Omitir pronombres relativos (el atajo 'that')
dejar caer ese that cuando es el objeto en tu frase. ¡Verás qué fácil!
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
You can often delete 'that', 'who', or 'which' if they are the object of the following verb.
- Drop it if a new subject follows: 'The movie (that) I saw' is perfect.
- Keep it if it acts as the subject: 'The man who lives here' (cannot drop).
- Keep it in non-defining clauses (extra info with commas): 'My car, which is blue, is old.'
Overview
borrar palabras a mitad de una frase? No te lo estás imaginando. Nos encantan los atajos.actos de desapariciónmás comunes en inglés ocurre con los pronombres relativos como
that, which o who. Cuando estas palabras actúan como el objeto de una descripción, a menudo simplemente se esfuman. Es como la versión gramatical de que te dejen en visto en un mensaje, solo que aquí es algo bueno.How This Grammar Works
The pizza that I ordered is here.Ies el sujeto (Yo hice el pedido).The pizzaes el objeto (Fue pedida por mí).
I) justo después del pronombre relativo, el pronombre that es solo equipaje extra. Puedes tirarlo.
Formation Pattern
the app).
I downloaded).
I, you, Sarah).
that, which, who).
When To Use It
truco de omisiónen casi todas las conversaciones informales. Si estás enviando un mensaje a un amigo sobre una serie que viste, mantenlo corto.
The show I watched...suena mucho más natural que
The show which I watched....
Common Mistakes
bandera roja es omitir el pronombre cuando es el sujeto. Esto es lo que confunde a los nativos.- ✗ Incorrecto:
I know a girl lives in London.
- ✓ Correcto:
I know a girl
wholives in London.
Contrast With Similar Patterns
Quick FAQ
P: ¿Está mal mantener el pronombre?
R: ¡Para nada! Es gramaticalmente perfecto. Solo suena un poco más formal o rígido en una charla casual.
When to Drop vs. When to Keep
| Type | Relative Pronoun Role | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Defining
|
Object
|
Can Drop
|
The car (that) I bought.
|
|
Defining
|
Subject
|
Must Keep
|
The car that hit me.
|
|
Non-Defining
|
Object
|
Must Keep
|
My car, which I bought last year, is red.
|
|
Non-Defining
|
Subject
|
Must Keep
|
My car, which was expensive, is red.
|
Meanings
In English, relative pronouns (who, whom, which, that) can be omitted in defining relative clauses when they function as the object of the clause, making the sentence more concise and natural in speech.
Object Omission
Dropping the pronoun when it represents the person or thing receiving the action in the relative clause.
“The person (who) I met was nice.”
“The book (which) she wrote is a bestseller.”
Prepositional Omission
Dropping the pronoun when it is the object of a preposition, usually moving the preposition to the end of the clause.
“The house (that) we live in is small.”
“The girl (who) I was talking to is my sister.”
Formal Retention
Keeping the pronoun to sound more precise, professional, or academic.
“The individuals whom we interviewed were highly qualified.”
“The data that the study produced is significant.”
Reference Table
| Función del Pronombre Relativo | Ejemplo (con pronombre) | Ejemplo (pronombre omitido) | ¿Se puede omitir? |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Objeto (del verbo)
|
The car that I bought is red.
|
The car I bought is red.
|
Sí
|
|
Objeto (del verbo)
|
The friend whom I met yesterday is kind.
|
The friend I met yesterday is kind.
|
Sí (para 'whom')
|
|
Objeto (del verbo)
|
The book which you recommended was great.
|
The book you recommended was great.
|
Sí
|
|
Sujeto (del verbo)
|
The dog that barked is friendly.
|
🚫 Incorrecto: The dog barked is friendly.
|
No
|
|
Sujeto (del verbo)
|
The person who called me was polite.
|
🚫 Incorrecto: The person called me was polite.
|
No
|
|
Sujeto (del verbo)
|
The train which arrived late caused delays.
|
🚫 Incorrecto: The train arrived late caused delays.
|
No
|
Espectro de formalidad
Is this the document to which you were referring? (Workplace/Office)
Is this the document that you were talking about? (Workplace/Office)
Is this the document you were talking about? (Workplace/Office)
This the one you meant? (Workplace/Office)
Omisión de Pronombres Relativos
Cuándo Omitir (Objeto)
- The book I read The book (that) I read.
- The friend you met The friend (whom/that) you met.
- The movie we watched The movie (that/which) we watched.
Cuándo NO Omitir (Sujeto)
- The dog that barked The dog (that) barked all night.
- The person who called The person (who) called me.
- The app which crashed The app (which) crashed.
Por qué es Útil
- Suena natural Mimics native speaker patterns.
- Concisión Shorter, more direct sentences.
- Contextos informales Common in everyday speech, texts.
Pronombre Relativo: Sujeto vs. Objeto
¿Puedo Omitir 'That'?
¿'That' (o 'who'/'which') forma parte de una oración de relativo especificativa (sin comas)?
¿La palabra *inmediatamente después* de 'that' (o 'who'/'which') es otro sujeto (como 'I', 'you', un sustantivo, etc.)?
Contextos para Omitir 'That'
Informal Cotidiano
- • Mensajes de texto
- • Conversaciones casuales
- • Subtítulos de redes sociales
- • Chats de juegos
Medios y Contenido
- • Subtítulos de películas/TV
- • Publicaciones de blogs
- • Guiones de podcasts (casuales)
- • Letras de canciones
Profesional (a veces)
- • Correos electrónicos informales
- • Discusiones de proyectos
- • Notas de reuniones (concisas)
- • Documentación técnica
Ejemplos por nivel
The book I have is red.
The book (that) I have is red.
The man I see is tall.
The man (who) I see is tall.
The apple you eat is sweet.
The apple (that) you eat is sweet.
The car he drives is fast.
The car (that) he drives is fast.
The phone I bought yesterday is broken.
The phone (that) I bought...
Is this the song you like?
Is this the song (that) you like?
The people we met were very friendly.
The people (who) we met...
I lost the pen you gave me.
I lost the pen (that) you gave me.
The hotel we stayed at was beautiful.
The hotel (that) we stayed at...
The reason I called is to ask for help.
The reason (why/that) I called...
The doctor I talked to was very helpful.
The doctor (who) I talked to...
Everything you said is true.
Everything (that) you said...
The challenges we face are significant.
The challenges (that) we face...
The candidate I voted for didn't win.
The candidate (whom) I voted for...
The apartment they're looking at is too expensive.
The apartment (that) they're looking at...
The advice she's giving you is quite sound.
The advice (that) she's giving you...
The assumptions the author makes are questionable.
The assumptions (that) the author makes...
The speed with which he works is impressive.
Note: Cannot drop 'which' here because the preposition is at the front.
The ease I felt during the presentation surprised me.
The ease (that) I felt...
The level of detail the report provides is sufficient.
The level of detail (that) the report provides...
The sheer audacity the plan required was its undoing.
The audacity (that) the plan required...
Any concerns you might have should be addressed now.
Any concerns (that) you might have...
The nuanced approach the team took saved the project.
The approach (that) the team took...
The very fabric the universe is made of remains a mystery.
The fabric (that) the universe is made of...
Fácil de confundir
Learners often try to drop the pronoun even when it's the subject of the clause.
Learners confuse 'that' in 'I know that he is coming' with 'that' in 'The book that I bought'.
Learners try to drop pronouns in clauses with commas.
Errores comunes
The girl lives here is my friend.
The girl who lives here is my friend.
The book I like it.
The book I like.
I see man I know.
I see the man I know.
The car that I bought it is blue.
The car I bought is blue.
The man I talked is nice.
The man I talked to is nice.
This is the house which we live.
This is the house we live in.
The movie was good I saw.
The movie I saw was good.
My mother, I love, is a teacher.
My mother, whom I love, is a teacher.
The reason why I'm here for is...
The reason I'm here is...
The person who I gave the book is gone.
The person I gave the book to is gone.
The speed I drove at was safe.
The speed at which I drove was safe.
The way in that he spoke was odd.
The way he spoke was odd.
Patrones de oraciones
The ___ I ___ is ___.
Is this the ___ you ___?
I've never seen the ___ she ___.
The ___ we're ___ is ___.
Real World Usage
The link I sent you is dead.
The skills I developed at Google are relevant here.
Is this the pizza I ordered?
The data that the researchers collected was flawed.
Best day I've had in a while!
The property which the tenant occupies...
¡Encuentra el sujeto escondido!
This is the book I told you about.
¡No elimines al que hace la acción!
The student aced the examfunciona como oración simple, pero no si describes a 'the student' dentro de una oración más grande y 'that' era el sujeto de 'aced'.
¡Escucha a los nativos!
Suena auténtico
The food you ordered is here.
Smart Tips
This is a 99% signal that you can drop the relative pronoun.
Keep the 'that'. It makes your writing look more organized and professional.
Try to put the noun at the end of the clause. If it fits, it's an object! (e.g., 'The book I read' -> 'I read the book' - Works!)
Native speakers almost ALWAYS drop 'that' after these words.
Pronunciación
Rhythm and Stress
When the pronoun is dropped, the stress falls more heavily on the noun and the following subject, creating a faster, more rhythmic 'da-DA da-DA' sound.
Glottal Stop
In some British dialects, if 'that' is kept, the 't' might be replaced by a glottal stop, but dropping it entirely is often preferred for flow.
Rising-Falling
The cake ↗ I made ↘ was good.
Standard declarative statement with a dropped pronoun.
Memorízalo
Mnemotecnia
If a Noun or Pronoun is next in line, dropping 'that' is totally fine!
Asociación visual
Imagine a bridge (the word 'that') connecting two islands. If the islands are close enough to touch (Noun + Pronoun), you can remove the bridge and just step across.
Rhyme
When 'that' is the object, don't be a fool, dropping it out is the golden rule.
Story
A busy businessman is running to a meeting. He doesn't have time for extra words. He says 'The report I wrote' instead of 'The report that I wrote' because he is in a hurry. He only keeps 'who' when he talks about 'The man who hired me' because without 'who', the sentence falls apart.
Word Web
Desafío
Look at the last 5 text messages you sent. Could you have dropped a 'that' or 'who' in any of them? Rewrite them in your head.
Notas culturales
Americans are very likely to drop 'that' in almost all informal and semi-formal speech. Keeping it can sometimes sound slightly 'stiff' or overly emphatic.
While also common, some formal British registers still prefer keeping 'that' or 'which' in written correspondence more than American English does.
In scientific papers globally, keeping the relative pronoun is preferred to ensure there is no ambiguity about what the subject of the sentence is.
In Old English, relative clauses were often formed with the indeclinable particle 'þe'. Over time, 'that' (from the demonstrative 'þæt') took over.
Inicios de conversación
What's the best movie you've seen this year?
Tell me about a person you admire.
Is there a place you've always wanted to visit?
What's the most difficult thing you've ever done?
Temas para diario
Errores comunes
Test Yourself
This is the gift ___ my friend gave me.
Find and fix the mistake:
The person stole my wallet ran away.
Elige la oración correcta:
Traduce al inglés: 'El coche que compré está en el garaje.'
Answer starts with: ["T...
Score: /4
Ejercicios de practica
8 exercisesThe man who I saw yesterday is a doctor.
Find and fix the mistake:
The car I bought it is very fast.
The woman ___ lives next door is a pilot.
I liked the movie. You recommended it.
1. The man I saw. 2. The man whom I saw. 3. The man that I saw.
You can drop the relative pronoun in a non-defining relative clause (with commas).
A: Is this the book you were looking for? B: Yes, it's the one ___.
A: The girl who is singing. B: The song she is singing.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesThe concert ___ we saw last night was incredible.
This is the phone ___ has the best camera.
The email arrived this morning contained important news.
¿Qué oración es correcta?
Traduce al inglés: 'El problema que resolvimos era muy complejo.'
Organiza estas palabras en una oración:
Empareja las frases:
She's the only student ___ understood the complex theory.
The solution proposed by the team was innovative.
Selecciona la oración correcta:
Traduce: 'La información que necesito está en ese documento.'
Pon las palabras en orden:
Score: /12
Preguntas frecuentes (8)
No. You can only drop it in defining relative clauses when it is the object. You cannot drop it if it's the subject or in a non-defining clause.
Never! Keeping the pronoun is always grammatically correct. Dropping it is just a way to sound more natural and less formal.
Yes, if 'who' is the object (e.g., 'The man I met'), you can drop it. However, many people prefer to keep 'who' more often than 'that'.
No. You can never drop 'whose' because it shows possession and the sentence would lose its meaning without it.
For writing, it's often better to keep it to show clear structure. For the speaking test, dropping it can help you sound more fluent and natural.
The preposition moves to the end of the relative clause. For example: 'The house (that) I live in'.
English tends toward 'economy of language'. If a word doesn't add new meaning and the sentence is clear without it, we usually remove it.
You can often drop 'when' (The day I met you), but dropping 'where' is much rarer and usually requires adding a preposition (The place I live in).
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
que
Spanish never allows the omission of the relative pronoun.
que / qui
French relative pronouns are strictly mandatory.
der / die / das
German pronouns are inflected and mandatory.
Attributive form
Japanese uses word order instead of pronouns to link ideas.
aladhi (الذي)
Omission depends on the definiteness of the noun, not its role as subject/object.
de (的)
Chinese uses a post-positional linker rather than a relative pronoun.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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When can you omit the relative pronoun? (That, Which, Who)
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Pronombres relativos en inglés (Relative Clauses)
Amigo Inglés
Relative Pronouns - Gramática Inglés: THAT, WHICH, WHO, WHOM, WHOSE
Francisco Ochoa Inglés
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