Relative Clauses: Extra Information (1)

Two Types of Relative Clause

Not all relative clauses do the same job. Some identify which person or thing you mean. Others just add extra information about someone or something already identified.

In the first sentence, who handles our account tells us which manager. Without it, we would not know which one.

In the second sentence, we already know the person — our account manager. The clause who joined last year is bonus information. Remove it and the sentence still makes sense.

Commas Are Required

Extra-information clauses are always separated from the rest of the sentence by commas. The commas signal that the information can be lifted out without changing the core meaning.

• Helen, who works in procurement, recommended the new vendor.
• The quarterly report, which was published on Monday, exceeded expectations.
• We visited the Tokyo office, where the product team is based.

If you leave out the commas, the meaning changes. A clause without commas becomes an identifying clause, which limits the meaning instead of adding to it.

You Cannot Use “that”

In identifying relative clauses, that is a common alternative to who or which. In extra-information clauses, that is not allowed.

• Our CEO, who started the company in 2005, announced her retirement. (not that started)
• The proposal, which the board approved last week, includes a new hiring plan. (not that the board approved)

You Cannot Drop the Relative Pronoun

In identifying clauses, you can often leave out who, which, or that when it is the object. In extra-information clauses, the relative pronoun must stay.

• The budget report, which the finance team prepared, is ready for review. (you cannot drop “which”)
• I spoke with James, who I hadn’t seen since the conference. (you cannot drop “who”)

Compare with an identifying clause where dropping is fine:

• The report (that/which) you asked for is on your desk. (dropping is OK here)

You Can Use “whom” for People

When the relative pronoun refers to a person and is the object of the clause, you can use whom in extra-information clauses. This is more formal and appears often in written business English.

• Our keynote speaker, whom we invited from Berlin, gave an excellent talk.
• The new director, whom I met at the training session, seems very competent.

“whose” and “where” Work the Same Way

Both whose (possession) and where (place) can appear in extra-information clauses, just as they do in identifying clauses.

• David, whose team won the sales award, is being promoted.
• We flew to Singapore, where our regional headquarters is located.

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