定语从句有限制性和非限制性两种.限制性定语从句是先行词不可缺少的部分,去掉它主句意思往往不明确；非限制性定语从句是先行词的附加说明,去掉了也不会影响主句的意思,它与主句之间通常用逗号分开,例如：
This is the house which we bought last month.这是我们上个月买的那幢房子.（限制性）
The house,which we bought last month,is very nice.这幢房子很漂亮,是我们上个月买的.（非限制性）
2) 当先行词是专有名词或物主代词和指示代词所修饰时,其后的定语从句通常是非限制性的,例如：
Charles Smith,who was my former teacher,retired last year.查理·史密斯去年退休了,他曾经是我的老师.
My house,which I bought last year,has got a lovely garden.我去年买的的那幢房子带着个漂亮的花园.
This novel,which I have read three times,is very touching.这本小说很动人,我已经读了三遍.
3) 非限制性定语从句还能将整个主句作为先行词,对其进行修饰,这时从句谓语动词要用第三人称单数,例如：
He seems not to have grasped what I meant,which greatly upsets me.他似乎没抓住我的意思,这使我心烦.
Liquid water changes to vapor,which is called evaporation.液态水变为蒸汽,这就叫做蒸发.
说明：关系代词that和关系副词why不能引导非限制性定语从句.