noun + who/which/that + verb ...Keep the pronoun when it is the subject of the relative clause. The verb comes right after the pronoun.
Omitting Relative Pronoun
B1In a defining relative clause, you can drop who, which, or that when it is the object. Keep it when it is the subject or in comma clauses.
What you'll learn
- Drop the relative pronoun when another subject follows inside the clause.
- Keep the relative pronoun when it is the subject of the clause.
- Use omission only in defining clauses, not in comma clauses.
- Check whether a new subject appears after the noun.
Structure
noun + (who/which/that) + subject + verb ...You can omit the pronoun when another subject appears in the clause and the pronoun is the object.
Build a sentence
Noun phrase
Clause type
The bookI read
The book I read was excellent.
Drop the pronoun because I is the subject inside the clause.
When to use
Identifying people or things
Use omission when the clause tells exactly which person or thing you mean: The file I need is on your desk.
Natural everyday English
Dropping the object pronoun makes the sentence shorter and more natural in speech and writing: The song we heard was amazing.
Markers
IwetheyAnnaTomMaria
In contrast
vs non-defining-relative-clauses
Without commas, omission can be possible if the pronoun is the object. With commas, keep the pronoun: My bike, which I bought online, is fast.
Common mistakes
Wrong
The woman works at the cafe is my aunt.
Correct
The woman who works at the cafe is my aunt.
Here who is the subject of works. If you remove it, the clause has no subject.
Wrong
My sister, I called yesterday, is visiting tomorrow.
Correct
My sister, who I called yesterday, is visiting tomorrow.
Comma clauses keep the relative pronoun. Do not omit it in non-defining clauses.
Wrong
The phone rang was mine.
Correct
The phone that rang was mine.
After phone, the verb rang comes immediately. There is no new subject, so keep the relative pronoun.
Wrong
The book that I read was excellent.
Correct
The book I read was excellent.
Both are correct. In a defining clause, you can drop that because I is the subject inside the clause and that is the object.
Common misconceptions
❝ If I can drop that once, I can drop it in every relative clause. ❞
You can drop the pronoun only when it is the object. If it is the subject, keep it.
❝ Commas do not change whether I can omit the relative pronoun. ❞
They do. In non-defining comma clauses, keep the pronoun.
Skills in this rule (4)
DROP_OBJECT_PRONOUNw5Leave out the relative pronoun when it is the object
In defining relative clauses, you can drop who, which, or that when another subject comes next inside the clause. The meaning stays clear: The movie (that) we watched was great.
KEEP_PRONOUN_AS_SUBJECTw5Keep the relative pronoun when it is the subject
If the relative pronoun does the action in the clause, do not omit it. A verb comes right after it: The people who work here are friendly.
USE_IN_DEFINING_ONLYw4Use omission only in defining relative clauses
You can omit the pronoun only when the clause identifies which person or thing you mean. Non-defining clauses keep the pronoun and commas: My car, which I bought last year, is blue.
SPOT_NEW_SUBJECT_AFTER_NOUNw4Look for a new subject after the noun
A quick check: if you see a new subject like I, you, we, they, Anna, or Tom after the noun, omission is often possible. If the verb comes immediately after the noun, keep the pronoun.