Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Defining relative clauses give essential information to identify exactly which person or thing you are talking about.
- Use 'who' or 'that' for people (e.g., The man who called).
- Use 'which' or 'that' for things (e.g., The car that I bought).
- Never use commas before or after a defining relative clause.
Overview
The student is late. （那个学生迟到了），听的人可能会问：“哪个学生啊？” 但是，如果我说 The student who lives next door is late. （住在隔壁的那个学生迟到了），“who lives next door”这个部分就非常清楚地指明了是哪一个学生。这个从句直接告诉我们是哪一个（Which one?）或者什么样的（What kind of?）。who, which, 和 that。理解它们各自的用法是写出清晰、准确句子的关键。Who (指人)：She's the professor who teaches linguistics. （她就是教语言学的那位教授。）这里的 who 是 teaches 的主语。He’s the colleague who I met at the conference. （他是我在会议上遇到的那位同事。）这里 who（更正式的说法是 whom，但现在 who 已经非常普遍了）是 met 的宾语。你可以理解为：I met who at the conference。Which (指物、动物或概念)：The car which is parked outside is mine. （停在外面的那辆车是我的。）这里的 which 是 is parked 的主语。This is the book which I recommended. （这就是我推荐的那本书。）这里的 which 是 recommended 的宾语。你可以理解为：I recommended which book。That (指人、物、动物或概念)：That 是最“万能”的关系代词，因为它既可以指人，也可以指物。在限定性定语从句中，that 非常常用，尤其是在口语中，常常可以和 who 或 which 互换。She's the student that got the highest score. （她就是考了最高分的那个学生。）I like the cafe that has outdoor seating. （我喜欢有户外座位的那家咖啡馆。）The restaurant that cooks very well... |The girl who speaks Chinese... |- 模式：
名词 + (who/that) + 动词 + ...(指人)
名词 + (which/that) + 动词 + ... (指物/动物/概念)- 例子 (指人)：
The student who asked the question was sharp.who 是 asked 的主语。- 例子 (指物)：
The software that crashed needs an update.that 是 crashed 的主语。- 例子 (指物，用
which)：
The painting which hangs in the hall is old.which 是 hangs 的主语。The student asked the question was sharp. 必须有 who 或 that。- 模式 (不省略)：
名词 + (who/whom/that) + 主语 + 动词 + ...(指人)
名词 + (which/that) + 主语 + 动词 + ... (指物/动物/概念)- 模式 (省略)：
名词 + 主语 + 动词 + ...
- 例子 (指人)：
The friend (who/whom/that) I called lives far away.who/whom/that 是 called 的宾语（I called who/whom/that）。省略后就是 The friend I called lives far away.，非常自然。- 例子 (指物)：
The report (which/that) you read was informative.which/that 是 read 的宾语（You read which/that report）。省略后就是 The report you read was informative.- 例子 (指物，用
which)：
The movie (which/that) we watched was thrilling.The movie we watched was thrilling.The book I bought，是不是很像？whom (指人) / which (指物)。The lecturer with whom I spoke was very helpful. （我和 TA 交谈过的那位讲师非常有帮助。）This is the tool with which I fixed the shelf. （这就是我用来修架子的那个工具。）who/that (指人) 或 which/that (指物)，甚至可以省略。The lecturer (who/that) I spoke with was very helpful.This is the tool (which/that) I fixed the shelf with.The friend I rely on is moving. （我依靠的那个朋友要搬家了。）who/that 被省略了，介词 on 放在了最后。that。比如，The meeting in that I participated 是错误的。必须是 The meeting in which I participated (正式) 或者 The meeting that I participated in (非正式)。Could you please pass me the book that is on the top shelf?（请把那个在最上面架子上的书递给我。）
I'm looking for the technician who can fix this printer.（我在找能修这个打印机的那个技术员。）
We need to hire a candidate who has strong leadership skills.（我们需要招聘一个具备强大领导力的候选人。）
She always prefers restaurants which serve organic food.（她总是偏爱提供有机食品的餐厅。）
This is the machine that makes fresh pasta.（这是用来做新鲜意面的那台机器。）
He works for a company that develops AI software.（他为一家开发人工智能软件的公司工作。）
I saw a film that everyone was talking about.（我看了一部大家都议论纷纷的那部电影。）
I saw a film. 要清晰得多。）- 在工作中：
Please submit the report that includes the quarterly sales figures.（请提交包含季度销售数据的那份报告。）
A person who never makes mistakes never makes anything.（一个从不犯错的人，永远也做不成任何事。）
An algorithm that learns from data is called machine learning.（一个能从数据中学习的算法被称为机器学习。）
- 1混淆
who和which：
I met a dog who loves to play fetch. （我遇到一只爱玩捡球的狗。）who 是不对的。）I met a dog which loves to play fetch. 或者 I met a dog that loves to play fetch.who 只能指人，which 只能指物。- 1错误地使用逗号：
The book, that I bought yesterday, is very interesting.The book that I bought yesterday is very interesting.- 1关系代词作宾语时，不习惯省略：
who/which/that 都说出来。This is the movie that we watched last night. （这是我们昨晚看的那部电影。）This is the movie we watched last night.- 1介词和关系代词的搭配：
who/which/that 还是省略。He is the person who I talked about. （这个说法本身没问题，但有些人可能会纠结到底能不能省略 who。）He is the person I talked about. （省略了 who。）He is the person about whom I talked.who/that/which 甚至省略），容易让人感到困惑。that | 可以指人或物 | 只能指物，不能指人（指人必须用 who/whom） |The man who is wearing a blue shirt is my boss. | My boss, who is wearing a blue shirt, is very kind. |The car which is parked outside is mine. | My car, which is parked outside, needs washing. |The car that is parked outside is mine. | (不能用 that，必须用 which) |Give me the cup that is closest to you. （给我离你最近的那个杯子。）“离你最近的”这个信息是区分哪个杯子的关键。My car, which is parked outside, needs washing. （我的车，停在外面那辆，需要洗了。）“停在外面”只是一个补充说明，就算去掉，你朋友也知道你说的是“我的车”。that 的用法： 限定性从句里，that 可以指人或物。非限定性从句里，that 只能指物，而且前面不能加逗号。所以，如果看到 that 并且前面有逗号，那一定是错的。that？什么时候必须用 who 或 which？that 是最灵活的，可以指人，也可以指物，经常可以和 who 或 which 互换。但有几种情况，that 不能用，必须用 who 或 which：The man with whom I spoke... (不能用 with that)My friend, who lives in Beijing... (不能用 that)The sandwich you recommended is delicious. 比 The sandwich that you recommended is delicious. 听起来更地道。whom/which 的结构。但对于 B1 学习者来说，掌握在口语和一般写作中省略宾语位置的关系代词，是非常重要的一步。that，但前面加了逗号，老师会怎么纠正我？that 不能用在非限定性定语从句（也就是前面有逗号的从句）里。非限定性定语从句只能用 who (指人) 或 which (指物)。所以，如果你看到一个句子是 My brother, that is tall, plays basketball.，老师会指出错误，并建议改为 My brother, who is tall, plays basketball.。记住：限定性无逗号，非限定性有逗号。that 只用于限定性从句。Relative Pronoun Selection
| Target | Subject Form | Object Form | Possessive Form |
|---|---|---|---|
|
People
|
who / that
|
who / whom / that / (omitted)
|
whose
|
|
Things
|
which / that
|
which / that / (omitted)
|
whose / of which
|
|
Places
|
which / that
|
where
|
n/a
|
|
Times
|
that
|
when
|
n/a
|
Meanings
A defining relative clause provides information that is necessary to identify the noun it follows. Without this clause, the sentence would be incomplete or the meaning would change significantly.
Identifying People
Using 'who' or 'that' to specify which person is being discussed.
“The woman who lives next door is a doctor.”
“I know a girl that speaks five languages.”
Identifying Things
Using 'which' or 'that' to specify which object or concept is being discussed.
“The book which I borrowed is excellent.”
“This is the phone that has the best camera.”
Possession
Using 'whose' to show who something belongs to within the identifying clause.
“The boy whose father is a pilot is my friend.”
“I met a woman whose car had broken down.”
Reference Table
| 关系代词 | 指代对象 | 用法 | 例子 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
who
|
人
|
作主语或宾语
|
"The friend who called."
|
|
which
|
物 / 动物
|
作主语或宾语
|
"The phone which rang."
|
|
that
|
人 / 物 / 动物
|
作主语或宾语
|
"The idea that succeeded."
|
正式程度
The gentleman whom I encountered this morning. (social_interaction)
The man who I met this morning. (social_interaction)
The guy I met this morning. (social_interaction)
The dude I linked with earlier. (social_interaction)
限定性定语从句：核心要素
关系代词
- who for people
- which for things/animals
- that for people & things (informal)
功能
- 识别 Specify 'which one?'
- 澄清 Prevent ambiguity
结构
- 不加逗号 Part of essential meaning
- 紧跟名词 Directly after the noun it describes
限定性从句中 Who vs. Which vs. That
如何选择关系代词（限定性从句）
该信息对识别名词是否必不可少？
名词是人吗？
名词是物或动物吗？
限定性从句在何时有帮助
锁定人物
- • The friend who lent me money.
- • The teacher that graded my essay.
- • The actor who won the Oscar.
指明事物
- • The book which I finished.
- • The phone that rang loudly.
- • The movie which everyone saw.
澄清背景
- • The coffee that has oat milk.
- • The app which tracks my steps.
- • The meme that went viral.
按水平分级的例句
The man who is happy is my dad.
The man who is happy is my dad.
The dog which is big is mine.
The dog which is big is mine.
I like the girl who is nice.
I like the girl who is nice.
This is the house which is blue.
This is the house which is blue.
The phone that I have is new.
The phone that I have is new.
The people that live here are kind.
The people that live here are kind.
Where is the cake that I bought?
Where is the cake that I bought?
I saw the movie that you liked.
I saw the movie that you liked.
The woman whose car broke down is waiting.
The woman whose car broke down is waiting.
The hotel where we stayed was cheap.
The hotel where we stayed was cheap.
The reason why I called is important.
The reason why I called is important.
Is that the man you were talking about?
Is that the man you were talking about?
The candidate whom we interviewed yesterday was impressive.
The candidate whom we interviewed yesterday was impressive.
The city in which he was born is very small.
The city in which he was born is very small.
The students failing the test will need to retake it.
The students failing the test will need to retake it.
It was the atmosphere that made the restaurant special.
It was the atmosphere that made the restaurant special.
The speed at which the virus spread was alarming.
The speed at which the virus spread was alarming.
Any person found trespassing will be prosecuted.
Any person found trespassing will be prosecuted.
The extent to which he went to help was amazing.
The extent to which he went to help was amazing.
He is a man for whom I have great respect.
He is a man for whom I have great respect.
The manner in which the data was manipulated suggests fraud.
The manner in which the data was manipulated suggests fraud.
Such was the intensity with which she studied that she fell ill.
Such was the intensity with which she studied that she fell ill.
The person to whom the letter was addressed has moved.
The person to whom the letter was addressed has moved.
The criteria by which we judge art are subjective.
The criteria by which we judge art are subjective.
容易混淆
Learners often use commas in defining clauses or use 'that' in non-defining clauses.
Using 'what' to mean 'the thing that'.
Mixing up the person with their possessions.
常见错误
The man what lives here.
The man who lives here.
The car who I like.
The car that I like.
The boy he is my friend.
The boy who is my friend.
I like the book is red.
I like the book that is red.
The man, who is tall, is my uncle.
The man who is tall is my uncle.
The girl who she called me.
The girl who called me.
The house that I live.
The house where I live.
The man whose his car is red.
The man whose car is red.
The reason because I came.
The reason why I came.
The book I read it was good.
The book I read was good.
The person that I gave the book.
The person to whom I gave the book.
句型
The ___ who ___ is ___.
I'm looking for a ___ that ___.
That is the ___ where ___.
He is the kind of person whose ___ is always ___.
Real World Usage
I am looking for a role that allows me to use my coding skills.
Show me the laptops that are under $500.
I want to meet someone who loves hiking and travel.
The suspect is a man who was wearing a blue hoodie.
Did you see the video I sent you?
Take the bus that stops in front of the library.
判断它是否必不可少
The cake that I made is on the table.
千万别加逗号
The student who studies hard will pass.
纠结时就用 that
The movie that we watched was great.
whom 真的很正式
The person with whom I spoke was helpful.
Smart Tips
You can probably omit the relative pronoun entirely to sound more like a native speaker.
Avoid using 'that' for people; use 'who' or 'whom' instead to maintain a professional tone.
Try removing the clause. If the sentence becomes confusing or 'The [Noun]' doesn't refer to anyone specific anymore, don't use commas.
Remember that 'whose' replaces 'his/her/their' + the noun. Don't keep the possessive adjective!
发音
Relative Pronoun Reduction
In fast speech, 'that' is often pronounced with a schwa /ðət/.
Stress on the Noun
The stress usually falls on the noun being defined, not the relative pronoun.
Continuous Flow
The girl who lives next door ↗ is a doctor.
There is no pause between the noun and the defining clause.
记住它
记忆技巧
WHO is for humans, WHICH is for things, and THAT is the friend that fits both strings.
视觉联想
Imagine a giant magnifying glass hovering over a crowd of people. The glass highlights one person wearing a 'WHO' t-shirt. This represents how the clause 'defines' or 'zooms in' on one specific person.
Rhyme
If the info is a must, no commas you shall trust.
Story
A detective is looking for a thief. He says, 'I need the man WHO has the red bag.' There are ten men, but only one has the red bag. The 'who' clause is the detective's tool to find the right person.
Word Web
挑战
Look around your room. Pick three objects and describe them using 'that' or 'which' (e.g., 'The lamp that is on my desk is black').
文化笔记
American English speakers strongly prefer 'that' over 'which' for defining clauses. Using 'which' can sometimes sound overly formal or even British to American ears.
British English is more accepting of 'which' in defining clauses, though 'that' is still very common in speech.
In formal academic papers, 'whom' is still expected when the person is the object of the clause, whereas it has almost disappeared from spoken English.
Relative pronouns in English evolved from interrogative pronouns (who/which) and demonstrative pronouns (that).
对话开场白
Tell me about a person who has influenced your life.
What is a gadget that you can't live without?
Describe the kind of house where you would like to live.
Think of a movie that made you cry. Why was it so sad?
日记主题
常见错误
Test Yourself
The person ___ helps me with tech is very patient.
Find and fix the mistake:
The film, that I saw, was fantastic.
选择正确的句子：
El restaurante que tiene la mejor pizza siempre está lleno.
Answer starts with: ["T...
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Score: /5
练习题
8 exercisesThe woman ___ lives next door is a famous singer.
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
Find and fix the mistake:
The man who he called me is my boss.
I have a friend. Her father is a doctor.
You can use 'that' instead of 'who' for people in defining clauses.
A: Which book do you want? B: I want the one ___ is on the top shelf.
The movie that we saw last night was great.
1. The person... 2. The car... 3. The girl... 4. The house...
Score: /8
Practice Bank
13 exercisesI read the article ___ was recommended by my professor.
The architect ___ designed this building won an award.
Is this the laptop ___ you want to buy?
The doctor which I saw was very kind.
The book, that was on the table, is mine.
哪句话是正确的？
哪句话是正确的？
El coche que está aparcado allí es nuevo.
No me gusta la gente que se queja mucho.
将单词排序：
按正确顺序排列单词：
将关系代词与其通常的指代对象匹配：
匹配句子部分：
Score: /13
常见问题 (8)
You can leave it out only if it is the **object** of the clause. For example, in 'The man [that] I saw', 'I' is the subject and 'that' is the object, so you can omit it. In 'The man who called', 'who' is the subject, so you must keep it.
Neither is 'better', but 'who' is more common in formal writing, while 'that' is very common in everyday speech.
No, 'which' is strictly for things and animals. For people, use 'who' or 'that'.
Commas in English indicate that the information is 'extra'. In defining clauses, the information is essential to identify the noun, so we don't use commas.
'Who' is for subjects and 'whom' is for objects. However, 'whom' is very formal and rarely used in spoken English today.
Yes! You can say 'The tree whose leaves are falling' instead of the more clunky 'The tree of which the leaves are falling'.
In American English, 'that' is preferred for defining clauses. In British English, both 'that' and 'which' are used frequently.
Yes, 'where' is much more natural in conversation. 'The house where I live' is better than 'The house in which I live'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
que
English has different pronouns for people vs. things, whereas Spanish often uses 'que' for both.
qui / que
French never omits the relative pronoun, while English often does.
der / die / das
German relative clauses always require commas, even if they are defining.
None (Adnominal clause)
Japanese uses word order instead of pronouns like 'who' or 'which'.
al-ladhi (الذي)
English does not use resumptive pronouns (e.g., we don't say 'the man who I saw him').
de (的)
The relative clause precedes the noun in Chinese but follows it in English.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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