What you'll learn
By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to reduce defining relative clauses to make your sentences shorter and more elegant.
When do I use it?
You can reduce a defining relative clause when the relative pronoun is the subject AND the verb is "be":
- Active → -ing: "The man who is standing there" → "The man standing there".
- Passive → -ed: "The book which was written in 1920" → "The book written in 1920".
- Present simple action: "People who live here" → "People living here" (rare, more formal).
You CANNOT reduce when the relative pronoun is the object: "The film which I saw" cannot become "the film I saw" (that is dropping the pronoun, not reducing — and here we keep the clause).
How do I form it?
who/which + is + -ing → noun + -ing who/which + be + -ed → noun + -ed
- The students taking the exam were nervous. (= who were taking)
- The car parked outside belongs to Tom. (= which is parked)
- The team leading the league is confident. (= which is leading)
- Any question raised will be answered. (= which is raised)
Common mistakes for Spanish speakers
Spanish reduces with "que" + verb ("el hombre que está ahí"), so the -ing/-ed reduction is easy to miss — write "the man standing there", not "the man that standing there". Keep the participle: "-ing" for active ("the woman speaking") and "-ed" for passive ("the letter signed"). Do not reduce object relative clauses: "the film I saw" is pronoun-dropping, but "the film seeing" is wrong.
who/which + be + -ing → noun + -ing. who/which + be + -ed → noun + -ed. Only when the pronoun is the subject.
Practice
Multiple Choice
C1Which sentence is a correct reduction?
Fill in the Blank
C1The letter in 1920 was found in the attic.
Hint: Passive reduction: 'which was written' → 'written'.
Find the Error
C1Sentence Transformation
C1Task: Rewrite with a reduced relative clause
Hint: Drop 'who were' and keep 'playing'.
Practice Speaking
Apply what you've learned in a real conversation with AI feedback.
Level: C1