Relative pronouns - an introduction

who, which, that

Relative clauses tell us what person or thing someone is talking about, or give us more information about that person or thing.

We use "who", "which" and "that" as relative pronouns to:

• replace the subject or object
• introduce a relative clause
• connect separate clauses together in a single sentence.

Example

1. The man is an English teacher. He lives in London.
    
2. 

In the second example, "who" introduces the relative clause. The relative clause must have a subject so "who" replaces "He" because we cannot repeat "He" or "The man".

The relative clause tells the listener which man the speaker is talking about.

We use

• "who" for people
• "which" for things
• "that" for both people and things.

Example

1. What is a fork?
    
2. 

More examples

This is the woman. She works in my office.
This is the woman who / that works in my office.

A woman called. She wanted your email address.
The woman who / that called wanted your email address.

This is the book. I enjoyed it.
This is the book which / that I enjoyed.

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Practice

Complete the sentences with "who" or "which":

.

1)

That's the house    I want to buy.

 

2)

A doctor is a person    looks after sick people.

 

3)

The woman    got the job was very clever.

 

4)

The film    we enjoyed the most was three hours long.

 

5)

The actor    is standing next to him is very famous.

 

6)

An aeroplane is something    flies.

 

Please submit the missing answers shown in red
 

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Further practice

Complete the sentences with "who" or "which":
.

1)

That's the dog    bit him.

 

2)

This is the place    I saw in the book.

 

3)

Mary is the singer    was in the accident.

 

4)

The homework    I forgot to do was very important.

 

5)

The woman    is the new director is from the USA.

 

6)

My sister    lives in Australia is a nurse.

 

Please submit the missing answers shown in red
 

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Use the relative pronoun that to make the two sentences into one sentence.
.

1)

This is the pen. It is broken.
  

 

2)

Robert is the man. He stole my phone.
  

 

3)

This is the house. It's the most expensive one on the street.
  

 

4)

There's the restaurant. It isn't very good.
  

 

Please submit the missing answers shown in red
 

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Further study

See the intermediate worksheet for:

• Relative pronouns: where, whose, whom
• Defining and non-defining relative clauses
• Relative clauses without who, which, that