defining relative clause without a relative pronoun – English Grammar Profiler

A defining relative clause is a clause that gives essential information about the noun it modifies. Sometimes, you can omit the relative pronoun (who, which, that, etc.) if it is the object of the clause.

In the English Grammar Profile, A2 Point 36 in CLAUSES/relative is defined as:

defining relative clause, without a relative pronoun

This is a hard structure to locate in corpora.  We can start by searching in iWeb for:

_NN _PP _VV

1 TIME IT TAKES 41863

‘taking time’ is A2 in the English Vocabulary Profile.  So we believe being able to use this sense with a relative clause must at least be B1. especially when followed with an infinitive of purpose.

You don’t risk the time it takes to do this.

listen

2 INFORMATION YOU NEED

PELIC student examples:

Every system, such as ticketing, baggage checking, hotel booking and schedule changing is controlled by computers, 

and you can get information you need at nearby computers.

Korean, Male, level 5, writing class

*our grammar gets hidden by B1 grammar

3 WAY YOU WANT

The right of being able to choose the way you want to think is being violated in the internet censorship.

Arabic, Male, level 5, writing class

4 THING YOU NEED 24150 5 THINGS YOU NEED 24135 6 THING YOU WANT 23061

7 INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE 18160

8 PEOPLE I KNOW 15649 9 TIME I SAW 15101

10 INFORMATION THEY NEED 15034

11 TIME YOU WANT 14161 12 TIME YOU GET 14050 13 TIME I GOT 13628 14 TOOLS YOU NEED 13617

15 TIME YOU NEED 13510

16 INFORMATION WE COLLECT

17 TIME YOU SPEND 11558 18 WORLD WE LIVE 11207 19 TIME I SEE 10937 20 THING I WANT 10753 21 THING I NOTICED 10475 22 TIME YOU USE 10187 23 TIME I WENT 10164 24 TIME I GET 9961 25 TOOLS THEY NEED 9956

26 WAY I SEE 9939

The way I see it,

 you got two choices here.

listen

The phrase “the way I see it” is often used as a way to express one’s personal opinion or perspective on a particular topic. It’s a way of saying “from my point of view” or “according to my understanding.”

27 TIME I GO 9821 28 THINGS YOU WANT 9150 29 TIME IT TOOK 8846 30 SKILLS THEY NEED 8826

31 TIME I TRIED 8746

32 TIME YOU GO 8559 33 TIME YOU SEE 8381 34 TIME I USED 8127

35 COMMUNITIES WE SERVE 8050

36 SKILLS YOU NEED 8017

37 WAY IT WORKS 7974

I don’t know.
Maybe it wouldn’t happen, 

but that‘s the way it works.

listen

In the phrase “the way that it works,” “that” is a relative pronoun introducing the defining relative clause “it works,” which describes the noun “way.” In English, the relative pronoun can be omitted when it’s the object of the verb, making “the way it works” equally correct and common.

While “the way in which it works” is more formal and often used in written English or formal speech, “the way that it works” is less formal and commonly used in everyday speech. However, in informal contexts, it’s typical to omit the relative pronoun altogether, making “the way it works” a prevalent usage.

38 THING YOU KNOW 7818 39 THINGS I LOVE 7553

40 WAY YOU LIKE 7280

41 WAY YOU LOOK 7174 42 PEOPLE YOU KNOW 7012

43 THING I KNOW 6816 C2 

The next thing I know 

she‘s sitting right there next to me.

listen

44 THINGS I WANT 6708
45 WAY YOU THINK 6653 46 TIME YOU MAKE 6477 47 TIME YOU VISIT 6259

48 TIME I CHECKED 6255

49 SUPPORT THEY NEED 6168

50 WAY WE THINK 6125

51 TIME I THINK 6065 52 THING I LIKE 6017 53 THING WE NEED 5817

54 WAY I WANT 5766

55 TIME WE GOT 5722 56 RESOURCES THEY NEED 5682

57 PRICE YOU PAY 5572

58 TIME I HEARD 5488 59 SERVICES WE PROVIDE 5456

60 TIME I TRY 5329

61 THING I LOVE 5301 62 THINGS I LIKE 5233 63 TIME I MADE 5200 64 WAY I KNOW 5095 65 TIME YOU TAKE 5014 66 WAY IT LOOKS 5009

67 SERVICES WE OFFER 4990

68 RESULTS YOU WANT 4967 69 INFORMATION YOU WANT 4865 70 WAY WE LIVE 4831 71 DATA YOU NEED 4801 72 TIME I READ 4762 73 SUPPORT YOU NEED 4697 74 TIME WE GET 4681 75 HELP THEY NEED 4657 76 WAY I THINK 4656 77 TIME I THOUGHT 4647 78 TIME YOU OPEN 4574 79 TIME YOU START 4572 80 WAY THEY WANT 4533 81 TIME I WANT 4522 82 ITEMS YOU WANT 4440 83 THING I THINK 4415 84 FOOD WE EAT 4357 85 HELP YOU NEED 4349 86 TIME I USE 4340 87 DAY I GOT 4316

88 REASON I ASK 4313

89 THINGS I LEARNED 4294 90 THING I WANTED 4286 91 WAY I LOOK 4225 92 RESOURCES YOU NEED 4218 93 FOOD YOU EAT 4205 94 THING I LEARNED 4184 95 WAY YOU GET 4137 96 THINGS YOU LOVE 4091

97 CARE THEY NEED 4057

98 WAY I LIKE 4050 99 STEPS YOU NEED 4037

100 TIME I TOOK 4033

A2 vocabulary in the above:

care, checked, collect, information, offer, price, reason, serve, spend, tried, try, way