Teacher Guide / Instructions
A defining or identifying clause tells us which specific person or thing we are talking about in a larger group of people or things. If a defining relative clause is removed, the meaning of the sentence changes significantly. A defining relative clause is not separated from the rest of the sentence by commas or parentheses.
Form:
Use 'who' to give more information about a person.
• An architect is a person who designs buildings.
Use 'which' or 'that' to give more information about a thing.
• A corkscrew is something which is needed to open bottles.
• The book that you gave me for my birthday is really interesting.
Use 'where' to give more information about a place.
• That’s where we got married.
• The town where my uncle lives is a few miles from here.
If the noun which the relative clause describes (usually at the beginning of the sentence) is the object of the sentence, you can eliminate which, that or who.
The man who is wearing the blue suit is my brother.
Because 'the man' is the subject of the sentence, you cannot eliminate who.
The man (who) George is talking to is my brother.
George is the subject of the sentence, so we can eliminate 'who'.
Teacher Guide
A defining or identifying clause tells us which specific person or thing we are talking about in a larger group of people or things. If a defining relative clause is removed, the meaning of the sentence changes significantly. A defining relative clause is not separated from the rest of the sentence by commas or parentheses.
Form:
Use 'who' to give more information about a person.
• An architect is a person who designs buildings.
Use 'which' or 'that' to give more information about a thing.
• A corkscrew is something which is needed to open bottles.
• The book that you gave me for my birthday is really interesting.
Use 'where' to give more information about a place.
• That’s where we got married.
• The town where my uncle lives is a few miles from here.
If the noun which the relative clause describes (usually at the beginning of the sentence) is the object of the sentence, you can eliminate which, that or who.
The man who is wearing the blue suit is my brother.
Because 'the man' is the subject of the sentence, you cannot eliminate who.
The man (who) George is talking to is my brother.
George is the subject of the sentence, so we can eliminate 'who'.
Teacher Guide
A defining or identifying clause tells us which specific person or thing we are talking about in a larger group of people or things. If a defining relative clause is removed, the meaning of the sentence changes significantly. A defining relative clause is not separated from the rest of the sentence by commas or parentheses.
Form:
Use 'who' to give more information about a person.
• An architect is a person who designs buildings.
Use 'which' or 'that' to give more information about a thing.
• A corkscrew is something which is needed to open bottles.
• The book that you gave me for my birthday is really interesting.
Use 'where' to give more information about a place.
• That’s where we got married.
• The town where my uncle lives is a few miles from here.
If the noun which the relative clause describes (usually at the beginning of the sentence) is the object of the sentence, you can eliminate which, that or who.
The man who is wearing the blue suit is my brother.
Because 'the man' is the subject of the sentence, you cannot eliminate who.
The man (who) George is talking to is my brother.
George is the subject of the sentence, so we can eliminate 'who'.