A defining relative clause gives essential information that identifies exactly which person or thing we mean. Without it, the sentence would be unclear or would mean something different.
RULE
who = people (subject)
which / that = things (subject)
that can usually replace who or which in a defining clause
TIP
No commas around a defining relative clause — removing it would change (or destroy) the meaning of the sentence.
EXAMPLES
The Celts who settled in Turkey spoke Galatian.
Those who went to Ireland and later Scotland spoke Goidelic.
Sanskrit is a language which is still studied today.
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Theory · read before you start
Omitting the Pronoun: Object Relative Clauses
When the relative pronoun is the OBJECT of the clause (not the subject), it can be left out completely.
RULE
Subject relative clause: pronoun is required
Object relative clause: pronoun is optional
TIP
Test it: if you can move the pronoun to the end and it still makes sense as a normal sentence ('the language Jones studied'), it's an object clause and you can drop it.
EXAMPLES
Sir William Jones is the judge who noticed the similarities. (subject — cannot omit)
Sanskrit is the language (that) Jones began to study in India. (object — optional)
Latin was a new language (which) the Romans introduced. (object — optional)
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Gap fill · type your answer in each gap
Complete each sentence with who, which, or that.
1.Sir William Jones was a judge lived in India.
2.Sanskrit is a language is very old.
3.The Celts settled in Turkey spoke Galatian.
4.The Angles were a group came from Denmark.
5.Wessex was the kingdom became strongest in the ninth century.
6.The Jutes were the people stayed in Kent.
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Quiz · choose one option per question
Choose the correct relative pronoun.
1.Sir William Jones was the judge noticed the similarities between languages.
2.Sanskrit is the language Jones began to study in India.
3.The kingdom became strongest in the ninth century was Wessex.
4.The Angles were the group moved north.
5.The Jutes are the people arrived in southern Britain.
6.Latin was the language some British Celts learnt to speak.
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Correct the mistakes · type the correct word in the box
The highlighted word contains a mistake. Write the correct form.
1.
Sir William Jones was the judge which lived in India.
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2.
Sanskrit is the language who Jones began to study.
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3.
The Celts which settled in Turkey spoke Galatian.
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4.
The Angles were the group which moved north.
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5.
Wessex was the kingdom who became strongest.
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6.
The Jutes are the people which stayed in Kent.
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Sentence transform · type your rewritten sentence
Combine each pair of sentences into one, using a relative pronoun (who / which / that).
1.Sir William Jones was a British judge. He lived in India.
2.The Kurgans were a group of people. They probably spoke Proto-Indo-European.
3.Sanskrit is a very old language. It is still studied today.
4.The Celts settled in Turkey. They spoke Galatian.
5.Latin was a new language. The Romans introduced it.
6.Wessex was the kingdom. It became strongest in the ninth century.