English exercises / B1 / Sentence structurewho, which, that, whose, and when you can drop the pronoun.
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Which vs that
That introduces a clause that identifies which one you mean, and takes no commas: the report that we discussed. Which introduces extra information, and takes commas: the report, which ran to sixty pages. The commas carry the meaning; the pronoun follows them.
Read the full explanationWho vs whom vs whose
Answer the question with he or him. If he fits, use who; if him fits, use whom. Whose marks possession, whose coat is this? In modern English whom survives mainly after a preposition; elsewhere who is normal and whom can sound stiff.
Read the full explanationEnglish relative clauses
A relative clause adds information about a noun. Defining clauses say which one you mean and take no commas; non-defining clauses add extra detail and sit inside commas. Who is for people, which for things, that for either in defining clauses only, and whose for possession.
Read the full explanationRelative clauses: worked examples
Five from the set, with the answer filled in and the rule that decides it.
- 01
The woman who lives next door is a nurse.
Here the pronoun is the subject of 'lives', so it cannot be left out.
- 02
My sister, who lives in Manchester, is coming to stay.
'that' is never used in a clause between commas.
- 03
The film (none) we watched last night was really disappointing.
The pronoun is the object of 'watched', so no word is needed at all.
- 04
The bus which goes to the airport leaves from stand 3.
'which' for things, and as the subject of 'goes' it cannot be dropped.
- 05
That's the student whose project won first prize.
'whose' shows possession: the project belongs to the student.