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Relative Clauses: Omission of Pronoun

Form

Noun + (who/which/that) + Subject + Verb
(The pronoun is optional because a new subject follows it)

The film (that) we watched was fantastic.

The man (who) she met is a doctor.


Meanings

When to Omit the Pronoun

In defining relative clauses, you can (and often should) omit the relative pronoun when it is the object of the clause. A simple test is to look at the word after the pronoun:

  • If it’s a new subject (I, you, the boy, she…), the pronoun is the OBJECT. → You can omit it.
  • If it’s a verb, the pronoun is the SUBJECT. → You cannot omit it.

Object: The cake (that) you baked… (Pronoun is followed by subject ‘you’)

Subject: The dog that barks… (Pronoun is followed by verb ‘barks’)


Practice exercises