Peter Mangiaracina.

Relative Clauses with Prepositions distinguishes subject and object forms in relative clauses. When the relative word performs the action, who or that supplies the subject and cannot simply disappear. When the clause already has a subject, whom or which functions as the object and can often be omitted.

The presentation contrasts formal structures such as the person to whom I spoke with everyday structures such as the person I spoke to. In everyday English, the object relative word can disappear and the preposition remains with the verb.

Important points

• Every relative clause needs a subject.
• Use who or that when the relative word performs the action.
• An object relative word can often be omitted because the clause already contains a subject.
• Formal English places a preposition before whom or which.
• Everyday English commonly leaves the preposition with the verb.
• First decide whether the repeated noun is the subject or the object inside the relative clause.

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