Relative clauses
who, which, that, where, whose.
The rules
- People take "who" (or "that"): "the woman who lives…".
- Things take "which" or "that": "the book which/that you lent me".
- Places where something happens take "where": "the café where we met".
- Possession uses "whose": "the author whose novel…". "Who's" = "who is".
- The pronoun can be dropped when it is the OBJECT: "the film (that) we watched". As subject, it must stay.
- Object relative pronoun omitted: "the pizza (that) I ordered".
- Non-defining clauses (with commas) never use "that", use "who/which".
Examples
- The woman who lives next door is a surgeon.
- The book which you lent me was brilliant.
- That's the café where we first met.
- She is the author whose novel won the prize.
- The film that we watched was long.
- The pizza I ordered was delicious.
- My brother, who lives in Madrid, is visiting.
Quick check
Pick an answer to see the rule behind it.
1.The woman _____ lives next door is a surgeon.
2.The book _____ you lent me was brilliant.
3.That's the café _____ we first met.
4.She is the author _____ novel won the prize.
5.In which sentence can "that" be left out?