B1–B2 grammar lesson

Relative Clauses

Relative clauses join ideas without repetition. The key question is whether the information identifies the noun or simply adds an extra detail.

About 20 minutes · Guided practice · 10-question mastery test

Created by , British English teacher.

Try the activities, then check your answers.

Try the activities, then check your answers.

Decide whether the clause identifies someone or adds extra information. Then check whether the relative word is a subject, object or place expression.

By the end of this lesson, you can…

UnderstandChoose who, which, that, whose and where.
ChooseDistinguish defining from non-defining information.
UseUse commas and omit object pronouns where appropriate.

The essential rules

Defining clauses

Essential information identifies which person or thing we mean. Do not use commas. That may replace who/which.

The student who emailed me needs help.

Non-defining clauses

Extra information does not identify the noun. Put it between commas. Do not use that.

Lina, who lives in Bogotá, teaches online.

Omitting the pronoun

In a defining clause, omit the relative pronoun only when it is the object: not when it is the subject.

The book (that) I ordered arrived. · The book that won is excellent.

Find who performs the verb before omitting a relative pronoun

The book is the objectI ordered the book.

The book (that) I ordered arrived. I still supplies the subject of ordered.

The book is the subjectThe book won.

The book that won is excellent. That supplies the subject of won, so keep it.

These are defining clauses. The option to omit an object relative pronoun does not extend to deleting a subject pronoun or to non-defining clauses.

Which person do you mean?

Alex
Works at the library
Speaks Italian

Bea
Works at the café
Speaks Italian

Chen
Works at the café
Speaks Korean

The person who works at the library identifies Alex. Alex, who speaks Italian, works at the library adds information about someone already identified.

The café where I work: a place relationship. The café that I visit: visit needs an object. In “the person who called”, who is the subject and cannot simply be omitted.

The adult woman with the approved Chinese female reference face has just received a previously ordered book in a simple parcel at a refined home doorway. Show the book as the delivered object; she is the person who ordered it. Covers and parcel labels have no readable text.
The book (that) I ordered arrived.That is the object of ordered and can be omitted in this defining clause.

See the pattern

ReferencePronounExample
Peoplewho / thatThe colleague who called…
Thingswhich / thatThe app which crashed…
PossessionwhoseThe writer whose book won…
PlacewhereThe café where we met…
Teacher tip: Remove the relative clause mentally. If the listener can still identify the noun, the clause is probably extra and needs commas.

Three mistakes to avoid

✕ My laptop, that is new, is slow.
✓ My laptop, which is new, is slow.
Do not use that in a non-defining clause.
✕ The woman which called…
✓ The woman who called…
Use who for people.
✕ The man lives next door is a doctor.
✓ The man who lives next door is a doctor.
A subject relative pronoun cannot be omitted.

Guided practice

Try each item before opening the answer.

1. Join: I met a designer. She works for a game studio.

I met a designer who works for a game studio.

2. Add punctuation: My uncle who lives in Lima is visiting. (I have one uncle.)

My uncle, who lives in Lima, is visiting. The detail is extra.

3. Can we omit the pronoun? “The film that we watched was moving.”

Yes: The film we watched… “That” is the object of watched.

4. Complete: That is the office ___ I had my first interview.

where: it refers to a place.

The same adult woman admires a book displayed beside an understated literary prize in a calm bookshop. The book, rather than the woman, is the prize-winning object. Use a generic original cover without a title and a modest unlettered award, with natural hands and quiet interest.
The book that won is excellent.That is the subject of won and must be retained.

Final check

Check your understanding

Choose one answer for each question. Read the context carefully: a question may ask for a particular form, meaning or register. The explanations show why that answer fits.

0 of 10 questions answered

1. The woman ___ teaches us is from Canada.
2. This is the camera ___ I bought online.
3. Mr Patel, ___ daughter is an architect, is retiring.
4. Which sentence is correctly punctuated?
5. The restaurant ___ we celebrated has closed.
6. In which sentence can the pronoun be omitted?
7. My phone, ___ is five years old, still works well.
8. The employee ___ desk is by the window can help.
9. Choose the defining clause.
10. Which is correct?