Lesson 60: Unit 115 - Relative Pronouns (Necessary or not)

About this lesson

In this lesson you will learn when the relative pronouns who, which and that are necessary in the sentence and when they can be left out. The key rule is simple: if the relative pronoun is the subject of the relative clause, it is obligatory; if it is the object (a secondary part of the sentence), it can be omitted. We will read an authentic text – the story "The Wrong Suitcase" – and analyse every relative pronoun. The exercises will help you speak and write English more naturally and confidently.

40 minutes

What you'll learn

• Understand the difference between subject and object in a relative clause.
• Know when who, which and that are obligatory.
• Leave out the relative pronoun when it is the object.
• Read and understand a text with multiple relative clauses.
• Answer questions orally about a text you have read in English.

Lesson vocabulary

• relative pronoun Who, which and that are relative pronouns.
• subject The lady who introduced herself is a professor. (who = subject)
• object Who is the man (who) Ann is talking to? (who = object – can be dropped)
• relative clause The book (that) you wanted is on the table.
• necessary When who is a subject, it is necessary.
• drop You can drop 'that' when it is an object.
• luggage belt The first suitcase which came on the luggage belt was his.
• talkative The girl who sat beside him was not very talkative.
• orderly The lady whose suitcase he had taken was obviously an orderly person.
• unpack He would have enough time to unpack and go to the lecture.
• visiting lecturer Professor Wilde was a visiting lecturer at the university.
• label Only the name which was written on the label was different.
• arrange Everything had been arranged carefully.
• by mistake The lady whose suitcase he had taken by mistake was an orderly person.
• meanwhile Meanwhile, Professor Wilde would finish his lecture.

All lessons in this level

In other languages: Български