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the pronoun",null,{"type":50,"value":51,"toc":609},"minimark",[52,73,78,81,139,142,146,152,162,167,178,188,193,208,219,243,247,254,269,276,287,304,322,326,433,437,440,555,559,562,596],[53,54,55,56,60,61,64,65,68,69,72],"p",{},"A relative clause adds information about a noun. Instead of writing two short\nsentences, ",[57,58,59],"em",{},"I know a woman. She teaches French.",", you fold one into the other:\n",[57,62,63],{},"I know a woman who teaches French."," The clause ",[57,66,67],{},"who teaches French"," tells you\nsomething about the woman, and the word ",[57,70,71],{},"who"," stitches the two halves together.\nThat is the whole job. The grammar that trips learners up is not the idea; it is\nchoosing the right linking word, knowing when to add commas, and knowing when\nyou can leave the linking word out altogether. This guide sorts that out.",[74,75,77],"h2",{"id":76},"the-relative-pronouns","The relative pronouns",[53,79,80],{},"A relative clause usually starts with a relative pronoun. There are six common\nones, and each has a clear job.",[82,83,84,94,103,112,121,130],"ul",{},[85,86,87,90,91],"li",{},[88,89,71],"strong",{}," points to people. ",[57,92,93],{},"The doctor who saw me was kind.",[85,95,96,99,100],{},[88,97,98],{},"which"," points to things and animals. ",[57,101,102],{},"The train which leaves at nine is\nfast.",[85,104,105,108,109],{},[88,106,107],{},"that"," points to people or things, but it is more informal and only works in\ndefining clauses (more on that below). ",[57,110,111],{},"The man that called. The bus that was\nlate.",[85,113,114,117,118],{},[88,115,116],{},"whose"," shows possession, for people and things alike. ",[57,119,120],{},"The student whose\nphone rang. The house whose door is blue.",[85,122,123,126,127],{},[88,124,125],{},"where"," points to places. ",[57,128,129],{},"The city where I was born.",[85,131,132,135,136],{},[88,133,134],{},"when"," points to times. ",[57,137,138],{},"The day when we met.",[53,140,141],{},"Get the pronoun right and most of the sentence falls into place. The next\ndecision is the big one.",[74,143,145],{"id":144},"defining-vs-non-defining-clauses","Defining vs non-defining clauses",[53,147,148,149,151],{},"This is the key distinction in the whole topic, and it turns on one question:\ndoes the clause tell you ",[57,150,98],{}," one, or does it just add extra detail?",[53,153,154,157,158,161],{},[88,155,156],{},"A defining clause identifies the noun."," It answers \"which one?\" and you cannot\ndelete it without losing the point of the sentence. It takes ",[88,159,160],{},"no commas",".",[53,163,164],{},[57,165,166],{},"The man who fixed my car is here.",[53,168,169,170,173,174,177],{},"Remove ",[57,171,172],{},"who fixed my car"," and you are left with ",[57,175,176],{},"the man is here",", which man? The\nclause is doing essential work, so no commas.",[53,179,180,183,184,187],{},[88,181,182],{},"A non-defining clause adds extra information."," The noun is already clear, and\nthe clause simply tells you more. You could drop it and the sentence would still\nmake sense. It takes ",[88,185,186],{},"commas"," on both sides.",[53,189,190],{},[57,191,192],{},"My brother, who lives in Leeds, is a nurse.",[53,194,195,196,199,200,203,204,207],{},"You already know which person ",[57,197,198],{},"my brother"," is. ",[57,201,202],{},"Who lives in Leeds"," is a bonus\nfact. Delete it and ",[57,205,206],{},"my brother is a nurse"," stands on its own. The commas signal\nthat the information is optional.",[53,209,210,211,214,215,218],{},"The commas genuinely change the meaning. ",[57,212,213],{},"The passengers who were injured went to\nhospital"," (defining, no commas) means only the injured ones went. ",[57,216,217],{},"The\npassengers, who were injured, went to hospital"," (non-defining, commas) means they\nwere all injured and they all went. Same words, different message.",[53,220,221,222,225,226,229,230,233,234,236,237,239,240,161],{},"One firm rule: ",[88,223,224],{},"that cannot start a non-defining clause."," You can say ",[57,227,228],{},"the bus\nthat was late"," (defining), but not ",[57,231,232],{},"my car, that is red, broke down",". Use ",[57,235,98],{},"\nor ",[57,238,71],{}," after a comma: ",[57,241,242],{},"my car, which is red, broke down",[74,244,246],{"id":245},"when-you-can-drop-the-relative-pronoun","When you can drop the relative pronoun",[53,248,249,250,253],{},"Here is a small rule that makes your English sound much more natural. In a\ndefining clause, you can leave out the relative pronoun when it is the ",[88,251,252],{},"object","\nof the clause, that is, when another subject comes straight after it.",[53,255,256,259,260,263,259,266],{},[57,257,258],{},"The book that I read was good."," becomes ",[57,261,262],{},"The book I read was good.",[57,264,265],{},"The woman who I met was friendly.",[57,267,268],{},"The woman I met was friendly.",[53,270,271,272,275],{},"In each case a new subject (",[57,273,274],{},"I",") follows the noun, so the pronoun is optional. If\nyou can slot the pronoun back in and a subject follows it, you were allowed to\ndrop it.",[53,277,278,279,282,283,286],{},"You ",[88,280,281],{},"cannot"," drop the pronoun when it is the ",[88,284,285],{},"subject"," of the clause, because\nthen nothing is left to do the action.",[53,288,289,292,293,296,297,299,300,303],{},[57,290,291],{},"The man who called is my boss."," You cannot say ",[57,294,295],{},"the man called is my boss",",\nthat would mean something else. Here ",[57,298,71],{}," is the subject of ",[57,301,302],{},"called",", so it has\nto stay.",[53,305,306,307,310,311,314,315,310,318,321],{},"A quick test: look at the word right after the relative pronoun. If it is a verb\n(",[57,308,309],{},"who called",", ",[57,312,313],{},"which broke","), the pronoun is the subject and must stay. If it is\na new subject (",[57,316,317],{},"that I read",[57,319,320],{},"who she met","), the pronoun is the object and you\ncan drop it. Non-defining clauses never allow the drop, comma clauses always keep\ntheir pronoun.",[74,323,325],{"id":324},"summary-table","Summary table",[327,328,329,345],"table",{},[330,331,332],"thead",{},[333,334,335,339,342],"tr",{},[336,337,338],"th",{},"Pronoun",[336,340,341],{},"Used for",[336,343,344],{},"Example",[346,347,348,363,377,391,405,419],"tbody",{},[333,349,350,355,358],{},[351,352,353],"td",{},[57,354,71],{},[351,356,357],{},"people",[351,359,360],{},[57,361,362],{},"The nurse who helped me was calm.",[333,364,365,369,372],{},[351,366,367],{},[57,368,98],{},[351,370,371],{},"things and animals",[351,373,374],{},[57,375,376],{},"The phone which broke was new.",[333,378,379,383,386],{},[351,380,381],{},[57,382,107],{},[351,384,385],{},"people or things",[351,387,388],{},[57,389,390],{},"The keys that I lost were in my bag.",[333,392,393,397,400],{},[351,394,395],{},[57,396,116],{},[351,398,399],{},"possession",[351,401,402],{},[57,403,404],{},"The boy whose bike was stolen cried.",[333,406,407,411,414],{},[351,408,409],{},[57,410,125],{},[351,412,413],{},"places",[351,415,416],{},[57,417,418],{},"The office where I work is in town.",[333,420,421,425,428],{},[351,422,423],{},[57,424,134],{},[351,426,427],{},"times",[351,429,430],{},[57,431,432],{},"The summer when we met was hot.",[74,434,436],{"id":435},"common-mistakes","Common mistakes",[53,438,439],{},"Ranked by how often learners actually make them.",[441,442,443,457,482,509,532],"ol",{},[85,444,445,448,449,452,453,456],{},[88,446,447],{},"Comma errors."," Putting commas around a defining clause changes the meaning\nor just reads as wrong. ",[57,450,451],{},"The people, who arrived late, missed the start"," says\neveryone was late; if you mean only the latecomers missed it, drop the commas:\n",[57,454,455],{},"the people who arrived late missed the start",". When in doubt, ask whether the\nclause is essential.",[85,458,459,462,463,466,467,470,471,474,475,478,479,481],{},[88,460,461],{},"Using what instead of that."," ",[57,464,465],{},"What"," is not a relative pronoun here. ",[57,468,469],{},"The\ncar what I bought"," should be ",[57,472,473],{},"the car that I bought"," (or simply ",[57,476,477],{},"the car I\nbought","). ",[57,480,465],{}," means \"the thing which\" and cannot follow a noun.",[85,483,484,487,488,491,492,494,495,498,499,502,503,470,506,161],{},[88,485,486],{},"Double subject."," Learners often repeat the subject after the pronoun: ",[57,489,490],{},"the\nman who he lives next door",". The pronoun ",[57,493,71],{}," is already the subject, so the\nextra ",[57,496,497],{},"he"," has to go: ",[57,500,501],{},"the man who lives next door",". The same slip appears\nwith objects: ",[57,504,505],{},"the film that I saw it",[57,507,508],{},"the film that I saw",[85,510,511,462,514,517,518,521,522,524,525,527,528,531],{},[88,512,513],{},"which for people, who for things.",[57,515,516],{},"The teacher which teaches maths"," should\nbe ",[57,519,520],{},"the teacher who teaches maths",". People take ",[57,523,71],{},", things take ",[57,526,98],{},".\n",[57,529,530],{},"That"," covers both if you want a single word.",[85,533,534,462,537,540,541,544,545,547,548,551,552,161],{},[88,535,536],{},"whose vs who's.",[57,538,539],{},"Who's"," is short for ",[57,542,543],{},"who is",". The possessive is ",[57,546,116],{},",\nno apostrophe: ",[57,549,550],{},"the woman whose bag was stolen",", not ",[57,553,554],{},"the woman who's bag was\nstolen",[74,556,558],{"id":557},"practice","Practice",[53,560,561],{},"Choose the best word to complete each sentence. Answers are below.",[441,563,564,572,578,584,590],{},[85,565,566,567,571],{},"That is the woman ",[568,569,570],"code",{},"___"," teaches my daughter.",[85,573,574,575,577],{},"The restaurant ",[568,576,570],{}," we ate last night was cheap.",[85,579,580,581,583],{},"My neighbour, ",[568,582,570],{}," is a doctor, works long hours.",[85,585,586,587,589],{},"The student ",[568,588,570],{}," phone rang looked embarrassed.",[85,591,592,593,595],{},"The keys ",[568,594,570],{}," I lost were under the sofa.",[53,597,598,601,602,604,605,608],{},[88,599,600],{},"Answers:"," 1. who (people, subject of the clause) 2. where (a place) 3. who\n(non-defining clause about a person, never ",[57,603,107],{}," after a comma) 4. whose\n(possession) 5. that, or leave it out (",[57,606,607],{},"the keys I lost","): it is the object of a\ndefining clause.",{"title":610,"searchDepth":611,"depth":611,"links":612},"",2,[613,614,615,616,617,618],{"id":76,"depth":611,"text":77},{"id":144,"depth":611,"text":145},{"id":245,"depth":611,"text":246},{"id":324,"depth":611,"text":325},{"id":435,"depth":611,"text":436},{"id":557,"depth":611,"text":558},"B1-B2","How relative clauses work in English. Who, which, that, whose, where and when, the defining vs non-defining split, the commas that change the meaning, and when you can leave the pronoun out.","md",[623,626,629,632],{"q":624,"a":625},"When should I use who and when should I use that?","Use who for people and which for things. That works for both people and things, but only in defining clauses and it sounds more informal. So the woman who called and the woman that called are both fine, while the book which I read and the book that I read are both fine. In a non-defining clause with commas, you must use who or which, never that.",{"q":627,"a":628},"How do I know when to put commas around a relative clause?","Ask whether the clause is essential. If it tells you which person or thing you mean, it is defining and takes no commas: the man who fixed my car is here. If it only adds extra detail you could delete without confusion, it is non-defining and needs commas: my brother, who lives in Leeds, is a nurse. Commas mean the information is optional.",{"q":630,"a":631},"When can I leave out who, which or that?","You can drop the pronoun when it is the object of a defining clause, that is, when another subject follows it. The book (that) I read and the woman (who) I met are both natural without the pronoun. You cannot drop it when it is the subject, so the man who called cannot become the man called.",{"q":633,"a":634},"What does whose mean and how is it used?","Whose shows possession, the relative version of his, her or their. It links a noun to the person or thing that owns it: the student whose phone rang, the house whose roof is red. Do not confuse it with who's, which is short for who is. Whose has no apostrophe and always sits in front of a noun.","english",{},"\u002Fenglish\u002Fgrammar\u002Frelative-clauses",{"title":47,"description":620},"english\u002Fgrammar\u002Frelative-clauses","OrgMZPrbXDN65QaRxX2arEX5lGv4aEzchC1MmOfi6YU"]