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Relative pronoun

A pronoun which introduces a relative clause. The English relative pronouns are who, whom, whose, which and that.

In most cases, the use of a relative pronoun is optional in English, and informal speech favours its omission. In the following examples, the relative pronoun is optional.

• The woman (who) you were talking to is my boss.
• Paris is a city (that) I have always wanted to visit.

That is common as a relative pronoun in identifying clauses. It can refer to things, and in an informal style to people. In non-identifying clauses, that is unusual.

• Have you got a book that (or which) is really easy to read?
• I lent him ‘Pride and Prejudice’, which is really easy to read. (NOT I lent him ‘Pride and Prejudice’ that is really easy to read.)