Grammar · Sentence structure
Relative pronouns
Formula: who · which · that · whose · where · when
B1
Quick answer
The 5 main uses
1. Who: for people
Use who after a noun for a person.
“The girl who lives next door is my friend.”
2. Which: for things and animals
Use which after a noun for a thing or an animal.
“The book which is on the table is mine.”
3. That: instead of who or which (common in speech)
That can replace who or which in many sentences. Here, you can also leave it out: The book I bought is great.
“The book that I bought is great.”
4. Whose: possession
Whose shows that something belongs to someone: the boy's dog → the boy whose dog.
“The boy whose dog is barking is my brother.”
5. Where / when: place and time
Use where after a place and when after a time.
“The place where I was born is beautiful. The day when we met.”
Common mistakes to avoid
You can leave out an object relative pronoun
When the relative pronoun is the object, you can leave it out: The book (that) I bought ✓. But you cannot leave it out when it is the subject: The book that is on the table ✓ (that is needed).
No comma before that
A clause that tells you which person or thing (a defining clause) has no comma. A clause that only adds extra information has commas. It uses who or which, not that: My brother, who lives in Paris, is a doctor.
Whose vs who's
Whose = possession. Who's = short form of who is. The boy whose dog… ≠ Who's coming?
Related pages: Relative pronouns
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
What's next?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the relative pronouns in English?+
Who (people), which (things, animals), that (both, common in speech), whose (possession), where (places), when (times). You choose between who and which by the type of noun they replace.
What is the difference between who and which?+
Who is for people (The man who lives next door). Which is for things and animals (The book which is on the table). In speech, that often replaces both.
When can you leave out the relative pronoun?+
When it is the object of the clause: The book (that) I bought is great. A simple test: another subject (I, you, she…) comes right after it. You cannot leave it out when it is the subject: The book that is on the table (that is needed).
What is the difference between whose and who's?+
Whose shows possession: The boy whose dog is barking. Who's is the short form of who is or who has: Who's there? This is a common spelling mistake.
How do you use whose in English?+
Whose shows that something belongs to someone: The man whose car is red (= the man; his car is red). You can also use it for animals and things: a house whose windows are blue. For things, of which is also possible, but it is rare and formal.
Updated on 6 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 6 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/grammar/relative-pronouns
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.