who / that (subject relative)
who / that (subject relative) means “Subject relative pronoun: who/that/which join a clause to the noun it describes”. A relative clause adds information about a noun. Formation: person → who/that · thing → which/that + verb
Subject relative pronoun: who/that/which join a clause to the noun it describes
A2Formation
person → who/that · thing → which/that + verb
Explanation
A relative clause adds information about a noun. When the relative pronoun is the subject of that clause, use who for people, which for things, and that for either: the man who/that lives next door, the bus which/that goes downtown. The verb agrees with the noun: a friend who lives here, friends who live here.
Examples
Note
The subject relative pronoun cannot be dropped: the man who lives here (not the man lives here). Which is only for things, never people.
FAQ
who / that (subject relative) — what does it mean and how is it used?
Subject relative pronoun: who/that/which join a clause to the noun it describes. A relative clause adds information about a noun. When the relative pronoun is the subject of that clause, use who for people, which for things, and that for either: the man who/that lives next door, the bus which/that goes downtown. The verb agrees with the noun: a friend who lives here, friends who live here.
who / that (subject relative) — how do you form it?
person → who/that · thing → which/that + verb
who / that (subject relative) — any usage notes?
The subject relative pronoun cannot be dropped: the man who lives here (not the man lives here). Which is only for things, never people.