Lesson Goal:
To accurately and appropriately use relative clauses in IELTS Writing Task 2 essays for grammar range and accuracy.
📘 Understanding Relative Clauses in IELTS Writing Task 2
✍️ What are Relative Clauses?
Relative clauses are used to give extra information about a noun. They are important in IELTS Writing Task 2 to make your writing more precise and academic.
Types:
- Defining Relative Clauses – give essential information.
- Non-defining Relative Clauses – give extra, non-essential information.
📌 1. Defining Relative Clauses
Used to identify exactly which person or thing we mean.
🔹 No commas
🔹 Relative pronouns: who, which, that, whose, where, when
✅ Examples:
- People who attend university often gain better career opportunities.
- The policies that encourage renewable energy are vital to combating climate change.
📌 2. Non-defining Relative Clauses
Give additional information that can be removed without changing the sentence’s main meaning.
🔹 Commas are required
🔹 Cannot use “that”
✅ Examples:
- Fossil fuels, which are still widely used, cause significant environmental damage.
- Social media, which many teenagers use daily, can negatively affect mental health.
🧠 Tip for IELTS Writing:
Use non-defining clauses to add depth and variety to your complex sentences. Use defining clauses to focus your argument or specify examples.
📝 Exercises
🔹 Exercise 1: Identify the Clause
Underline the relative clause and say if it is defining or non-defining.
- Many people who live in urban areas suffer from air pollution.
- Fast food, which is high in fat and sugar, is popular among young people.
- The government introduced a policy that supports small businesses.
- Public transport, which is often unreliable, needs major improvement.
Answers
1.who live in urban areas → defining
2. which is high in fat and sugar → non-defining
3. that supports small businesses → defining
4. which is often unreliable → non-defining
🔹 Exercise 2: Join the Sentences
Combine the two sentences using a relative clause. Identify if it’s defining or non-defining.
- The factory emits toxic gases. It is located near the school.
- The student won a scholarship. She studies environmental science.
- Urban planning is essential. It affects the quality of life.
- The books are expensive. They are required for the course.
Answers
1.The factory, which is located near the school, emits toxic gases. → non-defining
2. The student who studies environmental science won a scholarship. → defining
3. Urban planning, which affects the quality of life, is essential. → non-defining
4. The books that are required for the course are expensive. → defining
🔹 Exercise 3: Improve the Sentence
Rewrite the following IELTS-style sentences using relative clauses to make them more academic.
- Many people use cars. Cars contribute to traffic congestion.
- The government introduced electric buses. The buses reduce carbon emissions.
- There are many cities. These cities face overpopulation problems.
- Some countries invest in education. These countries experience long-term growth.
Answers
1. Many people use cars that contribute to traffic congestion.
2. The government introduced electric buses, which reduce carbon emissions.
3. There are many cities that face overpopulation problems.
4. Some countries that invest in education experience long-term growth.
🔹 Exercise 4: Write Your Own
Choose one of the IELTS Task 2 topics and write a paragraph using at least 2 relative clauses (1 defining, 1 non-defining).
Topic: Some people think that governments should invest more in public services than in the arts.
✍️ Write a paragraph expressing your opinion.
Possible Answer
Governments that prioritise healthcare and education tend to have healthier, more productive populations. Arts funding, which enriches cultural identity, is also important, but public services should come first in national budgets.
that prioritise healthcare and education = defining
, which enriches cultural identity, = non-defining
