Relative Clauses 2: Omitting who/that/which
When you can drop the relative pronoun and when you must keep it
Subject vs. Object: The Key Difference
Whether you can drop who, that, or which depends on one thing: is the relative pronoun the subject or the object of the clause?
| Role | Can you drop it? | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | No | The manager who handles our account is on leave. |
| Object | Yes | The manager (who) I contacted was very helpful. |
The test is simple. Look at the word right after the relative pronoun. If it is a verb, the pronoun is the subject — keep it. If it is a noun or pronoun (I, you, he, we, they…), the pronoun is the object — you can drop it.
When You Must Keep who/that/which
When who/that/which is the subject of the relative clause, it cannot be removed. Without it, the sentence breaks.
- The colleague who sits next to me speaks four languages. (not
The colleague sits next to me speaks…) - Where is the report that was on my desk? (not
Where is the report was on my desk?) - The software which runs our payroll system needs an update. (not
The software runs our payroll system needs…)
In each sentence, the relative pronoun is doing the action in the clause (sits, was, runs). Remove it and you lose the subject.
When You Can Drop who/that/which
When who/that/which is the object, the clause already has its own subject. The pronoun is optional.
- The candidate I interviewed this morning was excellent. (or The candidate who I interviewed…)
- Have you read the email she sent yesterday? (or …the email that she sent…)
- The figures we need are in the spreadsheet. (or …the figures which we need…)
Notice there is always a subject (I, she, we) right after the gap where the pronoun used to be.
One common mistake: do not add an extra pronoun at the end.
- The candidate I interviewed (not
The candidate I interviewed him) - The email she sent (not
The email she sent it)
Prepositions in Relative Clauses
When the relative clause contains a preposition, the preposition stays at the end of the clause. The relative pronoun can still be dropped if it is the object.
- The hotel we stayed at was right next to the conference centre. (or …the hotel that we stayed at…)
- The recruiter I spoke to gave me useful advice. (or …the recruiter who I spoke to…)
- Is this the project you were working on? (or …the project that you were working on?)
Again, do not add an extra pronoun after the preposition.
- The hotel we stayed at (not
The hotel we stayed at it) - The recruiter I spoke to (not
The recruiter I spoke to her)
everything/all/nothing + that (not what)
After everything, something, nothing, anything, all, and the best/worst/only, use that — not what. And since that is the object in these cases, you can drop it.
- Everything (that) he said in the meeting made sense. (not
Everything what he said) - I’ve done all (that) I can to fix the issue. (not
all what I can) - Is there anything (that) I can help you with?
Use what only when there is no noun before it. What means “the thing(s) that”:
- *What he said in the meeting made sense.* (= The things that he said)
Quick Self-Check
The consultant _____ redesigned our workflow saved us three hours a day.
Select your answer:
The training course _____ I attended last week was really practical.
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The supplier we placed the order _____ hasn't confirmed the delivery date.
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I didn't agree with everything _____ was in the proposal.
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She told me _____ she knew about the restructuring plan.
Select your answer: