Relative Clauses with Who, That and Which
Build defining relative clauses with who, that, and which, including when an object pronoun may be omitted.
Learning Objective
Relative Clauses with Who, That and Which
Choose a suitable relative pronoun and decide whether it can be omitted in a defining clause.
Clear Explanation
A defining relative clause identifies the noun it modifies. Who commonly refers to people, which to things, and that can refer to either in many defining clauses.
Form and Structure
noun + who/that/which + clause
“The woman who called left no message.”
That is generally avoided in non-defining relative clauses after a comma. This lesson focuses on defining clauses; punctuation and meaning differ in non-defining clauses.
Meaning and Use
Subject pronoun
Keep the relative pronoun when it is the subject of its clause.
“I need a tool that opens this file.”
Object pronoun
The object pronoun may often be omitted in a defining clause.
“The film (that) we watched was moving.”
People and things
Who is the neutral choice for people; which is used for things; that is common in defining clauses.
“The colleague who helped me has left.”
Common Errors and Meaning Traps
The man which called is my uncle.
The man who called is my uncle.
Use who for a person in this context.
The book who I bought was expensive.
The book that I bought was expensive.
Use that or which for a thing.
The woman I met her was a doctor.
The woman I met was a doctor.
Do not repeat the object after omitting the relative pronoun.
Guided Practice
Use the grammar in context
“The book that you lent me was excellent.”
“This is the app which tracks my expenses.”
Combine three pairs of sentences into defining relative clauses, omitting the pronoun where possible.
Quick Recap
A defining relative clause identifies the noun it modifies. Who commonly refers to people, which to things, and that can refer to either in many defining clauses.
Keep the relative pronoun when it is the subject of its clause.
That is generally avoided in non-defining relative clauses after a comma. This lesson focuses on defining clauses; punctuation and meaning differ in non-defining clauses.
Use who for a person in this context.
Independent Mastery Check
Complete these four checks before taking the quiz. If one feels difficult, return to the matching section and try again.
Explain the core rule in your own words without looking back at the lesson.
Find the target form in “The woman who called left no message.” and explain what it communicates in this context.
Explain why “The man who called is my uncle.” is the recommended revision for “The man which called is my uncle.”.
Combine three pairs of sentences into defining relative clauses, omitting the pronoun where possible.
Continue at B1-B2 Level
Aim for at least 5 out of 6 in the quiz below. For every missed answer, read the explanation, return to the relevant section, and try the quiz again.
Which statement best explains Relative Clauses with Who, That and Which?
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