English — Grammar: Relative Pronouns (Who, Which, That) — 2nd Year Middle School — Algerian Curriculum

Relative Pronouns (Who, Which, That)

Relative pronouns connect a clause or phrase to a noun or pronoun. They help us give more information about a person or thing without starting a new sentence.

Who

Used for people.

Examples :
– The woman who lives next door is a doctor.
– I know the boy who won the competition.
– The teacher who taught me English is very kind.

Which

Used for animals and things.

Examples :
– The book which is on the table is mine.
– My phone, which I bought last year, is broken.
– The movie which we watched was amazing.

That

Used for both people and things (in defining relative clauses).

Examples :
– The car that is red belongs to my father.
– The girl that sits next to me is my best friend.
– This is the house that I grew up in.

When to Use That vs Who/Which

“That” is more common in everyday speech. “Who” is more specific for people. “Which” is more formal for things.

Exercises

1. Complete with who, which, or that: “The man ___ called you is my uncle.” / “The cat ___ sleeps all day is lazy.” / “The cake ___ you made is delicious.”
2. Combine the sentences: “I have a friend. She lives in London.” → “I have a friend who lives in London.”
3. Write 3 sentences using who, 3 using which, and 3 using that.

See also Tag Questions and First Conditional.