B1 · Intermedio Capítulo 9

¡Exprésate con fluidez: El arte de describir con precisión!

6 Reglas totales
70 ejemplos
6 min
Reglas en este capítulo Práctica rápida

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.

Lo que aprenderás

¿Alguna vez has sentido que tus frases suenan un poco cortadas o algo robóticas? En este nivel B1, el gran secreto para sonar más natural y fluido está en cómo conectas tus ideas. En este capítulo, dejarás atrás las oraciones cortas para dominar los pronombres relativos: who, which y that. Imagina que estás en una reunión de trabajo y quieres explicar exactamente quién es

el cliente que llamó esta mañana
, o estás en una cena y hablas sobre
la película que te hizo llorar
. Aprenderás a usar who para personas y which para objetos de forma impecable. Pero lo más emocionante es que descubrirás la versatilidad de that y aprenderás el verdadero truco del experto: sabrás exactamente cuándo puedes omitir el pronombre (el famoso shortcut) para sonar mucho más relajado y cuándo es un error grave dejarlo fuera porque funciona como el sujeto de tu frase. Al completar estas 6 lecciones, habrás dominado las defining relative clauses. ¿El resultado? Podrás identificar personas y cosas con una precisión impresionante, uniendo tus pensamientos sin pausas innecesarias. ¡Es el paso definitivo para que tu inglés deje de sonar como un libro de texto y empiece a sonar con la elegancia y fluidez que ya tienes en español!

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.

Guía del capítulo

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.

Ejemplos clave (8)

1

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

¿Conoces al estudiante que se sienta en la primera fila?

Pronombres relativos: Usando 'Who' para personas
2

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

Acabo de hablar con el representante de servicio al cliente que me ayudó con mi pedido.

Pronombres relativos: Usando 'Who' para personas
3

The phone `which is ringing` is mine.

El teléfono que está sonando es mío.

Pronombres Relativos: 'Which' para Cosas
4

She bought a dress `which was on sale`.

Ella compró un vestido que estaba en oferta.

Pronombres Relativos: 'Which' para Cosas
5

This is the app that helps me learn Spanish.

Esta es la aplicación que me ayuda a aprender español.

Pronombres Relativos: Usando 'That' para Personas y Cosas
6

The student that asked the question got extra credit.

El estudiante que hizo la pregunta obtuvo crédito extra.

Pronombres Relativos: Usando 'That' para Personas y Cosas
7

The barista who made my coffee smiled.

El barista que me hizo el café sonrió.

Oraciones de Relativo Especificativas: Identificando Personas y Cosas
8

I bought the shoes that were on sale.

Compré los zapatos que estaban en oferta.

Oraciones de Relativo Especificativas: Identificando Personas y Cosas

Consejos y trucos (4)

💡

¡Gente con 'who', cosas con 'which'!

Es una regla sencilla, pero la más importante. Si hablas de una persona, siempre usa 'who'. Para objetos, ideas o animales (a menos que los personifiques), usa 'which'.
The student who studies hard
vs.
The book which I read
.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pronombres relativos: Usando 'Who' para personas
💡

Which para Claridad

Imagina que tienes varios libros y quieres especificar cuál. Usas 'which' para ser súper claro:
The book which has a blue cover is mine.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pronombres Relativos: 'Which' para Cosas
💡

Piensa en 'Información Esencial'

Si quitas la frase con 'that' y la oración pierde sentido, ¡vas por buen camino! Por ejemplo, en
The book that I read was amazing,
la frase 'that I read' es esencial para saber de qué libro hablas.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pronombres Relativos: Usando 'That' para Personas y Cosas
💡

Que sea esencial

Si quitas la cláusula relativa y el significado de la frase se vuelve confuso, ¡es una cláusula definitoria! No es información extra, es *la* información clave. "If you remove the relative clause and the sentence's meaning becomes unclear, you're dealing with a defining relative clause."
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Oraciones de Relativo Especificativas: Identificando Personas y Cosas

Vocabulario clave (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

Errores comunes

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

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

Don't repeat the object pronoun (it).

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

Avoid redundant pronouns in relative clauses.

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

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: Domina los detalles: Cómo describir lugares, momentos y pertenencias

Práctica rápida (10)

Elige el pronombre relativo correcto.

This is the phone ___ I bought yesterday.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: that
'That' se usa aquí porque 'the phone' es una cosa, y la cláusula proporciona información identificativa esencial.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pronombres Relativos: Usando 'That' para Personas y Cosas

Elige el pronombre relativo correcto.

The woman ___ lives next door is a doctor.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: who
Se usa 'who' para referirse a personas. 'The woman' es una persona, así que 'who' es correcto.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pronombres relativos: Usando 'Who' para personas

Encuentra y corrige el error.

Find and fix the mistake:

The film, that I saw, was fantastic.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The film that I saw was fantastic.
Las cláusulas relativas definitorias proporcionan información esencial y no usan comas. 'that' se usa correctamente para una cosa aquí.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Oraciones de Relativo Especificativas: Identificando Personas y Cosas

Elige la mejor opción para completar la oración, omitiendo 'that' si es posible.

This is the gift ___ my friend gave me.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer:
Aquí, 'my friend' es el sujeto de 'gave', haciendo que 'that' (o 'which') sea el objeto. Entonces, puedes omitirlo completamente para que suene más natural.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Omitir pronombres relativos (el atajo 'that')

¿Qué oración usa 'that' correctamente?

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She's the friend that lives across the street.
'That' puede referirse correctamente a personas en cláusulas definitorias, y no se necesita coma porque la información es esencial.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pronombres Relativos: Usando 'That' para Personas y Cosas

Elige el pronombre relativo correcto.

The person ___ helps me with tech is very patient.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: who
'who' se usa para personas, y aquí es el sujeto de la cláusula. 'that' también sería correcto, pero 'who' es una excelente opción.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Oraciones de Relativo Especificativas: Identificando Personas y Cosas

Encuentra y corrige el error en la oración.

Find and fix the mistake:

The person, that gave me advice, was very helpful.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The person, who gave me advice, was very helpful.
Las comas indican una cláusula no definitoria (información extra), por lo que 'that' es incorrecto. 'Who' se usa para personas en cláusulas no definitorias.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Pronombres Relativos: Usando 'That' para Personas y Cosas

Elige el pronombre relativo correcto.

The painter ___ lives next door is very famous.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: who
Painter es una persona, así que who es el pronombre relativo correcto. También es el sujeto de lives. ¡Lo tienes!

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: No omitas el sujeto: Pronombres relativos (who, which, that)

Encuentra y corrige el error.

Find and fix the mistake:

The book which was missing found its way back.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The book that was missing found its way back.
La frase original es correcta. Which no se puede omitir porque es el sujeto de was missing. La opción con that también es correcta, ya que that puede reemplazar a which en cláusulas definitorias. ¡Bien hecho!

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: No omitas el sujeto: Pronombres relativos (who, which, that)

¿Qué frase usa correctamente un pronombre relativo como sujeto?

Elige la frase correcta:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The car which broke down is mine.
Which es el sujeto de broke down y no se puede omitir. Las otras opciones son gramaticalmente incorrectas. ¡Así se hace!

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: No omitas el sujeto: Pronombres relativos (who, which, that)

Score: /10

Preguntas frecuentes (6)

Un pronombre relativo conecta una cláusula (un grupo de palabras con sujeto y verbo) a un sustantivo o pronombre. Introduce información adicional sobre ese sustantivo, como en
The student who studies hard gets good grades
.
'Who' está diseñado específicamente para referirse a personas. Nos ayuda a evitar repetir sustantivos y hace las frases más concisas al describir sujetos humanos, como en "That's the guy who lives upstairs".
Which une dos oraciones al referirse a un sustantivo que es una cosa, animal o idea. Ayuda a añadir información específica y descriptiva sobre ese sustantivo, como en:
I bought a book which was recommended.
Siempre usa 'which' para cosas, animales e ideas. Reserva 'who' exclusivamente para personas. Confundirlos (por ejemplo,
The dog who barked
) es un error común y suena poco natural.
'That' conecta una cláusula principal con una cláusula relativa definitoria, dando información esencial para identificar el sustantivo. Es como señalar con precisión:
This is the car that has the flat tire.
¡Sí, absolutamente! Esta es una de las mayores ventajas de 'that'. Puedes decir
the person that called
o
the email that arrived
sin cambiar el pronombre.
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