📘 Part of the Complete English Course · Intermediate (B1), week 8
Relative clauses give more information about a person, thing or place. They help you explain exactly what you mean: The phone that I bought last week doesn't work.
The rules
Relative pronouns
| Word | For | Example |
|---|---|---|
| who | people | The man who served me was very helpful. |
| which | things | The heater, which I bought in May, has stopped working. |
| that | people or things (defining) | The part that broke is under warranty. |
| where | places | That's the shop where I bought it. |
| whose | possession | The customer whose order was late got a refund. |
Remember
- You can often leave out who/which/that when it's the object: The phone (that) I bought…
- Commas: use them for extra information (non-defining): My manager, who is very kind, approved it.
- Don't repeat the pronoun: The phone that I bought it (wrong).
Listen and repeat
- I'm calling about the order that I placed on Monday.
- The staff member who helped me was really kind.
- This is the receipt which shows the date.
- The store where I bought it is closing.
Common mistakes
| Not this | Say this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The man who helped me | who for people. | |
| The phone that I bought | Don't repeat 'it'. | |
| The place where I work | where for places. |
Check yourself
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Frequently asked questions
When do we use who / which / that in English?
Relative clauses give more information about a person, thing or place. They help you explain exactly what you mean: The phone that I bought last week doesn't work. You can often leave out who/which/that when it's the object: The phone (that) I bought…
What are common mistakes with who / which / that?
Say 'The man who helped me', not 'The man which helped me' (who for people). Say 'The phone that I bought', not 'The phone that I bought it' (Don't repeat 'it'). Say 'The place where I work', not 'The place which I work' (where for places).
What level is this who / which / that lesson?
It's a Intermediate (B1) lesson, week 8 of the free Complete English Course. It takes about 10 minutes and ends with a quiz.