Use who for people, as in the man who lives next door, and which for things and animals, as in the car which I want to buy. That can replace either who or which and is very common in spoken English, as in the book that I bought is interesting.
Grammar Rule
Relative pronouns connect a sentence with extra information about something mentioned before.
Who, Which, That: Rules and Examples
| Pronoun | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| who | people only | The man who lives next door is friendly. She’s the teacher who taught me English. |
| which | things and animals only | This is the car which I want to buy. |
| that | people and things (common in speech) | The book that I bought is interesting. I have a dog that loves to swim. |
Remember: who for people, which for things and animals, that works for both.
Practice Test
Instructions
Answer each question in the test below choosing correctly between who, which, and that. You will get a new random set of questions every time you retake the test, plus a downloadable results summary with your name and score at the end.
Relative Pronouns – Who, Which, That (Defining Relative Clauses)
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Frequently Asked Questions
When do you use who in a relative clause?
Use who only for people, as in the man who lives next door is friendly.
When do you use which in a relative clause?
Use which only for things and animals, as in this is the car which I want to buy.
Can that replace who and which?
Yes, that can replace both who and which in defining relative clauses and is especially common in spoken English, as in the book that I bought is interesting.
What kind of clause do who, which, and that introduce?
They introduce defining relative clauses, which add essential information about something or someone already mentioned.