When the relative pronoun acts as the object of the relative clause, it can often be omitted. Whether you can drop it depends on the type of clause and the pronoun's role.
Object Position — What Does It Mean?
A relative pronoun is an object when it receives the action of the verb inside the clause (rather than performing it).
The film (that) I watched was brilliant. (I watched the film — "that" is the object of watched.) The man who called you is here. (who called you — "who" is the subject of called.)
Omission in Defining Clauses
In defining relative clauses, the object pronoun can always be omitted.
| Function | Pronoun | Can Omit? | Example | | ---------------- | ----------------- | --------- | --------------------------------------- | | Object (person) | who / whom / that | Yes | The woman (who) I met is a doctor. | | Object (thing) | which / that | Yes | The car (that) I bought is red. | | Subject (person) | who / that | No | The man who called is my boss. | | Subject (thing) | which / that | No | The cat that sits here is friendly. |
The pizza that I ordered has arrived. → The pizza I ordered has arrived. The book which she wrote won an award. → The book she wrote won an award. The friend whom I invited is late. → The friend I invited is late.
Pronoun objects can be omitted. Pronoun subjects cannot.
Omission in Non-Defining Clauses
In non-defining relative clauses (with commas), the pronoun cannot be omitted.
My mother, who I love dearly, lives in Paris. — not "My mother, I love dearly..." The Eiffel Tower, which millions visit yearly, is in Paris. — not "The Eiffel Tower, millions visit yearly..."
Prepositions and Omission
When a preposition comes before the relative pronoun (formal), the pronoun cannot be omitted. When the preposition moves to the end (informal), the pronoun can be dropped.
| Formal | Informal | | --------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | | The person to whom I spoke... | The person (who) I spoke to... | | The chair on which I sat... | The chair (that) I sat on... |
Quick Reference
| Clause Type | Pronoun Role | Can Omit? | | ----------------------------------- | ------------ | --------- | | Defining | Object | Yes | | Defining | Subject | No | | Non-defining | Object | No | | Non-defining | Subject | No | | Defining (with preposition at end) | Object | Yes | | Formal (preposition before pronoun) | Object | No |
Common Mistakes
- Omitting a subject pronoun: ~~The man lives next door is friendly.~~ → The man who lives next door is friendly.
- Omitting pronouns in non-defining clauses: ~~My car, I bought last year, broke down.~~ → My car, which I bought last year, broke down.
- Keeping the pronoun when it refers to the object of the clause: ~~The book that I read it was great.~~ → The book (that) I read was great. (The pronoun itself replaces the object — do not repeat it.)