B1 · Mittelstufe Kapitel 9

Identifying People and Things

6 Gesamtregeln
70 Beispiele
6 Min.
Regeln in diesem Kapitel Schnelle Übung

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Unlock the power of relative clauses to connect your ideas and describe your world with precision.

  • Identify the correct relative pronouns for people and objects.
  • Construct defining relative clauses to clarify your meaning.
  • Apply the 'that' shortcut to sound more natural in conversation.
Connect your world with confidence.

Was du lernen wirst

Want to describe the world around you more smoothly? Get ready to master relative pronouns like 'who' and 'which', and even learn a clever shortcut for 'that'! You'll soon connect your thoughts effortlessly and sound much more natural.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Use relative pronouns to describe people and objects in a professional context.

Kapitel-Leitfaden

Overview

Do you ever find yourself struggling to clearly identify people or describe objects when speaking English? Mastering how to connect your thoughts smoothly is a game-changer for B1 English grammar, especially when you want to sound more natural and confident. This guide will help you precisely identify people and things, making your descriptions effortless and your communication much clearer.
You'll learn the specific uses of who, which, and that – these are your secret weapons for building more sophisticated sentences. We’ll also explore defining relative clauses, which act like essential ID tags for the nouns you're talking about, and even uncover a clever shortcut that native speakers use all the time! Get ready to polish your English identifying people and things skills and impress with your improved fluency.

How This Grammar Works

At the heart of identifying people and things smoothly are relative pronouns. They act like bridges, connecting extra information to a noun. For people, we almost exclusively use who.
For example,
The woman who answered the phone was very helpful.
Here, who connects answered the phone to The woman, telling us exactly *which* woman. When you're talking about things or even animals, which is your go-to.
I found the book which you lent me yesterday.
This tells us specifically *which* book.
Now, for a versatile option: that. You can use that for *both* people and things, but only in defining relative clauses. These clauses provide essential information about the noun; without them, the sentence’s meaning would change or be unclear.
They *never* take commas. For instance,
The student that won the award studied very hard
(referring to a person). Or,
This is the car that needs to be repaired
(referring to a thing).
A key distinction comes with dropping these pronouns. When the relative pronoun (like who, which, or that) is the subject of the relative clause – meaning it performs the action – you cannot drop it. Look at
The chef who cooked our meal is famous.
Who is the subject of cooked, so it must stay.
However, you *can* drop the relative pronoun when it's the object of the verb in the relative clause. This is the that shortcut. For example,
This is the movie (that) I watched last night.
Here, that is the object of watched (I watched *that* movie), so it can be omitted. This makes your English sound much more fluid and natural.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ The person which called me was my sister.
✓ The person who called me was my sister.
*Explanation:* Remember to always use who when referring to people. Which is for things or animals.
  1. 1✗ The report I wrote was very long. (Intended as subject pronoun omitted)
✓ The report that I wrote was very long. OR The report which I wrote was very long.
*Explanation:* While you *can* drop object relative pronouns, you cannot drop a subject relative pronoun. If the pronoun is followed by a verb (e.g.,
The car *that* *is* parked outside...
), it's the subject and cannot be omitted. In the corrected example, 'I' is the subject of 'wrote', so the relative pronoun 'that' or 'which' is the object and *can* be dropped (making
The report I wrote was very long
also correct, but the mistake here was thinking it was a subject pronoun drop). A better example of a subject drop mistake:
✗ The dog barked loudly chased the squirrel.
✓ The dog that barked loudly chased the squirrel.
*Explanation:* Here, that is the subject of barked and performs the action, so it cannot be dropped.
  1. 1✗ My new phone, that I bought yesterday, is very fast.
✓ My new phone, which I bought yesterday, is very fast.
*Explanation:* The pronoun that is typically used only in *defining* relative clauses (no commas). If the information is extra or non-essential (often indicated by commas), use which.

Real Conversations

A

A

Hey, do you know the student who just presented the project?
B

B

Yes, she’s the one that I mentioned yesterday, the one who helped me with my research.
A

A

Did you find the keys which you lost this morning?
B

B

Not yet! I’m looking for the bag that I took to the gym. I think they might be inside.
A

A

Have you met our new team member? She's the person who designed the new website layout.
B

B

Oh, yes! I heard about the fantastic work (that) she did. Her portfolio, which I saw online, was very impressive.

Quick FAQ

Q

When can I drop 'that' or 'which' in a sentence?

You can drop that or which when they are the object of the verb in the relative clause. For example,

This is the book (that) I read.
Here, 'I' is the subject of 'read', so 'that' is the object and can be omitted.

Q

Is 'that' always interchangeable with 'who' or 'which'?

Not always! While that can often replace who or which in *defining* clauses, it cannot be used in *non-defining* clauses (those with commas). Also, who is exclusively for people, and which for things (especially in formal contexts or non-defining clauses).

Q

Do defining relative clauses need commas?

No, defining relative clauses never use commas. They provide essential information that identifies the noun, and the sentence's meaning would change or be unclear without them.

Q

Can I use 'which' for animals?

Yes, you can use which for animals, especially when you are referring to them as things rather than giving them human-like qualities. For example,

The dog which won the race was very fast.

Cultural Context

Native English speakers use these relative pronoun patterns constantly in daily communication. You'll often hear that used quite broadly for both people and things in informal speech, even when who or which would be grammatically correct. The dropping the pronoun shortcut is extremely common in spoken English when the pronoun is the object – it makes sentences flow much more naturally and quickly. While formal writing might prefer who for people and which for things (especially in non-defining clauses), in casual conversation, don't be surprised to hear more flexibility.

Wichtige Beispiele (8)

1

Do you know the student `who` sits in the front row?

Kennst du den Studenten, der in der ersten Reihe sitzt?

Relativpronomen: 'Who' für Personen verwenden
2

I just talked to the customer service rep `who` helped me with my order.

Ich habe gerade mit dem Kundendienstmitarbeiter gesprochen, der mir bei meiner Bestellung geholfen hat.

Relativpronomen: 'Who' für Personen verwenden
3

The phone `which is ringing` is mine.

Das Telefon, das klingelt, gehört mir.

Relativpronomen: 'Which' für Dinge
4

She bought a dress `which was on sale`.

Sie kaufte ein Kleid, das im Angebot war.

Relativpronomen: 'Which' für Dinge
5

This is the app that helps me learn Spanish.

Esta es la aplicación que me ayuda a aprender español.

Relativpronomen: 'That' für Personen & Dinge verwenden
6

The student that asked the question got extra credit.

El estudiante que hizo la pregunta obtuvo crédito extra.

Relativpronomen: 'That' für Personen & Dinge verwenden
7

The barista who made my coffee smiled.

Der Barista, der meinen Kaffee gemacht hat, lächelte.

Definierende Relativsätze: Personen und Dinge identifizieren
8

I bought the shoes that were on sale.

Ich kaufte die Schuhe, die im Angebot waren.

Definierende Relativsätze: Personen und Dinge identifizieren

Tipps & Tricks (4)

💡

People get 'who', things get 'which'.

Das ist die einfachste, aber wichtigste Regel! Sprichst du über einen Menschen, nimm immer 'who'. Bei Objekten, Ideen oder Tieren (außer du vermenschlichst sie), sagst du 'which'. Denk zum Beispiel an:
The student who studies hard...
oder
The book which I am reading...
.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relativpronomen: 'Who' für Personen verwenden
💡

Klarheit mit 'Which'

Stell dir vor, du bist in einem Laden und es gibt viele gleiche Produkte. Du willst genau das eine beschreiben:
I want the phone which has the best camera.
So wird klar, welches du meinst!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relativpronomen: 'Which' für Dinge
💡

Denk an 'Essentielle Info'

Stell dir vor, du suchst eine bestimmte App: Wenn die Info mit 'that' absolut notwendig ist, um die App zu finden, dann ist es richtig. Kannst du die Info weglassen und der Satz macht noch Sinn, dann ist 'that' wahrscheinlich falsch:
This is the app that teaches you German.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relativpronomen: 'That' für Personen & Dinge verwenden
💡

Behalte das Wesentliche!

Stell dir vor, du erzählst etwas Wichtiges und ohne den Relativsatz wäre es nicht klar, worum es geht. Dann ist es ein definierender Relativsatz!
The student who passed the exam.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Definierende Relativsätze: Personen und Dinge identifizieren

Wichtige Vokabeln (5)

Identify to distinguish Relative connected to Pronoun word replacing a noun Clause part of a sentence Omit to leave out

Real-World Preview

briefcase

Office Introduction

Review Summary

  • Person + who + verb
  • Thing + which + verb
  • Noun + (that/which) + Subject + Verb

Häufige Fehler

Use 'who' for people, not 'which'.

Wrong: The man which lives there.
Richtig: The man who lives there.

Don't repeat the object pronoun (it).

Wrong: The car that I like it is red.
Richtig: The car that I like is red.

Avoid redundant pronouns in relative clauses.

Wrong: The person that I met him.
Richtig: The person that I met.

Regeln in diesem Kapitel (6)

1

Relativpronomen: 'Who' für Personen verwenden

B1
Mit 'who' kannst du ganz einfach wichtige Infos über Personen hinzufügen, damit dein Englisch flüssig und klar klingt. Denk an seamless detail und clear communication!
Do you know the student `who` sits in the front ro...
12 Beispiele
2

Relativpronomen: 'Which' für Dinge

B1
Mit 'which' kannst du ganz natürlich wichtige Infos über Dinge, Tiere oder Ideen hinzufügen. Denk an add detail, specify item, avoid repetition.
The phone `which is ringing` is mine.
12 Beispiele
3

Relativpronomen: 'That' für Personen & Dinge verwenden

B1
Dein 'that' ist super vielseitig! Es hilft dir, „people“ und „things“ genau zu beschreiben und klingt dabei ganz „natural“ in deiner Alltagssprache.
This is the app that helps me learn Spanish.
12 Beispiele
4

Definierende Relativsätze: Personen und Dinge identifizieren

B1
Definierende Relativsätze zeigen genau, um welche 'Person' oder 'Sache' es geht. Sie sind super für 'Klarheit' und 'Präzision'.
The barista who made my coffee smiled.
12 Beispiele
5

Das Subjekt nicht weglassen: Relativpronomen (who, which, that)

B1
Vergiss niemals: who, which oder that darfst du nicht weglassen, wenn sie das Subjekt im Relativsatz sind! Das ist super wichtig!
This is the student who always asks insightful que...
12 Beispiele
6

Weglassen von Relativpronomen (die 'that'-Abkürzung)

B1
Kling natürlicher, indem du that weglässt, wenn es das Objekt deines Relativsatzes ist. Ganz easy!
This is the book I was reading last week.
10 Beispiele

Next Steps

You are doing amazing work! Keep practicing these structures and you will be a fluent speaker in no time.

Write a paragraph describing your favorite room.

Continue to: Describing Places, Times, and Ownership

Schnelle Übung (10)

Wähle das richtige Relativpronomen.

The person ___ helps me with tech is very patient.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: who
'who' wird für Personen benutzt und ist hier das Subjekt des Satzes. 'that' wäre auch korrekt, aber 'who' ist eine super Wahl.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Definierende Relativsätze: Personen und Dinge identifizieren

Wähle das korrekte Relativpronomen.

This is the phone ___ I bought yesterday.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: that
'That' wird hier verwendet, weil 'the phone' eine Sache ist und der Satz essentielle, identifizierende Informationen liefert.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relativpronomen: 'That' für Personen & Dinge verwenden

Welcher Satz verwendet 'that' korrekt?

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She's the friend that lives across the street.
'That' kann sich korrekt auf Personen in definierenden Sätzen beziehen, und es wird kein Komma benötigt, da die Information essentiell ist.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relativpronomen: 'That' für Personen & Dinge verwenden

Finde und korrigiere den Fehler

Find and fix the mistake:

The person which called me was very rude.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The person who called me was very rude.
'Which' wird für Dinge, Tiere oder Ideen verwendet. Für Personen solltest du 'who' verwenden.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Relativpronomen: 'Which' für Dinge

Wähle das richtige Relativpronomen.

The painter ___ lives next door is very famous.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: who
Painter ist eine Person, also ist who das korrekte Relativpronomen. Es ist auch das Subjekt von lives.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Das Subjekt nicht weglassen: Relativpronomen (who, which, that)

Finde und korrigiere den Fehler im Satz.

Find and fix the mistake:

The person stole my wallet ran away.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The person who stole my wallet ran away.
'The person' ist das Subjekt von 'stole'. Du kannst das Relativpronomen ('who' oder 'that') nicht weglassen, wenn es das Subjekt des Relativsatzes ist.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Weglassen von Relativpronomen (die 'that'-Abkürzung)

Welcher Satz verwendet einen definierenden Relativsatz korrekt?

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I bought the car which was red.
'which' wird korrekt für ein Ding ('the car') benutzt, und es gibt keine unnötigen Kommas, da es ein definierender Satz ist.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Definierende Relativsätze: Personen und Dinge identifizieren

Welcher Satz verwendet oder lässt das Relativpronomen korrekt weg?

Wähle den richtigen Satz:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The food that tastes good is often unhealthy.
Im korrekten Satz ist 'that' das Subjekt von 'tastes good', daher muss es beibehalten werden. Du kannst das Subjekt eines Relativsatzes nicht weglassen.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Weglassen von Relativpronomen (die 'that'-Abkürzung)

Wähle die beste Option, um den Satz zu vervollständigen, und lasse 'that' wenn möglich weg.

This is the gift ___ my friend gave me.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer:
Hier ist 'my friend' das Subjekt von 'gave', wodurch 'that' (oder 'which') das Objekt ist. Du kannst es also für einen natürlicheren Klang komplett weglassen.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Weglassen von Relativpronomen (die 'that'-Abkürzung)

Finde und korrigiere den Fehler.

Find and fix the mistake:

The film, that I saw, was fantastic.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The film that I saw was fantastic.
Definierende Relativsätze geben wichtige Infos und brauchen keine Kommas. 'that' wird hier korrekt für ein Ding benutzt.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Definierende Relativsätze: Personen und Dinge identifizieren

Score: /10

Häufige Fragen (6)

Ein Relativpronomen verbindet einen Satzteil (eine Wortgruppe mit Subjekt und Verb) mit einem Nomen oder Pronomen. Es fügt zusätzliche Infos zu diesem Nomen hinzu, so wie in
The student who studies hard gets good grades
.
'Who' wurde speziell dafür gemacht, sich auf Menschen zu beziehen. Es hilft uns, Wiederholungen von Nomen zu vermeiden und Sätze prägnanter zu machen, wenn wir über menschliche Subjekte sprechen, zum Beispiel: "That's the guy who lives upstairs".
Die Hauptfunktion von 'which' ist es, zwei Satzteile zu verbinden, indem es sich auf ein Nomen bezieht, das eine Sache, ein Tier oder eine Idee ist. Es hilft dir, spezifische, beschreibende Informationen über dieses Nomen hinzuzufügen, wie in
I bought a book which was recommended.
Verwende 'which' immer für Dinge, Tiere und Ideen. 'Who' ist ausschließlich für Personen reserviert. Sie zu verwechseln (z.B.
The dog who barked
) klingt unnatürlich und ist ein häufiger Fehler.
'That' verbindet einen Hauptsatz mit einem Relativsatz, der essentielle Informationen liefert, um das vorhergehende Nomen zu identifizieren. Es ist wie ein präzises Zeigen:
This is the car that has the flat tire.
Ja, absolut! Das ist einer der größten Vorteile von 'that'. Du kannst sagen
the person that called
oder
the email that arrived
, ohne das Pronomen ändern zu müssen.
Vorheriges Kapitel
Advanced Passive Forms and Natural Phrasing
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