Omitting Relative Pronouns (Object Position)

Relative pronouns connect two parts of a sentence. They usually follow a noun. For example, look at the phrase the book that I read. Here, that is the relative pronoun. It connects the book to I read. In this specific sentence, that is the object. Why? Because I is the subject. I am the person doing the reading. The book is just sitting there being read. When the relative pronoun is the object, it becomes optional. You can just say the book I read. It sounds cleaner, right? It is like removing a redundant "the" in a text message. Your brain fills in the gap automatically. However, you cannot always do this. There is a specific rule to follow. If the pronoun is the subject, it must stay. If it is the object, it can go. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. If a new subject follows the pronoun, the light is green. You can delete the pronoun and keep moving.

1. 1Identify the noun you want to describe. Let's use the movie.
2. 2Add your relative clause. For example, that we watched last night.
3. 3Look at the word immediately after the relative pronoun. Is it a noun or a pronoun? In our example, it is we.
4. 4Since we is the subject of the clause, that is the object.
5. 5Delete the relative pronoun. The result is the movie we watched last night.
6. 6Check for flow. Does it sound natural? Yes, it does.
7. 7Remember: if a verb follows the pronoun, do not delete it. For example, the man who lives here. Lives is a verb. You must keep who.

Use this pattern in almost every casual situation. It is perfect for ordering food. Instead of the drink that I ordered, say the drink I ordered. It sounds much more confident. Use it in job interviews too. You might say, the projects I managed were successful. This sounds professional and direct. It shows you have a high level of English. Use it when giving directions. The street you need is the next one. It is also great for text messages. It saves space and time. Basically, if you are not writing a legal document, you can probably omit the pronoun. It is the standard way people speak in London, New York, and Sydney. Even native speakers mess this up sometimes by being too formal. Don't be afraid to let the pronoun go. It won't hurt the sentence's feelings.

There are times when you must keep the pronoun. Never delete it if it is the subject of the clause. For example, I know a girl who speaks five languages. Here, who is the person doing the speaking. If you remove who, the sentence breaks. I know a girl speaks five languages is incorrect. It sounds like a broken robot. Also, avoid omitting pronouns in very formal writing. If you are writing a thesis or a contract, keep them. It adds a layer of precision. Another time to keep them is in "non-defining" clauses. These are the ones with commas. For example, My car, which I bought yesterday, is blue. You cannot say My car, I bought yesterday, is blue. The commas act like a protective cage for the pronoun. Finally, never drop whose. It is too important for showing possession. If you drop whose, the whole meaning disappears.

One big mistake is deleting the subject pronoun. Learners often say The bus goes to the city is late. This is wrong. It needs that or which. Another mistake is keeping a "double object." People say The book I read it was good. You already have the book as the object. You do not need it. Just say The book I read was good. This is a very common trap. Think of it like a backpack. You don't need to carry two of the same thing. Some people also get confused with prepositions. They say The house I live is small. You need the preposition: The house I live in is small. Don't let the preposition get lost when you drop the pronoun. It is like losing your keys when you leave the house. Check your pockets!

This pattern is different from "that-clauses" after verbs. For example, I think that you are right. Here, that is a conjunction, not a relative pronoun. You can still drop it: I think you are right. The logic is similar, but the grammar name is different. It is also different from reduced relative clauses. Those involve removing the pronoun and the verb to be. For example, The man (who is) sitting there. Our rule is simpler. We just drop the pronoun when a new subject is present. It is the "lazy" version of grammar. And in English, being a little lazy often makes you sound more fluent. It is a strange paradox, but it works.