Relative Clauses
The Person Who / The Thing That
What Are Relative Clauses?
Relative clauses are parts of sentences that give us more information about a person, thing, or place. They help us describe nouns more precisely without having to write multiple short sentences.
Think of them as descriptive add-ons that make your writing more sophisticated and clear. Instead of saying “I met a person. The person speaks five languages,” we can say: “I met a person who speaks five languages.”
Key Relative Pronouns
WHO – for people
The teacher who taught me math retired last year.
She is someone who always helps others.
My friend who lives in Paris is visiting next week.
WHICH – for things and animals
The book which I borrowed was fascinating.
I need a computer which has lots of memory.
The cat which lives next door is very friendly.
THAT – for people, things, and animals (more informal)
The movie that we watched was amazing.
The person that called you left a message.
This is the house that I grew up in.
💡 Quick Tip
“That” is versatile and can often replace “who” or “which,” especially in everyday conversation. However, “who” is preferred for people in formal writing, and “which” is required in certain grammatical structures.
Defining vs. Non-Defining Relative Clauses
Defining Relative Clauses (Essential Information)
These clauses are essential to the meaning of the sentence. Without them, we wouldn’t know which person or thing we’re talking about. No commas are used.
The woman who lives next door is a doctor.
(Which woman? The one who lives next door.)
The keys that were on the table are missing.
(Which keys? The ones that were on the table.)
Non-Defining Relative Clauses (Extra Information)
These clauses add extra information that isn’t essential to identify the noun. Commas are used to separate them from the rest of the sentence. We cannot use “that” in non-defining clauses.
My sister, who lives in London, is coming to visit.
(I only have one sister, so the information is additional.)
The Eiffel Tower, which is in Paris, attracts millions of tourists.
(Everyone knows where the Eiffel Tower is; this is extra information.)
Common Patterns to Remember
For people: The person who/that + verb
Example: The person who called you is waiting.
For things: The thing which/that + verb
Example: The thing that surprised me most was the price.
For places: The place where + subject + verb
Example: The place where we met was a small café.
🎯 Remember
You can often omit the relative pronoun when it’s the object of the clause:
“The book (that) I read was great.” — Both versions are correct!
But you cannot omit it when it’s the subject: “The person who called is here.” — You must keep “who”!
Test Your Understanding
Complete this quiz to check your knowledge of relative clauses!
