Defining relative clauses
A defining relative clause tells us which person or thing we mean. It comes straight after the noun, has no commas, and starts with who, which, that, where or whose.
How it works
- Who (or that) for people; which (or that) for things.
- Where for places, whose for possession: the man whose car was stolen.
- No commas: the clause is needed to know which one.
- If the pronoun is the object of the clause, you can leave it out: The film (that) we saw was great.
- Do not repeat the noun with another pronoun: the book that I bought, not the book that I bought it.
Examples
The woman who interviewed me was very friendly.
This is the app that I use to learn Korean.
Do you know a café where we can work quietly?
I met a girl whose father works with my mum.
The laptop I bought last month already has a problem.
Common mistakes
Wrong: The book which I borrowed
itis very interesting.Right: The book which I borrowed is very interesting.
Wrong: The man
whichlives next door is a doctor.Right: The man who lives next door is a doctor.
Wrong: That's the house where I was
born in.Right: That's the house where I was born.
Practice
1 of 13Fill the gap.
Level: EGP Clauses (relative): defining clauses with who, which and that start at A2; where, whose and leaving out an object pronoun are B1 points. Written for Gloss.