SUBJECT PRONOUN OR OBJECT PRONOUN?
Subject and object pronouns cannot be distinguished by their forms - who, which, that are used for subject and object pronouns. You can, however, distinguish them as follows:
If the relative pronoun is followed by a verb, the relative pronoun is a subject pronoun. Subject pronouns must always be used.
- The apple which is lying on the table
If the relative pronoun is not followed by a verb (but by a noun or pronoun), the relative pronoun is an object pronoun. Object pronouns can be dropped in defining relative clauses, which are then called Contact Clauses.
- The apple (which) George lay on the table
- The dress (which) Ann bought doesn't fit her very we'll.
- Is there anything (which) I can do ?
- Everything (that) he said was true.
The term was coined by Jespersen (1933:360).
"Relative clauses without any connecting word are here called contact clauses, because what characterizes them is the close contact in sound and sense between the clause and what precedes it: in sentences like "this is the boy we spoke of", and "he falls in love with all the girls he sees", the words "the boy" and "all the girls" are felt to be just as intimately connected with what follows as what precedes them." (Jespersen 1933:360)
