093 : Relative clauses 2: clauses with and without who/that/which

   A   

Look at these example sentences from Unit 92:

 

 

You must use who/that/which when it is the subject of the relative clause. So you cannot say
'The woman lives next door is a doctor' or 'Where is the cheese was in the fridge?'.

 

 

   B   

Sometimes who/that/which is the object of the verb. For example:

 

 

When who/that/which is the object, you can leave it out. So you can say:

• The woman I wanted to see was away. or The woman who I wanted to see ...
• Have you found the keys you lost? or ... the keys that you lost?
• The dress Lisa bought doesn't fit her very well. or The dress that Lisa bought ...
• Is there anything I can do? or ... anything that I can do?

 

Note that we say:

     the keys you lost (not the keys you lost them)
     the dress Lisa bought (not the dress Lisa bought it)

 

 

   C   

Note the position of prepositions (in/to/for etc.) in relative clauses:

 

• Are these the books you were looking for? 

    or ... the books that/which you were ...

• The woman he fell in love with left him after a month. 

    or The woman who/that he ...

• The man I was sitting next to on the plane talked all the time. 

    or The man who/that I was sitting next to ...

 

Note that we say:

the books you were looking for (not the books you were looking for them)

 

 

   D   

You cannot use what in sentences like these (see also Unit 92D):

• Everything (that) they said was true. (not Everything what they said)
• I gave her all the money (that) I had. (not all the money what I had)

 

What = the thing(s) that:

• Did you hear what they said? (= the things that they said)