Relative Clauses - when to omit that/which/who?

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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > Relative Clauses - when to omit that/which/who?

Relative Clauses - when to omit that/which/who?

moravc

Relative Clauses - when to omit that/which/who?

One of my students find it really difficult to decide whether to omit "that / which / who" or not.
The woman I saw was old. but: The man who wrote the book is my uncle.

Is there an EASY trick?

and question two: do you happen to know any website with many examples of these sentences?

I know this topic is easy for advanced students but my student is lower-intermediate and she doesn�t read very often. She doesn�t have the "feeling" for it...

2 Aug 2011

anitarobi

http://nautilus.cilta.unibo.it/ingleseb2/materiali/relative_link.html - perhaps you might find sth here, although many students don �t have the feeling for it. I usually let my students read it to themselves aloud with and then without the relative pronoun and ask them if it makes sense without. Most of them get it this way.

2 Aug 2011

sona21

I tell my students that they can omit "that, who, which" when it is followed by subject of the relative clause (usually pronoun). It works really well. Smile

Smile

2 Aug 2011

moravc

Thanks a lot Sona, your "trick" seems pretty easy!
I got a similar message from David...

Does any of you know whether there are any exceptions to this rule?

We can omit "that, who, which" when it is followed by subject of the relative clause (usually pronoun) in defining relative clause (with no commas).

2 Aug 2011

Zsuzsapszi

Hi,

I agree with sona21. I also teach this to my ss. And answering to your latest question I don �t know any exceptions to this rule you wrote.
So you can omit that, who or which only in defining relative clause an only if it isn �t followed by object of the relative clause.
And I also tell my ss to be careful because you mustn �t use that in non-defining clause. (Sometimes they forget it.)

Hope I could help.

Hugs,
Susan

2 Aug 2011

almaz

@ Nika

I can think of one possible exception where there is no subject relative pronoun - but it �s definitely informal: there �s a guy works down the chip shop swears he �s Elvis (Kirsty MacColl).

It could be re-read as there �s a guy (who) works down the chip shop (who) swears he �s Elvis, if you so wish...

2 Aug 2011

moravc

Thanks a lot!!!
Great tips!

2 Aug 2011