Joining two sentences with who, which and that

Two or more sentences can be made into one by using the joining words who, which and that.

Note that who is used to refer to people. Which is used to refer to things or animals. That can be used to refer to both people and things.

Study the following examples carefully.

John is an intelligent boy. He has won a scholarship.
John, who is an intelligent boy, has won a scholarship. OR John, who has won a scholarship, is an intelligent boy

The plane was grounded. It has engine trouble.
The plane, which had engine trouble, was grounded. OR The plane, which was grounded, had engine trouble.

My sister lives abroad. She is a journalist.
My sister, who is a journalist, lives abroad. OR My sister, who lives abroad, is a journalist.

My father is a strict disciplinarian. He is a retired army man.
My father, who is a retired army man, is a strict disciplinarian. OR My father, who is a strict disciplinarian, is a retired army man.

A girl answered the phone. She was very cordial.
The girl who answered the phone was very cordial. OR A girl, who was very cordial, answered the phone.

The man is dead. The police were looking for him.
The man, whom the police were looking for, is dead. OR The man that the police were looking for is dead.

Note that ‘that’ can be used in place of ‘whom’ when referring to people. When two sentences are joined together by that, no commas are used.

Alice won a prize. She sings very sweetly.
Alice, who sings very sweetly, won a prize. OR Alice, who won a prize, sings sweetly.

The beaver is a hard-working animal. It is a native of Canada.
The beaver, which is a native of Canada, is a hard-working animal. OR The beaver, which is a hard-working animal, is a native of Canada.