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ESL Lesson Plan · CEFR B1

Non-defining Relative Clauses ESL Lesson Plan (B1, 60 Minutes)

A complete 60-minute B1 lesson on Non-defining Relative Clauses, built round the theme "Famous Sri Lankans".

  • CEFR B1
  • 60 minutes
  • Teenagers and adults
  • Grammar
  • Relative Clauses
  • Non-defining Relative Clauses

About this lesson

Who it is for. Intermediate students who use defining relative clauses accurately. Their writing is choppy (many short sentences), and when they add extra information they use that after a comma (Kandy, that is ...), leave out commas, or don't know whose.

Everything the lesson needs is on this page: the language analysis, the timed stages with the teacher's own words and instruction-checking questions, the differentiation, the printable handouts and the answer key.

At a glance

Level
CEFR B1 (Intermediate)
Learners
Teenagers and adults
Length
60 minutes. For 45 minutes, run "Freer practice" once through without the second round and cut "Feedback and wrap-up" to board-based error correction.
Skills
Writing
Language focus
Grammar: Non-defining Relative Clauses (commas, which, who, whose)
Framework
PPP (presentation, practice, production)
Materials
Handout 1 (two short biographies), Handout 2 (discovery task), Handout 3 (practice), Handout 4 (fact files for the writing task).
Preparation
About 10 minutes: print Handouts 1 to 4, one per learner, and read the language analysis. The answer key is for you, not the class.

Aims

Main aim. To help students work out and use non-defining relative clauses (with commas, who, which, whose, where; not that; pronoun never omitted) and contrast them with defining clauses.

Learning outcome. By the end of the lesson, students can write a short biography of a famous person using at least three non-defining relative clauses, e.g. Muttiah Muralitharan, who was born in Kandy, is the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.

  • Subsidiary aim. To read short biographies for specific information.
  • Subsidiary aim. To develop writing by combining sentences into a fluent biography.

Language analysis

What to know before the lesson: the meaning, form and pronunciation of the target language, and the problems learners usually have with it.

Defining vs non-defining

DefiningNon-defining
PurposeTells us which one (essential)Gives extra information (not essential)
CommasNoYes: before and after (or before and full stop)
thatPossibleNot possible
Leave out the pronoun?Yes, if objectNever
ExampleThe player who took the most wickets is Muralitharan.Muralitharan, who was born in Kandy, took 800 Test wickets.

Pronouns in non-defining clauses

  • who (people), which (things), where (places), whose (possession: people or things).
  • whose + noun: Kumar Sangakkara, whose father was a lawyer, studied law.

Meaning and use

  • Non-defining clauses are common in writing (biographies, news, descriptions) to add information smoothly.
  • The sentence still makes sense without the clause: Muralitharan took 800 Test wickets.

Pronunciation

  • In speech, non-defining clauses are marked by pauses and a lower, faster voice: Muralitharan, | who was born in Kandy, | took 800 wickets.

Concept-checking questions

  • Muralitharan, who was born in Kandy, took 800 Test wickets. Do we know who Muralitharan is without the clause? (Yes.) · Is the information about Kandy essential or extra? (Extra.) · Can we use that? (No.)
  • Sangakkara, whose father was a lawyer, studied law. Whose father was a lawyer? (Sangakkara's.)

Anticipated problems and solutions

ProblemSolution
that in non-defining clauses (Kandy, that is ...).Board the rule; cross out that after a comma.
Missing commas."Remove it" test: if the sentence works without it, use commas.
who's / whose confusion.Contrast who's = who is; whose = possession.
Missing second comma.Highlight both commas in colour.

Board plan

Left: biography vocabularyCentre: rulesRight: pronunciation
was born · grew up · studied · became famous · won · retired · record · achievement
DEFINING (which one?): no commas, that OK, can omit object · NON-DEFINING (extra info): , who / which / where / whose ..., · no that · never omit · Remove test: sentence still OK → commas · whose + noun = possession
Muralitharan,

CEFR B1 · 60 minutes · Teenagers and adults

Procedure: Non-defining Relative Clauses, step by step

Warm-up5 minutes · Pairs, then whole class

Aim: To engage students and activate knowledge.

Board the names: Muttiah Muralitharan, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Kumar Sangakkara, Susanthika Jayasinghe.

Ask: "What do you know about these people?" Pairs share facts (2 minutes). Take ideas.

Presentation20 minutes · Individual, pairs, whole class

Aim: To present non-defining relative clauses in context and help students work out the rules.

Part A: Reading (6 minutes)

Give out Handout 1. Say: "Read the two biographies. Find one surprising fact in each. Three minutes."

Pairs compare. Students answer the four questions. Check as a class.

Part B: Finding the rules (7 minutes)

Give out Handout 2. Say: "Look at the sentences. Answer the questions with your partner."

ICQs: "Alone or with a partner?" (With a partner.)

Monitor. Ask stuck pairs: "Cover the part between the commas. Does the sentence still make sense?"

Part C: Clarification (7 minutes)

Elicit answers. Build the defining / non-defining contrast in the centre of the board.

Ask the CCQs from the Language analysis. Demonstrate the "remove it" test.

Highlight whose. Board who's vs whose.

Pronunciation. Read a sentence aloud with pauses and a lower voice for the extra information. Students repeat.

Controlled practice10 minutes · Individual, then pairs, then whole class

Aim: To practise the forms accurately.

Give out Handout 3. Say: "Exercise A: add commas where necessary. Exercise B: join the sentences. Seven minutes."

Pairs check. Check as a class.

Freer practice18 minutes · Pairs, then groups, then whole class

Aim: To use non-defining relative clauses in writing a biography.

Give out Handout 4. Each pair chooses one fact file and writes a biography (about 100 words) using at least three non-defining relative clauses (10 minutes).

ICQs: "How many non-defining clauses?" (At least three.) "Do you copy the notes?" (No, write full sentences.)

Read and guess (6 minutes). Pairs read their biography to another pair without saying the name; the other pair guesses who it is.

Two pairs read their biographies to the class (2 minutes).

Monitor and note errors.

Feedback and wrap-up7 minutes · Whole class

Aim: To give feedback and consolidate.

Board sentences from Stage 4 (correct and incorrect). Students correct the errors (commas, that, whose).

Ask: "How do you know when to use commas?"

Set the homework.

Homework Write a biography (150 words) of a person you admire (famous or in your family). Use at least four non-defining relative clauses, including one with whose.

PPP (presentation, practice, production). Stage times add up to 60 minutes.

Differentiation

Support
Give weaker students the rules on a card. Give them the first sentence of their biography.
Stretch
Stronger students use which to refer to a whole clause: He took 800 wickets, which is a world record. They use when in non-defining clauses: in 1996, when Sri Lanka won the World Cup.

Adapting the lesson

ForWhat to change
A large class (40 or more)Keep the pairwork in "Freer practice" in fixed pairs rather than a mingle, and take feedback from four or five pairs instead of the whole room. Run "Read and guess" once, with two pairs reporting, rather than hearing every pair. Monitor one half of the room during "Controlled practice" and the other half during "Freer practice".
A class with no photocopierPut the exercises from Handout 3: Practice on the board for learners to copy into their notebooks, and read any text aloud twice instead of printing it. The board plan above is this lesson's minimum - with that on the board, it runs on no paper at all.
An online classSend Handouts 1 to 4 in the chat before the lesson and put the board plan on a shared slide. Use breakout rooms for "Read and guess" and visit each room once. Have learners type the controlled answers in the chat, so you see every answer at once instead of nominating.
A different age groupWith teenagers, shorten the analysis and get to the task sooner. With adults in a work context, keep the forms exactly as they are and swap the lesson's theme for one from their own field.

Checking learning

The biography includes at least three accurate non-defining clauses with commas. No that in non-defining clauses. 8 out of 10 or better on Handout 3.

Teacher's reflection

Did the "remove it" test help students decide on commas? Was whose used correctly?

Handout 1: Two Biographies

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Muttiah Muralitharan Muttiah Muralitharan, who was born in Kandy in 1972, is one of the greatest bowlers in the history of cricket. He went to St. Anthony's College, where he started bowling spin when he was 14. In 1996, he was part of the team that won the Cricket World Cup. Muralitharan, whose bowling action was very unusual, took 800 Test wickets, which is still a world record.

Sirimavo Bandaranaike Sirimavo Bandaranaike, whose husband was also prime minister, became the world's first female prime minister in 1960. She was born in Balangoda, which is in the Sabaragamuwa Province. She served three terms as prime minister. Her daughter, Chandrika, who later became president, continued her political work.

Answer the questions.

  • Where did Muralitharan start bowling spin? ______________________________
  • What is still a world record? ______________________________
  • Why is Sirimavo Bandaranaike famous? ______________________________
  • Who later became president? ______________________________

Handout 2: Language Focus

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Look at these sentences.

Answer the questions with your partner.

  • Muttiah Muralitharan, who was born in Kandy in 1972, is one of the greatest bowlers.
  • He went to St. Anthony's College, where he started bowling spin.
  • He was part of the team that won the Cricket World Cup.
  • Muralitharan, whose bowling action was very unusual, took 800 Test wickets.
  • She was born in Balangoda, which is in the Sabaragamuwa Province.
  • Cover the bold part in sentence 1. Does the sentence still make sense? Do we know who Muralitharan is? ______________________________
  • Now cover the bold part in sentence 3. Do we know which team? Is the clause essential? ______________________________
  • Which sentences have commas? Which one doesn't? Why? ______________________________
  • Which sentence uses that? Do any of the sentences with commas use that? ______________________________
  • In sentence 4, what does whose mean? ______________________________

Handout 3: Practice

Name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

A. Add commas where necessary. Two sentences don't need commas.

B. Join the sentences with who, which, where or whose.

  • My brother who lives in Dubai is an engineer. (I have only one brother.)
  • The students who passed the exam can go to the next level.
  • Galle which is on the south coast is famous for its fort.
  • The book that you lent me was fantastic.
  • My grandmother whose house is near the sea makes the best fish curry.
  • Kumar Sangakkara is a former captain. He studied law. → Kumar Sangakkara, ______________________________
  • Sigiriya is visited by thousands of tourists. It was built in the 5th century. → Sigiriya, ______________________________
  • I visited Jaffna. My father grew up there. → I visited Jaffna, ______________________________
  • My friend Ayesha is a singer. Her mother is a famous actress. → My friend Ayesha, ______________________________
  • The test was very difficult. It lasted three hours. → The test, ______________________________

Handout 4: Fact Files

Fact file 1: Susanthika Jayasinghe

Fact file 2: Kumar Sangakkara

Fact file 3: Your choice

A famous person from your country or town:

..........................................................................................

Your biography (about 100 words):

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

..........................................................................................

  • born 1975, Kegalle district
  • athlete; ran the 200 m
  • won a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics (later upgraded from bronze)
  • first Sri Lankan woman to win an Olympic medal
  • her family was poor; she trained without good equipment
  • born 1977, Matale
  • went to Trinity College, Kandy; studied law
  • father: a lawyer
  • wicketkeeper and batsman; captain of Sri Lanka
  • scored over 12,000 Test runs; later became MCC president

Answer Key

Handout 1

Handout 2

Handout 3, Exercise A

Handout 3, Exercise B

Common errors to watch for

  • At St. Anthony's College · 2. His 800 Test wickets · 3. She was the world's first female prime minister. · 4. Her daughter, Chandrika.
  • Yes; yes, the clause is extra information. · 2. No; it's essential (it tells us which team). · 3. 1, 2, 4 and 5 have commas; 3 doesn't because the clause is essential. · 4. Sentence 3; no. · 5. his (Muralitharan's)
  • My brother, who lives in Dubai, is an engineer. · 2. No commas. · 3. Galle, which is on the south coast, is famous for its fort. · 4. No commas. · 5. My grandmother, whose house is near the sea, makes the best fish curry.
  • who is a former captain, studied law. / who studied law, is a former captain. · 2. which was built in the 5th century, is visited by thousands of tourists. · 3. where my father grew up. · 4. whose mother is a famous actress, is a singer. · 5. which lasted three hours, was very difficult.
ErrorCorrection
Kandy, that is in the hills, is beautiful.Kandy, which is in the hills, is beautiful.
My mother who is a teacher works hard. (one mother)My mother, who is a teacher, works hard.
My friend, who's father is a doctor, ...My friend, whose father is a doctor, ...
Galle, which is on the coast is famous.Galle, which is on the coast, is famous.

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About this lesson plan

Written by RCF English to the RCF English international standard: levelled by the CEFR, original throughout, and suitable for classrooms in any country. Last reviewed 22 September 2026.

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