Defining relative clauses
Who, which, that, where and whose to say which person or thing we mean: the woman who lives next door.
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A defining relative clause comes straight after a noun and tells us which person, thing or place we mean. Without it, we don't know which one you mean: The woman who lives next door is a doctor. It starts with who, which, that, where or whose.
Who, which and that
Word | For | Example |
|---|---|---|
who | people | the man who fixed my car |
which | things and animals | the phone which I bought last week |
that | people or things | the man that fixed my car, the phone that I bought |
That is very common in speech for both. Who is the usual choice for people in writing.
- I've got a friend who speaks five languages.
- Is this the bus that goes to the airport?
- Incorrect: The man which called you is from the bank.
- Correct: The man who called you is from the bank.For people, use who or that, not which.
Where and whose
Where is for places: it means "in which" or "at which". Whose shows that something belongs to someone: it replaces his, her, its or their.
- That's the hotel where we stayed last year.
- I know a café where you can work quietly.
- She's the colleague whose car was stolen.
- Incorrect: This is the restaurant where we had dinner in.
- Correct: This is the restaurant where we had dinner.Where already means "in which", so don't add in.
One subject or object, not two
The relative word takes the place of a noun or pronoun in the clause. Don't repeat that noun with it, him, her or them.
- Incorrect: The book that I read it on holiday was brilliant.
- Correct: The book that I read on holiday was brilliant.That already stands for the book, so there is no it.
- Incorrect: The people who I met them in Rome were very kind.
- Correct: The people who I met in Rome were very kind.
Leaving out who, which and that
When who, which or that is the object of the clause (another subject follows it), you can leave it out. This is very common in speech.
- The film (that) we saw last night was too long.
- Is this the key (which) you were looking for?
- The woman (who) I spoke to was very helpful.
When it is the subject (a verb follows it), you can't leave it out.
- Incorrect: The woman lives next door is a doctor.
- Correct: The woman who lives next door is a doctor.Who is the subject of lives, so it must stay.
Prepositions at the end
In everyday English, a preposition that belongs to the verb goes at the end of the clause.
- That's the flat (that) I grew up in.
- Who's the man (who) you were talking to?
- This is the project (which) I'm working on.
In formal writing the preposition can go first, with which or whom: the flat in which I grew up. Don't use that after a preposition.
Not what
What means "the thing that". It is not used after a noun.
- Incorrect: The jacket what I bought is too small.
- Correct: The jacket that I bought is too small.After a noun, use that or which, not what.
- What I need is a holiday.
(What = the thing that. There is no noun before it.)
No commas
A defining clause is part of the noun phrase, so it has no commas.
- The students who passed the exam got a certificate.
(Only those students, not all of them.)
Clauses with commas, which add extra information about something already clear (My brother, who lives in Oslo, is visiting), are a different structure, taught at B2.
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