Explaining relative clauses with ‘that’ - E5-03W

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‘That replacing ‘who’ and ‘which’

 

It is often possible to use ‘that’ as a relative pronoun to replace both ‘who’ and ‘which’.

 

This is a wall-hanging which / that I bought recently from a shop in the Old Town.

This year, Caroline is the star who / that everyone admires.

 

Here we have two defining relative clauses in which ‘that’ can replace either ‘who’ or ‘which’ without any problem.

 

Leaving out the relative pronoun

In fact, neither is even necessary, because we can also say

 

This is a wall-hanging (x) I bought recently from a shop in the Old Town.

This year, Caroline is the star (x) everyone admires.

 

Notice that when we get deep into the spoken language, these relatives in non-defining clauses become rare:

 

‘Look, there’s something (x) I need to talk to you about.’

‘Another bloke (x) I really can’t stand is that… what’s his name…?’

 

Subject & object of the verb in the relative clause

 

Have I told you about the girl who / that works at the reception desk?

Lin bought a watch which / that cost over a thousand pounds.

 

In the first two sentences at the top of the page, the nouns ‘wall-hanging’ and ‘the star (Caroline)’ are each the OBJECT of the verb in their relative clause:

 

I bought a wall hanging

Everyone admires the star (Caroline).

 

In the second two sentences, the nouns ‘girl’ and ‘watch’ are each the SUBJECT of the verb in their relative clause.

 

The girl works at the reception

(the) watch cost over a thousand pounds

 

In the second case, where the relative pronoun replaces a noun which is the subject of the verb in the relative clause, the relative CANNOT be left out:

 

Have I told you about the girl works at the reception desk?

 

Lin bought a watch cost over a thousand pounds.

 

So, in defining relative clauses where ‘who’ or ‘which’ would be used, ‘that’ is also possible.

But in non-defining clauses (sometimes also called ‘extra-information clauses), it cannot be used.

 

Celia, who (not ‘that’) works behind the counter in the post office, is getting married to a Texan with a cowboy hat.

She’s getting married in Las Vegas, which (not ‘that’) is where they do ‘Elvis’ and other themed weddings.

 

 

Further examples – all above types

 

Nothing (x) I’ve ever seen has upset me so much.

I heard everything (x) you said, you don’t have to say it again!

 

My sister wrote the article (which / that) everyone is so upset about.

The police were showing photos of a woman (who / that) nobody recognised.

 

The jewellery was stolen by a cat burglar who / that got in by climbing across the roofs.

In the paper there was a picture of the diamond necklace which / that had once belonged to the Empress Catherine of Russia.

 

The auction, which (not ‘that’) was held above a shop in the High Street, raised two thousand pounds for charity.

The burglar, who (not ‘that’) got five years for the diamond necklace robbery, had no previous convictions.

 

Relative ‘which’: the special case

‘Which’ can also be used to refer not simply to one word, but to a whole clause:

 

The company’s Christmas Party was held on a river boat, which the staff thought was a brilliant idea.

There are people in this world without the means to eat properly, which I find very sad.

 

In these cases, ‘which’ refers not to one noun (such as the river boat), but to everything which comes before it in the sentence. In this use of ‘which’, it can never be left out and ‘that’ cannot be substituted for it. Note also that it must follow the clause to which it refers – it cannot open the sentence:

 

She’s going to the country for a few days to rest, which (not ‘that’) I feel is just what she needs.