990, remains controversial.
Take the train that goes toward the city center.
손가락으로 콕! 짚기
Defining clause예요. 쉼표는 필요 없어요. 예를 들어, 카페에서 '저기 저 코트 입은 사람!' 하고 가리킬 때처럼요: The man who is wearing a coat is my friend.
쉼표와 'That'은 같이 쓰지 마세요
My car, which is new, is fast.(X
My car, that is new, is fast.)
격식이 중요해요
Defining clause에서 'that'을 90% 정도 써요. 'Which'는 좀 더 격식 있는 글쓰기나 에세이에 어울려요: This is the movie that I want to see.(일상) vs
This is the movie which I desire to watch.(격식)
Smart Tips
Always use a non-defining clause with commas. Proper nouns are already specific, so any extra info is just 'extra'.
Use 'whom' after prepositions like 'to', 'with', or 'for'.
Check if there is another subject immediately after it. If there is, you can usually delete it.
Use ', which' at the end of the sentence.
발음
The Comma Pause
In non-defining clauses, there is a slight drop in pitch and a brief pause where the commas are.
Relative Pronoun Reduction
In fast speech, 'that' is often pronounced with a schwa /ðət/.
Non-defining Parenthetical
My car, (which is red), is fast.
The pitch goes down for the clause and back up for the main verb.
암기하기
기억법
Defining is 'Determining' (no commas needed), Non-defining is 'Needless' (needs commas).
시각적 연상
Imagine a defining clause as a wedding ring—it's essential and stays on the finger. Imagine a non-defining clause as a bracelet—it's extra, and you can take it off (the commas are the clasps).
Rhyme
If it's extra, use a comma. If it's needed, save the drama.
Story
A detective is looking for 'the man who stole the diamond' (Defining). Once he catches him, he says, 'This man, who is wearing a red hat, is the thief' (Non-defining).
Word Web
챌린지
Look at 5 objects in your room. Write one defining and one non-defining sentence for each.
문화 노트
British speakers are slightly more likely to use 'which' in defining clauses than American speakers, who strictly prefer 'that'.
Using 'whom' is almost exclusively reserved for formal writing or very formal speeches. Using it in casual conversation can sound pretentious.
In some dialects, 'that' is used for people more frequently than 'who' in informal speech.
Relative pronouns in English evolved from demonstrative and interrogative pronouns in Old English ('se', 'seo', 'þæt').
대화 시작하기
Tell me about a person who has influenced your life.
Describe your hometown, which I've never visited.
What's a movie that you've seen more than three times?
Think of a famous person whom you admire.
일기 주제
자주 하는 실수
Test Yourself
Choose the correct sentence:
Tokyo, ___ is the capital of Japan, is a huge city.
Find and fix the mistake:
Mr. Smith that is my teacher is very kind.
Score: /3
연습 문제
8 exercisesMy brother, ___ lives in Spain, is visiting next week.
The woman ___ car was stolen called the police.
Find and fix the mistake:
The laptop, that I bought yesterday, is very fast.
I have a friend. He speaks five languages.
Match types
The cake that I ate was delicious.
The man who lives here is nice.
This is the park ___ we first met.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercisesThe phone ___ I bought yesterday is broken.
Which one is right?
Paris / is / which / beautiful / I / visited / , / ,
The girl which lives next door is nice.
Kucing yang sedang tidur itu milikku.
Match the items:
My mother, ___ is 60, still runs marathons.
Which sentence identifies a specific thing?
The man who is standing there is my uncle.
The company, ___ headquarters are in London, is hiring.
Score: /10
자주 묻는 질문 (8)
Use a comma if the information is 'extra'. If the sentence still makes sense without it, add commas. If the info is needed to know which noun you mean, no commas.
In defining clauses, yes (e.g., 'The man that I saw'). In non-defining clauses, no—you must use 'who'.
'Who' is for subjects (the person doing the action). 'Whom' is for objects (the person receiving the action). 'Whom' is mostly used in formal writing.
No. You can only drop it in defining clauses when it is the object of the sentence (e.g., 'The book I read'). You cannot drop it if it is the subject (e.g., 'The book that is on the table').
In defining clauses, 'which' can sound slightly more formal than 'that', especially in British English. In non-defining clauses, 'which' is the only option for things.
Yes! It is perfectly natural to say 'The car whose engine is broken' instead of the more clunky 'The car the engine of which is broken'.
This is a standard rule of English grammar. 'That' is considered a restrictive pronoun, meaning its job is to limit or define. Non-defining clauses don't limit, so 'that' doesn't fit.
It might change the meaning! 'My brother who is a doctor' implies you have multiple brothers and you're talking about the doctor one. 'My brother, who is a doctor,' implies you have one brother and he happens to be a doctor.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
que / quien / el cual
English distinguishes between 'that' and 'which' based on commas; Spanish uses 'que' for both.
qui / que / lequel
French relative pronouns are determined by grammatical function (subject/object), not by the 'essentialness' of the info.
der / die / das
German requires commas for every relative clause, whereas English only uses them for non-defining ones.
Pre-nominal modifiers
Japanese uses word order (clause + noun) instead of pronouns (noun + who/which).
al-ladhi (الذي)
Arabic requires a pronoun like 'him' or 'it' inside the clause (e.g., 'the man who I saw him').
de (的)
Chinese places the description before the noun, while English places it after.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
관련 동영상
![All Siege of Mandalore War Scenes [4K HDR] - Star Wars: The Clone Wars](https://sublearn.com/storage/thumbnails/qG4L9_k4I08.jpg)
06:37 All Siege of Mandalore War Scenes [4K HDR] - Star Wars: The Clone Wars
![Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) - 'Brothers in Arms' / Motorbikes scene [1080p]](https://sublearn.com/storage/thumbnails/RYA1X3NBB5s.jpg)
04:53 Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) - 'Brothers in Arms' / Motorbikes scene [1080p]
02:20 Scary Movie 5 (2013) - Apes and Real Housewives Scene (3/9) | Movieclips
Relative Clauses (Defining & Non-Defining) | EasyTeaching
EasyTeaching
Defining and Non-Defining Relative Clauses - English Grammar Lesson
Oxford English Now
Reduced Relative Clauses - Defining and Non- Defining Relative Clauses - Advanced Grammar Lesson
Oxford English Now
Related Grammar Rules
관계부사: 장소를 나타내는 'Where'
Overview 친구에게 정말 멋진 피자집에 대해 말해주려다가 문장 중간에 막힌 적 있나요? 있잖아요, 거기. 도우 끝에 꿀을 발라주...
격식 관계절 (in which, to whom)
### Overview 영어를 모국어로 사용하는 환경에서 전문적인 수준의 의사소통을 지향하는 학습자에게 있어, '전치사 + 관계대명사...
문장 줄이기: 축약된 관계절
### Overview 영어를 모국어처럼 구사하고 싶은 B2 레벨의 학습자라면, 문장을 더 간결하고 세련되게 만드는 기술인 '축약된 관...
Whose: 소유를 나타내기
### Overview 영어에서 `whose`는 **소유격 관계대명사(possessive relative pronoun)**로 불리며, 문장 내에서 두 가지 정보를...
축약 관계절: 분사 사용 (명사 후위 수식)
### Overview 영어 학습의 여정에서 C2 레벨, 즉 원어민에 가까운 최상위 수준에 도달한다는 것은 단순히 문법적으로 '틀리지...
