B1 · Intermediate Chapter 11

Adding Extra Information and Formal Details

4 Total Rules
43 examples
7 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

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.

What You'll Learn

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.

Chapter Guide

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.

Key Examples (8)

1

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

Relative Clauses: Defining vs Non-Defining Meaning
2

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

Relative Clauses: Defining vs Non-Defining Meaning
3

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

Non-Defining Clauses: Adding Extra Info (with commas)
4

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

Non-Defining Clauses: Adding Extra Info (with commas)
5

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

Formal Prepositions in Relative Clauses (to whom, for which)
6

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

Formal Prepositions in Relative Clauses (to whom, for which)
7

I have three brothers, all of whom are engineers.

Relative Clauses with Quantifiers (all of whom, none of which)
8

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

Relative Clauses with Quantifiers (all of whom, none of which)

Tips & Tricks (4)

💡

The Finger Test

Cover the relative clause with your finger. If the sentence still makes perfect sense and you know exactly what noun is being discussed, use commas. If it feels like something is missing, don't use commas.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relative Clauses: Defining vs Non-Defining Meaning
⚠️

The 'That' Rule

Never use 'that' after a comma in a relative clause. It is the most common mistake for B1 learners.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Non-Defining Clauses: Adding Extra Info (with commas)
🎯

The 'M' Trick

If you can answer the question with 'hiM' or 'theM', use 'whoM'. (To whom? To him. For whom? For them.)
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Formal Prepositions in Relative Clauses (to whom, for which)
💡

The Comma is Key

Always put a comma before the quantifier. These are non-defining clauses, so the comma tells the reader 'here is some extra info'.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relative Clauses with Quantifiers (all of whom, none of which)

Key Vocabulary (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

Common Mistakes

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.
Correct: 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.
Correct: 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.
Correct: 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

Quick Practice (10)

Fill in the blank.

This is the park ___ we first met.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: where
Use 'where' for places.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relative Clauses: Defining vs Non-Defining Meaning

Correct the error in this sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

My car, that I bought last week, is already broken.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
You must use 'which' instead of 'that' after a comma.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Non-Defining Clauses: Adding Extra Info (with commas)

Can the relative pronoun be omitted?

The cake that I ate was delicious.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Yes
Yes, because 'that' is the object of the verb 'ate'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relative Clauses: Defining vs Non-Defining Meaning

Correct the error in the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

She has many friends, some of them are doctors.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: some of whom are doctors
To join these into one sentence, 'them' must become 'whom'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relative Clauses with Quantifiers (all of whom, none of which)

Can the relative pronoun be omitted?

The man who lives here is nice.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: No
No, because 'who' is the subject of the verb 'lives'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relative Clauses: Defining vs Non-Defining Meaning

Choose the correct relative pronoun.

My brother, ___ lives in Spain, is visiting next week.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: who
This is a non-defining clause about a person. 'That' is not allowed after a comma.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relative Clauses: Defining vs Non-Defining Meaning

Fill in the blank with 'who', 'which', or 'whose'.

The woman ___ car was stolen called the police.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: whose
We are showing possession (the car belongs to the woman).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relative Clauses: Defining vs Non-Defining Meaning

Choose the correct relative pronoun.

I have three cousins, all of ___ live in America.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: whom
We use 'whom' for people after a preposition like 'of'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relative Clauses with Quantifiers (all of whom, none of which)

Correct the mistake in the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

The laptop, that I bought yesterday, is very fast.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The laptop, which I bought yesterday, is very fast.
You cannot use 'that' in a non-defining clause (with commas).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relative Clauses: Defining vs Non-Defining Meaning

Choose the correct sentence.

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: b
Non-defining clauses need commas and cannot use 'that'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Non-Defining Clauses: Adding Extra Info (with commas)

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

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'.
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.
In casual speech, yes. Most people say who even when whom is technically correct. However, in formal writing and exams, whom is still strictly required after a preposition.
Only in the specific phrase in that, which means 'because'. In a relative clause describing a noun, you must use in which.
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