Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Non-defining clauses add extra, non-essential information about a noun using commas and relative pronouns like 'who' or 'which'.
- Always use commas to separate the extra info from the main sentence: 'My brother, who lives in Paris, is a chef.'
- Never use the word 'that' in these clauses; stick to 'who', 'which', 'whose', or 'where'.
- The sentence must still make perfect sense if you remove the entire clause between the commas.
Overview
My sister, who lives in Tokyo, is coming to visit이라고 할 때 비제한적 관계절을 쓰는 거야. 친구는 이미 네 여동생이 누구인지 알고 있어, 한 명밖에 없으니까! 도쿄에 산다는 건 그냥 단톡방에서 하기 좋은 멋진 추가 정보일 뿐이지.How This Grammar Works
Paris, which is the capital of France, is beautiful. 우리 모두 파리가 뭔지 알지.who, which, where, whose 같은 관계대명사를 사용해.that을 쓸 수 없어! 그건 마치 포크로 수프를 떠먹으려는 것과 같아.The book, which I finished last night, was boring.이라고 말해야 해.that은 들어올 수 없는 게스트 명단(관계대명사)이 정해져 있지.
Formation Pattern
My mom, Netflix, London).
who, 사물은 which, 장소는 where, 소유는 whose를 써.
My laptop (1), (2) which (3) I bought only last month (4), (5) is already acting like it's 100 years old (6). '콤마 샌드위치' 기법에 익숙해지면 흐름이 아주 간단해질 거야!
When To Use It
My former boss, who recently started her own company, is hiring. 아니면 인스타그램 캡션: This sunset, which I caught just before the rain started, was magical. 명소를 설명하고 싶은 여행 브이로그에도 딱이야: The Colosseum, where gladiators used to fight, is even bigger in person. 또한 넷플릭스 자막이나 뉴스 리포트에서도 캐릭터나 사건의 배경 지식을 제공할 때 끊임없이 등장해.
Common Mistakes
that을 쓰는 거야. 꼭 기억해. that은 필수 정보에만 써. My dog, that is a pug, is sleeping.이라고는 말할 수 없어. My dog, which is a pug, is sleeping.이라고 해야 해. (사실 이름이 있는 반려동물은 우리가 사랑하니까 who를 자주 쓰기도 해!) 관계대명사를 삭제하려는 것도 함정이야. 다른 종류의 관계절에서는 who나 which를 생략할 수 있는 경우가 많지만, 여기서는 무조건 남겨둬야 해. My car, I bought last year, is fast는 완전히 틀린 문장이야. which가 꼭 필요해. 마지막으로, 두 번째 콤마를 잊지 마! 많은 사람들이 콤마로 관계절을 시작하긴 하는데, 닫는 걸 깜빡해서 추가 정보가 허공에 둥둥 떠 있게 만들곤 하거든. 괄호를 한쪽만 닫는 거랑 비슷해. 뭔가 잘못된 느낌이지. 신발을 한 짝만 신고 집을 나서는 거랑 같아. 사람들이 알아챌 거고, 아주 어색할 거야.Contrast With Similar Patterns
The man who lives next door is a spy. 만약 who lives next door를 빼면, 그냥 The man is a spy.라고 말하는 셈이지. 어떤 남자? 아무도 몰라!Mr. Smith, who lives next door, is a spy. 우린 이미 그 남자가 스미스 씨라는 걸 알아.that 규칙도 잊지 마. 제한적 관계절은 that을 아주 좋아하지만 (The phone that I want is expensive), 비제한적 관계절은 that을 정말 싫어해. 이건 Mac 대 PC의 대결보다 더 깊은 라이벌 관계야.Quick FAQ
whoever나 whichever를 써도 돼?
별로 추천하지 않아. 그건 다른 구조에서 쓰는 거야. 이 '추가 정보' 절에서는 who, which, where, whose라는 기본에 충실하자.
추가 정보가 문장 끝에 오면 어떡해?
간단해! 관계대명사 앞에 콤마 하나만 찍고 끝에 마침표를 찍으면 돼. 이렇게: I'm going to visit London, which is my favorite city.
동물한테 who를 써도 괜찮아?
동물의 이름이 있거나 개인적인 친밀감을 느낀다면 써도 좋아! 만약 그냥 '거미 한 마리'나 '새'라면 which가 더 안전해.
이렇게 말하면 너무 격식 차리는 것처럼 들릴까?
전혀! 그냥 말을 조리 있게 잘하는 것처럼 들릴 뿐이야. 가벼운 문자 메시지에서도 which 절을 짧게 쓰면 네 의도를 더 명확하게 전달할 수 있어.
왜 that은 안 되는 거야?
솔직히 말해줄까? 그냥 영어의 '내가 그렇다면 그런 줄 알아' 식의 규칙 중 하나야. 아주 오래전에 문법학자들이 that은 필수 정보에만 쓰기로 정해버렸고, 우리는 그때부터 쭉 그 규칙을 따르고 있는 거지. 그냥 which를 기꺼이 받아들여 봐!
Memory Trick
콤마를 '손잡이(The Handles)'라고 생각해 봐. 바구니에 두 개의 손잡이가 있어서 그걸 잡고 옮길 수 있는 것처럼, 비제한적 관계절에는 두 개의 콤마가 있어서 추가 정보를 잡고 문장 밖으로 '들어 올릴(lift)' 수 있어. 바구니를 '들어 올린' 후에도 문장이 혼자서 완벽하게 서 있다면, 그 콤마들은 원래 거기 있어야 했던 게 맞아!
Relative Pronoun Selection
| Target | Pronoun | Example Clause |
|---|---|---|
|
People
|
who
|
, who lives next door,
|
|
Things/Animals
|
which
|
, which cost $50,
|
|
Possession
|
whose
|
, whose car was stolen,
|
|
Places
|
where
|
, where we met,
|
|
Time
|
when
|
, when the sun sets,
|
|
Whole Sentences
|
which
|
, which is why I'm late.
|
Meanings
A non-defining relative clause provides additional information about a person, thing, or place that is already clearly identified. It is not essential for the sentence to be understood.
Adding info about people
Using 'who' to provide biographical or situational details about a specific person.
“Mr. Smith, who is 70 years old, still goes jogging every morning.”
“My sister, who you met yesterday, is moving to Canada.”
Adding info about things
Using 'which' to describe an object or concept that has already been named.
“The Taj Mahal, which was built in the 17th century, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.”
“My new phone, which cost a fortune, is already broken.”
Possession with 'whose'
Adding extra info about who something belongs to.
“The neighbor, whose dog barks all night, is actually very nice.”
“The company, whose profits have doubled, is hiring new staff.”
Adding info about places
Using 'where' to give extra context about a location.
“Paris, where I spent my honeymoon, is beautiful in the spring.”
“The local park, where we used to play football, has been closed.”
Commenting on a whole sentence
Using 'which' after a comma to comment on the entire preceding clause.
“He arrived late, which was very rude.”
“She passed the exam, which surprised everyone.”
Reference Table
| 관계대명사 | 가리키는 대상 | 예시 (추가 정보) | 예시 (한정적 용법) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
who
|
사람
|
My sister, who lives in Canada, is visiting.
|
The student who aced the exam got a prize.
|
|
whom
|
사람 (목적격, 격식)
|
The CEO, whom I met yesterday, was nice.
|
The person whom you spoke to has left.
|
|
whose
|
소유 (사람/사물)
|
My dog, whose name is Loki, loves squirrels.
|
I know a guy whose car is electric.
|
|
which
|
사물/아이디어
|
The café, which has great pastries, is busy.
|
The book which I borrowed is fantastic.
|
|
where
|
장소
|
London, where I grew up, is a vibrant city.
|
The park where we first met is beautiful.
|
|
when
|
시간
|
Next Tuesday, when the movie opens, I'm going.
|
I remember the day when we graduated.
|
격식 수준 스펙트럼
My brother, who resides in London, is a medical practitioner. (Family description)
My brother, who lives in London, is a doctor. (Family description)
My brother, who's living in London now, is a doctor. (Family description)
My bro, who's up in London, is a doc. (Family description)
계속적 용법: '보너스 정보' 지도
주요 특징
- 콤마 사용 Always use commas!
- 삭제 가능 Sentence still makes sense without it
- That 금지 Never use 'that' here
관계대명사 종류
- Who For people
- Which For things/ideas
- Whose For possession
한정적 vs 계속적: 차이점 찾기!
관계대명사 선택 가이드
정보가 대상을 식별하는 데 필수적인가요?
사람을 가리키나요?
사물이나 아이디어를 가리키나요?
소유를 나타내나요?
계속적 용법에 쓰이는 대명사
사람용
- • who
- • whom (격식)
- • whose
사물/개념용
- • which
- • whose
장소/시간용
- • where
- • when
수준별 예문
My dad, who is a teacher, is nice.
London, which is big, is in England.
My car, which is red, is fast.
Sarah, who is my friend, is here.
My house, which has three bedrooms, is old.
The teacher, who is very kind, helped me.
Paris, where the Eiffel Tower is, is beautiful.
My brother, whose name is Tom, is a doctor.
The new shopping mall, which opened last week, is huge.
My boss, who travels a lot, is in New York now.
The movie, which we saw yesterday, was quite boring.
Italy, where my parents were born, is a sunny country.
The company, which was founded in 1920, is going bankrupt.
He forgot my birthday, which made me very angry.
The scientist, whose research is famous, won a prize.
The hotel, where we stayed for two weeks, was excellent.
The proposal, which the board rejected yesterday, was very detailed.
The city, the history of which is fascinating, attracts many tourists.
The witness, who had been silent until then, finally spoke.
The project, which I have been working on for months, is finally finished.
The Prime Minister, whose popularity has waned recently, faces a challenge.
The cathedral, the construction of which took 200 years, is a masterpiece.
He was unable to attend, which, given the circumstances, was understandable.
The theory, which has been widely criticized, remains influential.
혼동하기 쉬운
Learners don't know when to use commas and when not to.
Learners want to use 'that' in all relative clauses.
자주 하는 실수
My brother that is tall is here.
My brother, who is tall, is here.
London which is big is in England.
London, which is big, is in England.
My car, that I bought last year, is broken.
My car, which I bought last year, is broken.
The city where I was born in is beautiful.
The city, where I was born, is beautiful.
문장 패턴
[Proper Name], who ___, is ___.
[Specific Object], which ___, was ___.
[Clause], which ___.
Real World Usage
The President, who is 78, arrived today.
My cat, which is literally a demon, just broke my vase.
My last project, which I led for six months, was a success.
The hotel, where we stayed last summer, has closed down.
I saw Sarah, who says hi btw.
This theory, which was developed in 1920, is still used.
콤마는 '잠시 멈춤' 신호
My car, which is old, still works.
여기서 'That'은 절대 안 돼요!
The book, which I bought, is great.
소리 내어 읽어보세요
London, where I grew up, is vibrant.
이야기에 양념 치기
Maya, who looks amazing, is here.
Smart Tips
Always use commas. Since the name already identifies them, any extra info is by definition 'non-defining'.
Use ', which' at the end of your sentence to add a comment.
Make sure the place is a setting. If you are describing the place as an object, use 'which'.
Combine them! Use a non-defining clause to turn two boring sentences into one interesting one.
발음
The Comma Pause
In speech, there is a slight pause and a drop in pitch at each comma.
Parenthetical Dip
The car, ↘ which was red, ↗ is mine.
The lower pitch indicates the information is secondary.
암기하기
기억법
Commas are like handles on a suitcase: they hold the extra stuff you're carrying.
시각적 연상
Imagine a 'comma sandwich'. The two commas are the bread, and the extra information is the delicious filling. Without the bread, the filling falls out and makes a mess!
Rhyme
If the info is just a plus, use a comma and don't make a fuss.
Story
A detective is describing a suspect. 'The man is tall.' (Boring). 'The man, who was wearing a red hat, is tall.' The red hat is the extra clue that helps the story but isn't the main point.
Word Web
챌린지
Look at three objects in your room. Write one sentence for each using a non-defining clause (e.g., 'My laptop, which I bought last year, is on the desk.').
문화 노트
British speakers are often very strict about using 'which' for non-defining clauses and 'that' for defining ones.
News outlets like the BBC or NYT use these clauses to provide titles and ages efficiently.
Non-defining clauses are used to cite sources or provide definitions without stopping the flow.
Relative clauses in English evolved from demonstrative pronouns in Old English.
대화 시작하기
Tell me about your best friend, who I haven't met yet.
What is your favorite city, which you've visited recently?
Tell me about your first car, which you probably don't have anymore.
일기 주제
자주 하는 실수
Test Yourself
My best friend ___ is a brilliant artist, just had her first exhibition.
Find and fix the mistake:
The new cafe that has a rooftop terrace is very popular.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Score: /3
연습 문제
8 exercisesWhich sentence is punctuated correctly?
Paris, ___ is the capital of France, is beautiful.
Find and fix the mistake:
My car, that I bought last week, is already broken.
Mr. Jones is our neighbor. He is 80 years old.
You can use 'that' in a non-defining relative clause.
The book, which I finished yesterday, was great.
Match the following:
my / which / is / old / car / , / red / , / is
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesMy phone ___ I bought last year, is already acting up.
My boss, that is usually very strict, was surprisingly lenient today.
다음 중 올바른 문장은?
다음 문장을 영어로 번역하세요: '마드리드에 사는 우리 언니가 나를 보러 와요.'
단어를 조합해 문장을 만드세요:
주어에 어울리는 추가 정보 절을 연결하세요:
The concert, ___ tickets sold out in minutes, was spectacular.
The movie, I watched last night, was incredibly boring.
다음 중 문법적으로 맞는 문장은?
번역하세요: '기말고사가 있는 월요일에 나는 스트레스를 많이 받을 거야.'
문장을 완성하세요:
문장 시작 부분과 알맞은 관계사절을 연결하세요:
Score: /12
자주 묻는 질문 (8)
No, never. In English, 'that' is strictly for defining clauses. If you have commas, you must use 'who' or 'which'.
It creates a 'run-on' feeling and can confuse the reader about where the main verb of the sentence is.
Yes, in very formal writing, 'whom' is used if the person is the object of the clause: 'My boss, whom I respect, is leaving.'
Yes! This is called a sentential relative clause. Example: 'He was late, which was annoying.'
You only need the first comma. Example: 'I live in London, which is a big city.'
Try the 'Deletion Test'. If you remove it and the sentence still identifies the noun clearly, it's extra (non-defining).
Yes, for places. 'My school, where I studied for 5 years, is closing.'
It is very common in both, but you will see much longer and more complex ones in formal writing.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Oraciones de relativo explicativas
Spanish uses 'que' for both; English requires 'which/who' and forbids 'that'.
Relativsätze
German always uses commas; English only uses them for non-defining clauses.
Propositions subordonnées relatives
French 'que' is used for objects, while English uses 'which' or 'who(m)'.
連体修飾節 (Rentai shuushikusetsu)
Japanese has no relative pronouns and the clause precedes the noun.
الصلة (Al-Sila)
Arabic relative pronouns change based on gender and number, and the definite/indefinite distinction is crucial.
的 (de) structure
Chinese puts all descriptions before the noun using 'de'.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
Continue With
관련 동영상
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