Relative clauses

A relative clause is a type of subordinate clause which says something about a noun (or a noun group) in the main clause which immediately precedes it. The noun (group) itself is called the antecedent of the relative clause. This means that a relative clause is also a type of attributive adjunct.

A relative clause is introduced by a relative pronoun or a relative pronominal adverb. Its possible position in a clause is not quite as restricted as other subordinate clauses. Relative clauses can affect their antecedent in two different ways: their are either restrictive or non-restrictive.

Word order

As with all subordinate clauses, all verbs in a relative clause come towards the end. Moreover, a relative clause normally immediately follows the noun it qualifies. This means that a relative clause may occur in the middle of another (main) clause if its antecedent occurs there. This is unlike most other subordinate clauses, which tend to be placed in either first or last position. For example:

Het jongetje dat in de dierentuin is kwijtgeraakt, heet Luuk.
The little boy who got lost in the zoo, is called Luuk.

Meaning

Relative clauses can affect their antecedent in two different ways. For example:

Er is vanavond een feest voor de studenten die klaar zijn met hun examens.
Tonight there is a party for the students who have finished their exams.

The relative clause in this sentence is die klaar zijn met hun examens. Depending on the way this sentence is pronounced (in speech) or punctuated (in writing) it can mean two things:

• there is a party for only those students who have finished their exams
• all students have finished their exams and there is a party for them

In the first reading the relative clause restricts the antecedent to which it refers to a particular group (only the students who have finished their exams). In the second reading it does not restrict the antecedent. That is why we call the first type a restrictive relative clause and the second type a non-restrictive relative clause.

Restrictive relative clause

A restrictive relative clause is pronounced at the same pitch as the main clause and is not preceded by a break. There is no comma at the beginning of the relative clause:

Er is vanavond een feest voor de studenten die klaar zijn met hun examens.
Tonight there is a party for the students who have finished their exams.

If a restrictive relative clause appears in the middle of a sentence, it is only followed by a comma:

De studenten die klaar zijn met hun examens, houden vanavond een feest.
The students who have finished their exams, are having a party tonight.

Non-restrictive relative clauses

A non-restrictive relative clause starts with a brief pause and is pronounced at a lower pitch. In punctuation this is expressed by means of a comma at the beginning of the relative clause:

Er is vanavond een feest voor de studenten, die klaar zijn met hun examens.
Tonight there is a party for the students, who have finished their exams.

If the relative clause appears in the middle of a sentence, it is always followed by a comma. In that case a non-restrictive relative clause is surrounded by commas:

De studenten, die klaar zijn met hun examens, houden vanavond een feest.
The students, who have finished their exams, are having a party tonight.