Relative Pronouns
B1 · IntermediatePronounsWho, which, that, and whose let you attach extra information to a noun without starting a new sentence — but only some of them can ever be left out.
What you'll learn
- How who, which, and that connect a clause to a noun to add more information about it
- How whose shows that something belongs to, or is connected to, the noun just mentioned
- The single most important rule here: when a relative pronoun can be dropped — and when dropping it is a mistake
- How to fix the most common relative-pronoun error: dropping a pronoun that's actually the subject of its own clause
The core idea
A relative clause is a mini-sentence glued onto a noun to say more about it, without starting a brand-new sentence. Instead of "I have a coworker. She trained me," you can combine them: "I have a coworker who trained me."
Who, which, that, and whose are the connector words that make this glue possible. Each one points back to the noun just before it and tells you: here comes extra information about that exact person or thing.
Quick note: who, which, and whose can also start a question — "Who called?" "Which one?" That's a different job, covered in the Interrogative Pronouns lesson. Here, they're not asking anything — they're connecting a clause to a noun.
Who, which, and that — picking the right connector
Use who when the noun is a person: the assistant who answers the phones, the customer who left a review.
Use which when the noun is a thing or an animal: the invoice which needs a signature, the cat which won't stop meowing.
Use that for either a person or a thing — it's the flexible, all-purpose connector, and it's extremely common in everyday speech and writing: the form that needs your signature, the driver that dropped off the package.
Whose — showing what belongs to what
Whose points back to a noun and shows that the next noun belongs to it, or is closely connected to it — a possession, a part, a feature. It works for people and things alike: the man whose flight got delayed, a company whose website crashed.
Whose behaves differently from who/which/that in one important way: it is never dropped, no matter what role the phrase after it plays in the clause. That's because whose itself isn't standing in for a subject or an object — it's attaching a possessive relationship to the noun that follows it. More on that difference below.
Can you drop it? Subject vs. object relative pronouns
This is the single most important — and most commonly confused — rule about relative pronouns. Sometimes who, which, or that can be left out entirely, and sometimes leaving it out breaks the sentence. The difference comes down to one question: what job does the relative pronoun do inside its own clause?
If the relative pronoun is the SUBJECT of its own clause — the one doing the action of the verb right after it — it can never be dropped. Compare: "The electrician who rewired our kitchen left his tools behind." Here, who is the subject of rewired; nothing else in the clause is doing that job. Drop who and you get "The electrician rewired our kitchen left his tools behind," which simply isn't a correct sentence.
If the relative pronoun is the OBJECT of its own clause — the one receiving the action, with a different subject sitting between the pronoun and the verb — it can usually be dropped. Compare: "The wiring diagram that the electrician left behind was hard to read." Here, that is the object of left (the electrician is the subject), so you can just as naturally say "The wiring diagram the electrician left behind was hard to read."
A fast way to test it: look at the word immediately after who/which/that. If a verb comes right after it, the pronoun is the subject and must stay. If a different noun or pronoun comes right after it (and the verb comes after that), the relative pronoun is the object and can be dropped.
One more pair to lock this in: "The librarian who reserved the book texted me" (who = subject of reserved, cannot drop) versus "The book that I reserved is ready for pickup" (that = object of reserved — I is the subject — so it's just as correct as "The book I reserved is ready for pickup.")
Whose is the one exception to all of this: it never drops, whether the phrase it introduces acts as a subject or an object in its clause, because whose itself is never the subject or object — it's a possessive link to the noun that follows it.
A note on American usage
In everyday American writing, that is usually the more natural, more common choice for this kind of clause — many American style guides lean toward it. Which is still completely correct in the same spot and is heard constantly; British writers tend to reach for it a bit more freely here. Either choice is grammatically fine — it's a style preference, not a hard rule.
Real English
Watch out
"Who" is the subject of "called" inside its own clause, so it can't be dropped — without it, the sentence isn't grammatical.
"Who" only introduces clauses about people; things and animals need "that" or "which."
"Whose" shows possession; "who's" is a contraction of "who is" or "who has," so it's never followed directly by a noun.
"That" already stands for "the password" as the object of "reset," so adding "it" again repeats the object by mistake.
Real life — Talking about a new hire
"Have you met the new intern who's covering the front desk this month?"
"Not yet — is she the one whose résumé you forwarded to me?"
"That's her. And the project she finished last week impressed the whole team."
"Nice. The manager who interviewed her said she's a great fit."
Practice
Exercise 1 · Identify what the pronoun refers to
In the sentence "The technician who fixed the printer left early," what does "who" refer to?
Exercise 2 · Identify the pronoun's job in its clause
In the sentence "The photos that she uploaded were blurry," what job does "that" do inside its own clause?
Exercise 3 · Choose the correct pronoun
Complete the sentence: The chef ___ runs the food truck used to work at a hotel.
Exercise 4 · Choose the correct pronoun
Complete the sentence: I can't find the receipt ___ came with the delivery.
Exercise 5 · Choose the correct pronoun
Complete the sentence: The tenant ___ mailbox is jammed reported it to the building manager.
Exercise 6 · Sort into groups
0 / 6 sorted
Exercise 7 · Build the sentence
Exercise 8 · Build the sentence
Exercise 9 · Complete the sentence
Complete the sentence with the correct relative pronoun (one word): The umbrella ___ I borrowed from the front desk isn't mine.
Exercise 10 · Complete the sentence
Complete the sentence with the correct relative pronoun (one word): The passenger ___ seat was double-booked complained to the flight attendant.
Exercise 11 · Complete the sentence
Complete the sentence with the correct relative pronoun (one word): The assistant ___ answers the phones speaks three languages.
Exercise 12 · Fix the mistake
Fix the mistake and type the correct sentence: "The driver delivered the package this morning is waiting outside."
Exercise 13 · Fix the mistake
Fix the mistake and type the correct sentence: "This is the form who needs your signature."
Exercise 14 · Fix the mistake
Fix the mistake and type the correct sentence: "The waiter whose took my order forgot to bring water."
Exercise 15 · Real-life scenario
You're texting a friend about a package delivery. Which sentence is correct?
Exercise 16 · Real-life scenario
At a parent-teacher conference, which sentence correctly shows a pronoun that CAN be dropped in parentheses?
Quick challenge
Five quick questions on relative pronouns — including when you can drop them.
Question 1 / 5
Score: 0/0
Your coworker is describing a delayed shipment. Which sentence is correct?
You learned
- Who, which, that, and whose connect a clause to a noun to add more information about it.
- Use who for people, which for things or animals, and that for either — that is the flexible, all-purpose choice.
- Whose shows possession — a link to the noun that follows it — and works for people and things alike.
- If the relative pronoun is the SUBJECT of its own clause, it can never be dropped.
- If the relative pronoun is the OBJECT of its own clause, it can usually be dropped.
- Whose is always the exception — it never drops, no matter its role in the clause.
Related grammar lessons
Indefinite Pronouns
Learn someone, anyone, no one, everyone and something, anything, nothing, everything — how they take a singular verb, and why English never doubles the negative.
Reciprocal Pronouns: Each Other & One Another
Learn how each other and one another show mutual action between two or more people — plus their possessive forms, and why the old 'each other = 2, one another = 3+' rule is a myth.
Interrogative Pronouns
Learn who, whose, what, and which — the question words you use to ask about a person, an owner, a thing, or a choice — plus a brief, optional note on the more formal "whom."
Demonstrative Pronouns
Learn how to use this, that, these, and those as pronouns that stand on their own — near vs far, singular vs plural — plus the common mistakes to avoid.