Defining Relative Clauses
B1 IntermediateDefining relative clauses provide essential information about a person, thing, or place. Without this information, the sentence would be incomplete or the meaning would change.
Overview
A defining relative clause identifies exactly which person or thing is being discussed. These clauses follow the noun they describe and do not require commas. If the clause is removed, the identity of the noun becomes unclear.
Relative Pronouns
Noun + Relative Pronoun + Clause
The choice of relative pronoun depends on whether the noun is a person or an object, and whether it functions as the subject or object of the clause.
- Who or that: used for people.
- Which or that: used for things and animals.
- Where: used for places.
- Whose: used to show possession.
Subject vs. Object Pronouns
In informal English, that is frequently used instead of who or which. When the relative pronoun is the object of the clause, it is often dropped entirely in spoken English.
| Function | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | The pronoun is followed by a verb; it cannot be omitted. | The man who lives next door is a doctor. |
| Object | The pronoun is followed by a noun/pronoun; it can be omitted. | The book (that) I bought is very long. |
Examples
Common mistakes
The car which I bought it is blue.
The car which I bought is blue.
Do not repeat the object pronoun (it) if the relative pronoun (which) already represents the object.
The people which live here are friendly.
The people who live here are friendly.
Use 'who' or 'that' for people, not 'which'.
Practice
Complete the sentence: The laptop ______ I bought last week is already broken.
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that / which
Answer:that / which
Why:Both 'that' and 'which' are correct here because the noun is an object (laptop). The pronoun can also be omitted.
Is 'who' the subject or object in this sentence: 'The girl who won the race is my sister'?
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Subject
Answer:Subject
Why:The pronoun 'who' is the subject because it is followed immediately by the verb 'won'.
Correct the error: That is the boy whose his father is a famous actor.
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That is the boy whose father is a famous actor.
Answer:That is the boy whose father is a famous actor.
Why:'Whose' already indicates possession, so the possessive adjective 'his' is redundant and incorrect.