What is a Omitting the Relative Pronoun?
A contact clause is a defining relative clause from which the relative pronoun has been removed. The two parts of the sentence are placed directly next to each other — "in contact" — without any connecting word. Contact clauses are extremely common in spoken English and informal writing.
The golden rule is simple: you can only omit the relative pronoun when it is the object of the relative clause. When the relative pronoun is the subject of the clause, it cannot be dropped.
This distinction — subject vs object — is the only test you need. Everything else follows from it.
The Subject vs Object Test
Before deciding whether to omit a relative pronoun, identify its role in the relative clause. Ask: does the relative clause have its own subject separate from the pronoun?
Relative clause has its own subject? → pronoun is object → can omitSubject vs Object Examples
| Example | Pronoun role | Can omit? | Contact clause |
|---|---|---|---|
| the book that I read | object (I is the subject) | ✓ Yes | the book I read |
| the person who you met | object (you is the subject) | ✓ Yes | the person you met |
| the email which she sent | object (she is the subject) | ✓ Yes | the email she sent |
| the book that changed my life | subject (no other subject) | ✗ No | — |
| the person who called me | subject (no other subject) | ✗ No | — |
When to Use Omitting the Relative Pronoun
Object relative clauses — always safe to omit
Whenever the relative pronoun (who, which, or that) is the object of the relative clause, you can leave it out. The resulting contact clause sounds natural in both spoken and written English.
- The report (that) she submitted was excellent.
- The colleague (who) I introduced you to has just resigned.
- The city (which) they visited last summer was beautiful.
After stranded prepositions — can omit
When a preposition comes at the end of the relative clause (a "stranded" preposition), the pronoun before the preposition is the object and can be omitted. This pattern is very common in informal speech.
- The school (that) I studied at has closed down.
- The hotel (which) we stayed in was by the sea.
- The company (that) she applied to offered her the job.
Subject relative clauses — never omit
When the relative pronoun is the subject of its clause — that is, when there is no other noun or pronoun acting as the subject — the pronoun is grammatically essential and cannot be removed.
- The film that won the Oscar was directed by a first-time filmmaker. (cannot omit: that = subject)
- The neighbour who lives upstairs plays the piano every evening. (cannot omit: who = subject)
- The earthquake which struck the region caused widespread damage. (cannot omit: which = subject)
Non-defining relative clauses — never omit
In non-defining relative clauses — those set off by commas — the relative pronoun is always required, whether it is a subject or an object. Contact clauses only exist in defining relative clauses.
- My manager, who I respect enormously, has just retired. (cannot omit: non-defining)
- The contract, which we signed last month, is now invalid. (cannot omit: non-defining)
- Her first novel, which sold over a million copies, was rejected by twenty publishers. (cannot omit: non-defining)
Whose and where — never omit
Whose (possession) and where (place) are never omitted, even in defining relative clauses. They carry too much grammatical information to be silently dropped.
- The author whose novel I reviewed has won a prize. (cannot omit whose)
- The café where we met has since closed. (cannot omit where)
- A student whose parents both teach rarely struggles with academic writing. (cannot omit whose)
Relative Pronouns at a Glance
Contact Clause vs Full Relative Clause
Both forms are grammatically correct when the pronoun is the object. The contact clause is more natural in speech; the full clause sounds slightly more deliberate or formal.
Contact clause — natural in speech
The film I watched last night was brilliant.
The pronoun that is omitted. The two clauses are directly adjacent. This is the form most native speakers use in conversation and informal writing.
Full relative clause — slightly more formal
The film that I watched last night was brilliant.
The pronoun that is kept. Both are correct. In formal writing, keeping the pronoun can add clarity, especially in longer or more complex sentences.
Object — pronoun can be dropped
The person (who) you recommended was perfect for the role.
You is the subject of the relative clause; who is the object. Dropping it is correct and natural.
Subject — pronoun must stay
The person who recommended you was very convincing.
Who is the subject of the relative clause. There is no other noun acting as the subject. Dropping it would produce an ungrammatical sentence.
Common Mistakes
Omitting a subject relative pronoun
✗ The woman works in my office has just had a baby.
✓ The woman who works in my office has just had a baby.
Who is the subject of the relative clause (it is the one doing the working). Subject pronouns cannot be omitted. Without it, the two verbs (works, has had) clash ungrammatically.
Omitting the pronoun in a non-defining clause
✗ My colleague, I introduced you to last week, has just been promoted.
✓ My colleague, who I introduced you to last week, has just been promoted.
Non-defining relative clauses (marked by commas) always require the relative pronoun, even when the pronoun would be the object. Contact clauses only work in defining clauses.
Adding a personal pronoun to "fill the gap" after omitting
✗ The book I read it last week was very interesting.
✓ The book I read last week was very interesting.
When the relative pronoun is omitted, do not replace it with a personal pronoun (it, him, her, them). The noun is already identified by the head noun at the start of the clause.
Omitting "whose" or "where"
✗ The company I work the offices are in the city centre.
✓ The company whose offices are in the city centre is very well known.
Whose and where are never dropped. They are structural words that signal possession or location — the sentence becomes incoherent without them.
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