B1 · 中级 章节 11

Adding Extra Information and Formal Details

4 总规则
43 例句
7 分钟
本章规则 快速练习

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.

你将学到什么

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.

章节指南

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.

关键例句 (4)

1

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

那个带蓝标的账号才是真的。

定语从句：限定性与非限定性的意义区别
2

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

我的电脑——就是上个月刚买的那台——已经开始卡顿了。

定语从句：限定性与非限定性的意义区别
3

I have three brothers, all of whom are engineers.

我有三个哥哥，他们全都是工程师。

带有数量词的关系从句 (all of whom, none of which)
4

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

他给我发了十封邮件，我一封都还没看。

带有数量词的关系从句 (all of whom, none of which)

技巧与窍门 (4)

🎯

手指指向大法

如果你能用手指着某个东西说“就是那个！”，那它就是限定性从句，不需要逗号。比如：
The car that I want is expensive.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 定语从句：限定性与非限定性的意义区别
💡

逗号是你的好帮手

看到逗号了吗？它们在提醒你这部分信息是‘赠送’的。如果你把逗号中间的内容删掉，主句意思依然完整。比如：
My house, which was built in 1920, needs repairs.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 非限定性从句：添加额外信息（带逗号）
💡

什么时候用 Whom

如果你能用 'him' 或 'her' 替换这个词，就用 'whom'。比如 'to him' 对应 to whom。
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 关系从句中的正式介词 (to whom, for which)
⚠️

逗号是灵魂

千万别漏掉数量词前的逗号。它能告诉读者这是补充信息，防止句子变成乱糟糟的流水账：
I have two sisters, both of whom are doctors.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 带有数量词的关系从句 (all of whom, none of which)

核心词汇 (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

常见错误

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.
正确: 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.
正确: 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.
正确: 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

快速练习 (10)

哪个句子暗示说话人有不止一个兄弟？

选择正确的句子：

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: My brother who lives in London is a doctor.
没有逗号意味着这是限定性从句，用来从几个兄弟中锁定“住在伦敦的那个”。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 定语从句：限定性与非限定性的意义区别

选择正确的引导词和标点。

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

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: , who
因为 'my best friend' 已经明确了身份，后面的信息是额外的，所以需要逗号，且指代人用 who。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 非限定性从句：添加额外信息（带逗号）

在空格处填入正确的代词。

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

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: whom
我们使用 'whom' 是因为我们指的是人（朋友）。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 带有数量词的关系从句 (all of whom, none of which)

哪句话正确使用了正式定语从句结构？

选择正确的句子：

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The regulations, about which they complained, were difficult.
在正式定语从句中，指代物时介词要放在 'which' 之前。'That' 不能跟在介词后面。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 关系从句中的正式介词 (to whom, for which)

找出一个关于已知特定人物句子的错误。

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.
既然知道名字，信息就是额外的。我们需要逗号，并用 'who' 代替 'that'。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 定语从句：限定性与非限定性的意义区别

填入 'that' 或 'which'。注意逗号规则！

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

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: which
这是一个非限定性从句（关于唯一地点的额外信息），所以必须用 'which'，绝不能用 'that'。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 定语从句：限定性与非限定性的意义区别

选择正确的形式完成这个正式句子。

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

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: for whom
因为 'candidate' 是人，且介词 'for' 在关系代词前，所以 'whom' 是正确的正式选择。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 关系从句中的正式介词 (to whom, for which)

找出并修正这个正式句子中的错误。

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' 是物，所以应该用 'which'。'Whom' 只能用于人。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 关系从句中的正式介词 (to whom, for which)

找出并修正句子中的错误。

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.
这里的露台是额外描述，需要逗号，且逗号后不能用 that，必须换成 which。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 非限定性从句：添加额外信息（带逗号）

哪个句子在语法上是正确的？

为正式论文选择最佳句子：

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She wrote five books, all of which are famous.
这个句子使用了正确的代词（书用 'which'）并且包含了必要的逗号。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 带有数量词的关系从句 (all of whom, none of which)

Score: /10

常见问题 (6)

限定性从句告诉你是在说“哪一个”（必不可少）；非限定性从句只是给你已经知道的东西加点“赠送信息”。比如：
The book that I read was good.
只要是补充额外信息（非限定性）就必须用逗号。它们就像括号一样把额外信息包起来。比如：
My dad, who is 50, loves golf.
它主要是给已经明确的人或物增加“额外”的信息。你可以把它想象成一个补充说明，即使删掉它，大家也知道你在说谁。比如：
My mom, who loves tea, is visiting.
最简单的方法就是找逗号！非限制性从句总是被逗号隔开的。另外，试着去掉它，如果剩下的句子依然意思明确，那就是它了。
The sun, which is huge, is hot.
who 是主语（像 he），而 whom 是宾语（像 him）。在介词提前的正式句子中，一定要用 whom，例如：to whom。
它能让你的表达更精准。在学术写作、商务场合或想给人留下专业印象时非常关键，比如：
the report for which I was responsible
。
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