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.
你将学到什么
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.
-
关系代词：为人物使用 'Who'用
who丝滑地给“人”增加细节，让你的英语听起来更自然。记住：who指代人、«紧跟人后»、«连接信息»。 -
关系代词：指物“Which”就像给事物贴上“说明书”，用
which来自然地连接关于物体、动物或想法的关键细节。 -
关系代词：人与物的 'That' 用法在日常英语中，
that是你的全能好朋友，不管是人还是物，只要是提供“关键信息”，用它准没错。记住defining clauses和no commas这两个关键词。 -
限定性关系从句：识别人和物限定性定语从句就是名词的“身份说明书”，帮你锁定特定的对象。你的三个核心工具是
who、which和that。 -
不要省略主语：关系代词 (who, which, that)记住啦，当 who, which 或 that 在从句里当主语时，千万不能省！它们就是连接句子的“胶水”：
who指人，which指物，that都能用。 -
省略关系代词（'that' 的快捷方式）想让英语更丝滑？只要 that 在从句里当“宾语”，大胆把它删掉！记住
Noun + Subject + Verb这个公式就够了。
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
-
1
By the end you will be able to: Use relative pronouns to describe people and objects in a professional context.
章节指南
Overview
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
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.
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).
The chef who cooked our meal is famous.Who is the subject of
cooked, so it must stay.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✗ The person which called me was my sister.
- 1✗ The report I wrote was very long. (Intended as subject pronoun omitted)
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 longalso correct, but the mistake here was thinking it was a subject pronoun drop). A better example of a subject drop mistake:
that is the subject of barked and performs the action, so it cannot be dropped.- 1✗ My new phone, that I bought yesterday, is very fast.
Real Conversations
A
B
A
B
A
B
Quick FAQ
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.
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).
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.
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
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.关键例句 (6)
技巧与窍门 (4)
人选 'who'，物选 'which'
The woman who lives next door is nice.
用 Which 消除歧义
The car which is red is mine.
锁定“核心信息”
The app that I use is free.
判断它是否必不可少
The cake that I made is on the table.
核心词汇 (5)
Real-World Preview
Office Introduction
Review Summary
- Person + who + verb
- Thing + which + verb
- Noun + (that/which) + Subject + Verb
常见错误
Use 'who' for people, not 'which'.
Don't repeat the object pronoun (it).
Avoid redundant pronouns in relative clauses.
本章规则 (6)
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.
快速练习 (10)
Find and fix the mistake:
That's the movie star which played my favorite superhero.
Which 是给物体用的，电影明星（movie star）是人，所以必须改用 who。frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 关系代词：为人物使用 'Who'
Find and fix the mistake:
The person which called me was very rude.
Which 用于事物，指代人时必须用 who。frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 关系代词：指物“Which”
Find and fix the mistake:
The film, that I saw, was fantastic.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 限定性关系从句：识别人和物
The person stole my wallet ran away.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 省略关系代词（'that' 的快捷方式）
请选出正确的句子：
that 可以指代人，且不需要逗号。frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 关系代词：人与物的 'That' 用法
The woman ___ lives next door is a doctor.
who 来引导描述她的句子。frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 关系代词：为人物使用 'Who'
This is the gift ___ my friend gave me.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 省略关系代词（'that' 的快捷方式）
Choose the correct sentence:
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 省略关系代词（'that' 的快捷方式）
I need the book ___ is on the top shelf.
which 来引导定语从句。frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 关系代词：指物“Which”
Translate into English: 'El coche que compré está en el garaje.'
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 省略关系代词（'that' 的快捷方式）
Score: /10
常见问题 (6)
The student who studies hard gets good grades.
I bought a book which was recommended.
The dog who barked。
This is the car that has the flat tire.
the person that called也可以说
the email that arrived。
