The Rule
| Pronoun | Refers to | Example |
|---|---|---|
| who | people | The manager who hired me retired last year. |
| which | things / ideas | The report which you sent was very clear. |
| that | people or things (defining clauses only) | The system that we use is extremely slow. |
| whose | possession (people or organisations) | The client whose contract we renewed was delighted. |
| where | places | The office where I started my career is now a hotel. |
| Defining | Non-defining | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Tells us which one — essential information | Adds extra information — not essential |
| Commas | No commas | Commas required |
| That | Allowed | NOT allowed — use who or which |
| Example | The colleague that I work with is excellent. | My manager, who joined last year, is excellent. |
NEVER use 'that' in a non-defining relative clause:
✗ My manager, that joined last year, is brilliant.
✓ My manager, who joined last year, is brilliant.
NEVER repeat the subject pronoun inside the clause:
✗ The report which I wrote it was approved. ✓ The report which I wrote was approved.
✗ My manager, that joined last year, is brilliant.
✓ My manager, who joined last year, is brilliant.
NEVER repeat the subject pronoun inside the clause:
✗ The report which I wrote it was approved. ✓ The report which I wrote was approved.
Common Mistakes
The person which sent the email is actually my colleague.
The person who sent the email is actually my colleague.
My manager, that is very experienced, joined us last year.
My manager, who is very experienced, joined us last year.
The company where I work there is based in central Madrid.
The company where I work is based in central Madrid.
The report which I wrote it was approved by the director.
The report which I wrote was approved by the director.
Gap Fill — Press Enter to Check
Error Correction
Multiple Choice
Put the Words in the Correct Order
Sentence Transformation — Press Enter to Check
Conversation Practice
1
Describe 3 colleagues using relative clauses: 'I work with someone who...' and 'My manager, who...'
2
Describe your company, office, or city using where, which, and who in both defining and non-defining clauses.
3
Talk about a recent project you are proud of. Use relative clauses to add detail and precision.
Homework
Write a professional profile (8 sentences) of yourself or someone you admire. Include at least 4 different relative pronouns — who, which, where, and whose — and use at least one non-defining clause correctly.