A relative clause is a part of a sentence that gives more information about a noun. It usually starts with a relative pronoun, such as 'who', 'which', or 'that'. For example, in the sentence 'The book that I read was fascinating,' the clause 'that I read' tells us more about 'the book.'

A simpler way to describe a relative clause might be to say it's a 'descriptive phrase' that helps to identify or add details to a noun. So instead of saying 'relative clause', you could say 'describing phrase'. This term highlights the role of the clause in providing additional information about something in the sentence.

Written September 24, 2024