© Luke Donovan | Game of English | CC BY-SA 4.0
GZ10.01 - Defining Relative Clauses
Subject, Place and Possession
GZ10.01A - Defining Relative Clauses - Subject - Person - who
GZ10.01B - Defining Relative Clauses - Subject - Person - that
GZ10.01C - Defining Relative Clauses - Subject - Thing - which
GZ10.01D - Defining Relative Clauses - Subject - Thing - that
GZ10.01E - Defining Relative Clauses - Place - where
GZ10.01F - Defining Relative Clauses - Possession - whose
© Luke Donovan | Game of English | CC BY-SA 4.0
GZ10.01A - Defining Relative Clauses
Subject - Person - who
[P] = Person [O] = Object
[Pl] = Place [A] = Action
Who identifies a person and acts as the subject of the defining relative clause.
who + verb
The woman who works at the bank plays tennis.
The relative clause tells us which person. No commas are used.
✓ The woman who works at the bank plays tennis.
✗ The woman who she works at the bank plays tennis.
✗ The woman works at the bank plays tennis.
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© Luke Donovan | Game of English | CC BY-SA 4.0
GZ10.01B - Defining Relative Clauses
Subject - Person - that
[P] = Person [O] = Object
[Pl] = Place [A] = Action
That can replace who for people in a defining relative clause.
that + verb
The man that lives next door has three dogs.
That is possible here because the clause is defining. The subject pronoun cannot be omitted.
✓ The man that lives next door has three dogs.
✗ The man that he lives next door has three dogs.
✗ The man lives next door has three dogs.
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© Luke Donovan | Game of English | CC BY-SA 4.0
GZ10.01C - Defining Relative Clauses
Subject - Thing - which
[P] = Person [O] = Object
[Pl] = Place [A] = Action
Which identifies a thing and is the subject of its relative clause.
which + verb
I found a phone which still works.
The clause specifies which object. Do not add another subject after which.
✓ I found a phone which still works.
✗ I found a phone which it still works.
✗ I found a phone still works.
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© Luke Donovan | Game of English | CC BY-SA 4.0
GZ10.01D - Defining Relative Clauses
Subject - Thing - that
[P] = Person [O] = Object
[Pl] = Place [A] = Action
That identifies a thing and acts as the subject of the relative clause.
that + verb
I found a key that opens the back door.
That is an alternative to which in defining clauses. Do not omit a subject relative pronoun.
✓ I found a key that opens the back door.
✗ I found a key that it opens the back door.
✗ I found a key opens the back door.
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© Luke Donovan | Game of English | CC BY-SA 4.0
GZ10.01E - Defining Relative Clauses
Place - where
[P] = Person [O] = Object
[Pl] = Place [A] = Action
Where introduces a defining relative clause identifying a place.
place + where + subject + verb
Guess what I saw at the park where John plays football.
Where means in, at or to which place, depending on context. It is not a subject relative pronoun.
✓ This is the park where John plays football.
✗ This is the park where John plays football there.
✓ This is the park in which John plays football.
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© Luke Donovan | Game of English | CC BY-SA 4.0
GZ10.01F - Defining Relative Clauses
Possession - whose
[P] = Person [O] = Object
[Pl] = Place [A] = Action
Whose shows a relationship of possession or association within a relative clause.
whose + noun + verb
The woman whose dog bit John lives next door.
Whose comes directly before the noun. It is not the same as who’s (who is / who has).
✓ The woman whose dog bit John lives next door.
✗ The woman who's dog bit John lives next door.
✗ The woman whose her dog bit John lives next door.
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