When do you use who, which, or that?
Use who for people and which for things or animals. That can link to either in everyday English. After everything, use that, not what.
- Who describes a person.
- Which describes a thing or animal.
- That can describe people or things in everyday English.
A2 · Relative clauses · 10 minRelative pronouns — who, which, and that.
Join two short ideas and describe people, things, or animals more clearly. Simple everyday and office examples help you — free to try, with no signup.
- CEFR levelA2 · Elementary
- TimeAbout 10 minutes
- Core ideaperson or thing
- Blocks10 blocks
01 / 06
What are relative clauses with who, which, and that?
Relative clauses with who, which, and that join two ideas and avoid repeating a person or thing. "The colleague sits next to me. The colleague found the report" becomes "The colleague who sits next to me found the report." The word who replaces the second mention of the colleague and attaches the extra information to that person. The same works with a thing: "The report arrived today. The report is clear" becomes "The report which arrived today is clear." You get one longer but still simple sentence. At this stage, ask just one question: are you describing a person or a thing? Use who for a person. Use which for a thing or animal. In everyday English, that can link to either.
02 / 06
When do you use who in a relative clause?
Use who when the word before the relative clause names a person. A clear example is "The colleague who sits next to me is from Hamburg." The part who sits next to me tells us more about the colleague. At work, you can also say "The client who called this morning needs the new figures." Again, who called this morning describes a person. The word who looks like the question word who, but it does not ask a question here. It links a description to a person. Use a simple test: can you point to a human before the gap? Then who is the natural choice. For a report, a laptop, or an animal, switch to which or often that in everyday English.
03 / 06
When do you use which in a relative clause?
Use which when you describe a thing or an animal. For example, say "The laptop which is on my desk belongs to Sara." The part which is on my desk describes the laptop. An office example is "The report which arrived today is clear." Here the relative clause describes the report. Which also works for an animal: "The dog which lives next door is friendly." In these simple sentences, which is not natural for people. Do not say "The colleague which sits next to me." The natural form is "The colleague who sits next to me." German der, die, and das do not show the same visible split between a human and a thing. In English, ask: person or thing? A thing or animal points to which.
04 / 06
When do you use that instead of who or which?
You can use that for people and things in everyday English. For a person, say "The supplier that delivers on time is reliable." For a thing, use "The report that you sent is clear." This makes that a practical link when you build a sentence quickly in conversation. The basic split is still useful: who clearly points to a person, and which points to a thing or animal. That is the practical everyday option for both. This lesson stays with simple sentences without commas. The deeper rules about essential and extra information belong to the next lesson on defining relative clauses. One short pointer is enough here: in "the report (that) you sent," that can disappear because you already performs the action. For now, check mainly the reference: person, thing, or either with that.
05 / 06
Which who and which mistakes do German speakers make?
German speakers often use which for people or transfer alles, was directly with what. The first error sounds like this: "The colleague which sits next to me is from Hamburg." Change it to "The colleague who sits next to me is from Hamburg." The same applies to clients: not "The client which called," but "The client who called." The second error is "I understood everything what you said." After everything, use that or no relative pronoun: "I understood everything that you said" or "I understood everything you said." German was therefore does not automatically become what. Keep two short questions in mind: is the reference a person or a thing? Does everything already come before the gap?
06 / 06
How do you use who, which, and that at work?
At work, who, which, and that help you describe people, documents, and companies briefly. You can say "The colleague who sits next to me manages the calendar." For a client, use "The client who called this morning needs the new figures." Describe a thing with which: "The laptop which is on my desk belongs to Sara." In everyday English, that is very practical: "The supplier that delivers on time is reliable" and "The report that you sent is clear." These sentences avoid repetition and make messages easier to read. Start with two short statements and find the repeated noun. Replace the second mention with who, which, or that. A person points to who, a thing or animal to which, and that can link to either in everyday English.