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

A2

Formation

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

The man who lives next door is very kind.
Take the bus that goes downtown.

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.

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