Identify the person or thing you mean
A relative clause adds information to a noun phrase. The neighbor who fixed my bike is here uses the clause to identify a neighbor. The main statement is that the neighbor is here; the smaller clause tells you which neighbor.
A defining relative clause limits the meaning of the noun: it says which one you mean. It normally has no commas around it. Without it, the sentence may still be grammatically complete, but the listener may no longer know which person you mean. So the problem is missing information; removing the clause does not always make the sentence ungrammatical.
A defining clause can modify a noun that is the main sentence’s object as well as its subject. I thanked the neighbor who fixed my bike still identifies the neighbor, but I is now the main subject. The position of the noun in the larger sentence does not determine its role inside the relative clause.
Choose the pronoun for a person or a thing
Who commonly refers to people; which refers to things and animals; that can introduce defining clauses for people or things. The bag that contains the tools is heavy identifies a particular bag. Which is also possible in a defining clause, though editors’ preferences differ.
That for a person and which in a defining clause are not wrong. A beginner can use who for people and that for things, and learn the alternatives later. What cannot replace a relative pronoun after a noun in standard English: use the book that I need.
Who can refer to an animal in personal contexts, particularly a pet treated as an individual. This does not make the basic guide for people and things useless, but it does limit it. This lesson’s examples use only clear people and clear objects, so a beginner can practice without borderline cases.
Give the relative pronoun its own role in the clause
In the person who called, who is the subject of called. Do not add another she or he. The verb agrees with what the relative pronoun refers to: a person who works here but people who work here.
In the person who I called, I is the subject and who stands for the person called. Formal whom is possible as an object, but in conversation who is widely used. Identify who performs the action instead of choosing a pronoun only by looking at the noun before it.
Compare the teacher who called me and the teacher who I called. In the first, the teacher did the calling; in the second, the speaker did. Both use who, so the pronoun alone cannot show the meaning. Find the subject of called and the person receiving the call before you interpret the whole noun phrase.
Leave out the pronoun only when it is an object
In a defining clause, you can leave out a relative pronoun that is the object: The email I sent was short. I is still the subject of sent, and the missing object refers back to the email. You can also include that: The email that I sent was short.
A relative pronoun that is the subject cannot normally be left out this way. The email that arrived was short needs that, because it is the subject of arrived. Do not repeat the object either: the email that I sent it gives the object twice.
If a preposition stays at the end, you can still leave out an object relative pronoun in a defining clause: the person I spoke to. In a more formal form such as the person to whom I spoke, whom stays after the preposition, which has moved to the front. Do not leave out the pronoun when the preposition has moved to the front.
Build the message
Combine: You sent an email. The email was helpful.
- Choose email as the noun to identify.
- Inside the relative clause, you is the subject, and the email is the object of sent.
- Use that you sent and retain the main verb was.
The email that you sent was helpful.
Use whose for possession and where for location
The student whose laptop broke connects the laptop to the student. Whose comes before the possessed noun and does not mean who is. Compare the student who is waiting, in which who is introduces a state or activity.
Where adds a location: the cafe where we met means the cafe at which we met. A place noun does not always need where. The cafe that opened yesterday needs a subject relative pronoun, because the cafe itself did the opening. Choose by the role in the clause, not only by the kind of noun.
Whose can also refer to things, especially in more formal writing: a building whose roof needs repair. It links the roof to the building. You do not need a different word when the owner is not a person. As a beginner, you may also find a shorter phrase useful, such as a building with a damaged roof.
Complete the reasoning
Identify a neighbor by the bicycle they own.
- Possession connects the neighbor to the bicycle.
- Use whose directly before bike.
- Add a complete main statement after the defining clause.
Compare your reasoning
The neighbor whose bike is red lives upstairs.
Use commas for supplementary information
Noor, who lives upstairs, has found my keys treats Noor as already identified and adds a comment. Both commas enclose the inserted clause. A supplementary clause uses a relative pronoun such as who or which. Do not replace it with that, and do not leave it out.
Compare The students who arrived early found seats with The students, who arrived early, found seats. The first selects early arrivals from a wider group. The second presents the group as early arrivals and adds that information. Commas change how information is packaged, not just where you take a breath.
Extra information may still be important to the real conversation. Calling a clause supplementary means that it is not being used to identify which person or thing the speaker means. It does not mean the content is unimportant, disposable in every context, or less true than the content in a defining relative clause.
Build the main sentence and then attach one clause
Start with a complete message, choose the noun needing clarification, then attach a short clause immediately after it. Keep the main verb visible: The book that you recommended is useful. A long noun phrase is still only part of the main sentence.
In the practice questions, decide the role of the relative pronoun, whether the clause is defining, and whether a second pronoun repeats it. Then say your own sentence aloud. Use a different verb in a second attempt, because simply replacing book with film will not test whether you understand subject and object roles.
A relative clause should attach to the noun it explains. If two people or objects appear close together, placing the clause after the wrong one may create a different message. When a sentence becomes difficult to follow, use two shorter sentences rather than putting several relative clauses inside one another in a description that the listener cannot follow.
See it in a sentence
The neighbor who fixed my bike is here.
The repair identifies which neighbor is meant.
Identify the person or thing you mean.
The bag that contains the tools is heavy.
The contents identify the bag.
Choose the pronoun for a person or a thing.
I know people who work here.
People are the ones doing the work.
Give the relative pronoun its own role in the clause.
The email I sent was short.
The omitted relative pronoun would be the object of sent.
Leave out the pronoun only when it is an object.
The student whose laptop broke borrowed mine.
The broken laptop belongs to that student.
Use whose for possession and where for location.
Noor, who lives upstairs, has found my keys.
The clause adds information about an identified person.
Use commas for supplementary information.
The book that you recommended is useful.
The recommendation identifies the book; is useful is the main statement.
Build the main sentence and then attach one clause.
This is the book that I need.
That refers to book and is the object of need.
Say which book you need.
The person who works here can help.
Who is already the subject.
Say that a staff member can help.
She is the person who I called.
I is the subject inside the relative clause.
Say that you called her, not the other way around.
The email that I sent was short.
The relative pronoun that is already the object of sent.
Say that your email was short.
The email that arrived was short.
That acts as the subject.
Say that the latest email was short.
Notice the difference
Common mistakes
Choose the pronoun for a person or a thing
Instead ofThis is the book what I need.
For this meaningThis is the book that I need.
In standard English, what does not replace that after a noun such as book. That refers to book and is the object of need.
Give the relative pronoun its own role in the clause
Instead ofThe email that I sent it was short.
For this meaningThe email that I sent was short.
It repeats the object: that is already the object of sent.
Use whose for possession and where for location
Instead ofThis is the cafe where opened yesterday.
For this meaningThis is the cafe that opened yesterday.
Where cannot be the subject of opened. The cafe itself did the opening, so use the subject relative pronoun that.
From understanding to using
Make your own example.
Try these without answer choices. Say your answer aloud or write it below, then compare your reasoning with the model.
Your turn 1
Describe a person by something they do and an object by something you did with it.
Compare with a model
The person who teaches my class is kind. The book that I bought is useful.
In the first relative clause, the pronoun is the subject; in the second, it is the object.
Who is the subject of teaches. In the second relative clause, I is the subject of bought, and that, meaning the book, is the object.
- Do not repeat the subject after who.
- Do not add it after bought.
- Keep a main verb in each full sentence.
Your turn 2
Write one defining description of a cafe and one extra fact about a named friend.
Compare with a model
The cafe where we met is closed. Noor, who works nearby, knows another cafe.
A location identifies the cafe, and a supplementary clause adds a fact about Noor.
Where connects the meeting to the place. Who refers to a person already named, and commas enclose its clause.
- Use where for the meeting location.
- Use commas around the extra information.
- Retain complete main statements.
Put it into practice
Make the next choice.
Choose a response and learn why it works. Your score reflects your first answer to each question. You can revisit anything you miss.
Choose an answer, then open the explanation to check your reasoning.
Question 1
Identify the neighbor who performed the repair.
- The neighbor who fixed my bike is here.
- The neighbor who I fixed is my bike.
Check the answer
Answer: The neighbor who fixed my bike is here.
The neighbor who fixed my bike is here.: Who is the subject of fixed and refers to the neighbor.
The neighbor who I fixed is my bike.: This makes the neighbor the thing repaired and changes the message.
Question 2
Say which book you need.
- This is the book what I need.
- This is the book that I need.
Check the answer
Answer: This is the book that I need.
This is the book what I need.: In standard English, what does not replace that after a noun such as book.
This is the book that I need.: That refers to book and is the object of need.
Question 3
Say that a staff member can help.
- The person who works here can help.
- The person who she works here can help.
Check the answer
Answer: The person who works here can help.
The person who works here can help.: Who is already the subject.
The person who she works here can help.: She repeats the subject: who is already the subject of works.
Question 4
Say that you know some of the staff here.
- I know people who works here.
- I know people who work here.
Check the answer
Answer: I know people who work here.
I know people who works here.: Works is singular, but who refers to the plural people.
I know people who work here.: Who refers to the plural people, so the verb is work.
Question 5
Say that you called her, not the other way around.
- She is the person who I called.
- She is the person who called me.
Check the answer
Answer: She is the person who I called.
She is the person who I called.: I is the subject inside the relative clause.
She is the person who called me.: This says she made the call.
Question 6
Say that your email was short.
- The email that I sent it was short.
- The email that I sent was short.
Check the answer
Answer: The email that I sent was short.
The email that I sent it was short.: It repeats the object: that is already the object of sent.
The email that I sent was short.: The relative pronoun that is already the object of sent.
Question 7
Say that your email was short, without using a relative pronoun.
- The email I sent was short.
- The email arrived was short.
Check the answer
Answer: The email I sent was short.
The email I sent was short.: I is the subject of the relative clause, and the missing object is understood.
The email arrived was short.: Arrived needs a subject, so the relative pronoun cannot be left out: the email that arrived.
Question 8
Say that the latest email was short.
- The email that it arrived was short.
- The email that arrived was short.
Check the answer
Answer: The email that arrived was short.
The email that it arrived was short.: It repeats the subject: that is already the subject of arrived.
The email that arrived was short.: That acts as the subject.
Question 9
Say that the student with the broken laptop borrowed yours.
- The student whose laptop broke borrowed mine.
- The student who is laptop broke borrowed mine.
Check the answer
Answer: The student whose laptop broke borrowed mine.
The student whose laptop broke borrowed mine.: Whose comes before the possessed noun laptop.
The student who is laptop broke borrowed mine.: Who is cannot express that possession here.
Question 10
Describe the cafe as the place of your meeting.
- This is the cafe where opened yesterday.
- This is the cafe where we met.
Check the answer
Answer: This is the cafe where we met.
This is the cafe where opened yesterday.: Where cannot be the subject of opened.
This is the cafe where we met.: Where gives the location of the meeting in we met.
Question 11
Say that Noor has found your keys, and add where she lives: upstairs.
- Noor, who lives upstairs, has found my keys.
- Noor, that lives upstairs, has found my keys.
Check the answer
Answer: Noor, who lives upstairs, has found my keys.
Noor, who lives upstairs, has found my keys.: Who introduces the supplementary clause about a person.
Noor, that lives upstairs, has found my keys.: That is not used in a supplementary clause.
Question 12
Say that your bike is outside, and add that you repaired it.
- My bike, I repaired, is outside.
- My bike, which I repaired, is outside.
Check the answer
Answer: My bike, which I repaired, is outside.
My bike, I repaired, is outside.: A supplementary clause cannot leave out its relative pronoun, even when the pronoun is the object.
My bike, which I repaired, is outside.: Which is necessary in a supplementary clause.
Question 13
Tell the listener that the book they suggested helps you.
- The book that you recommended is useful.
- The book that you recommended useful.
Check the answer
Answer: The book that you recommended is useful.
The book that you recommended is useful.: Is gives the main clause its verb.
The book that you recommended useful.: The main statement has no verb: it needs is.
Question 14
Say that only the early arrivals among the students found seats.
- The students, who all arrived early, found seats.
- The students who arrived early found seats.
Check the answer
Answer: The students who arrived early found seats.
The students, who all arrived early, found seats.: This sentence says all the students arrived early.
The students who arrived early found seats.: The defining clause selects the subgroup.
Keep the conversation going
What to practice next
Use one new example in a sentence of your own. Then revisit the challenge without looking at the explanation.
By Loquus ·
Sources
- British Council LearnEnglish: Relative pronouns and relative clauses
- British Council LearnEnglish: Relative clauses: defining relative clauses
- Purdue OWL: Introduction and General Usage in Defining Clauses
- Cambridge English Grammar Today: Relative pronouns
- British Council LearnEnglish: Personal pronouns
- British Council LearnEnglish: Present simple
- British Council LearnEnglish: Past simple
- British Council LearnEnglish: Questions and negatives
- British Council LearnEnglish: Irregular verbs
- British Council LearnEnglish: Present perfect
Learning research behind the practice
Worked examples, retrieval practice, and later review inform the activities. These studies do not establish the effectiveness of this specific lesson.