Grammar: ✨ Grammar Essentials: 🧩 Parts of Speech & 🏗️ Sentence Structure (Advanced) (B2) - Lesson 4: Omitting Relative Pronouns (in defining object clauses)

The Grammar Lab

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Invisible Pronouns

ការលុបចោលសព្វនាមឈ្នាប់ (who, which, that)

Sometimes, native speakers drop or hide relative pronouns (who, which, that) to speak faster and sound more natural.

ជួនកាល ជនជាតិដើមនិយាយភាសាអង់គ្លេសលុបចោល ឬលាក់សព្វនាមឈ្នាប់ (who, which, that) ដើម្បីនិយាយបានលឿន និងស្តាប់ទៅធម្មជាតិជាងមុន។

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compress The Object Rule

ច្បាប់នៃការលុប

We can ONLY drop the pronoun if it is the OBJECT of the relative clause.

យើងអាចលុបវាបាន តែនៅពេលវាដើរតួជាកម្មបទនៃល្បះបន្ទាប់បន្សំតែប៉ុណ្ណោះ។

Noun + that/who + Subject + Verb

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visibility_off In Action

ឧទាហរណ៍ជាក់ស្តែង

The man who I met. ➔ The man I met. បុរសដែលខ្ញុំបានជួប។

The book which she wrote. ➔ The book she wrote. សៀវភៅដែលនាងបានសរសេរ។

The movie that we watched. ➔ The movie we watched. រឿងដែលពួកយើងបានមើល។

warning The Subject Trap!

Don't drop the Subject!

(ប្រសិនបើសព្វនាមឈ្នាប់នោះ ដើរតួជាប្រធានដែលធ្វើសកម្មភាព អ្នកមិនអាចលុបវាបានទេ ព្រោះវានឹងធ្វើឱ្យខុសវេយ្យាករណ៍!)

The dog that bit me ran away.

(The dog did the biting. 'That' is the subject. We MUST keep it.)

The dog bit me ran away. ❌

(Wrong! Now you have two verbs and one subject. Confusing!)

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low_priority Prepositions at the End

ការទុកធ្នាក់នៅខាងចុង

When we drop the pronoun, any preposition (in, at, for) usually moves to the end.

The house that I live in. ➔ The house I live in. ផ្ទះដែលខ្ញុំរស់នៅ។

The girl who he is looking for. ➔ The girl he is looking for. នារីដែលគាត់កំពុងស្វែងរក។

Invisible Pronouns 🎬

Watch Teacher Sopheak explain when it is safe to drop your relative pronouns to sound exactly like a native speaker! Be careful of the Subject Trap!

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Quick Check ⚡

ការត្រួតពិនិត្យចំណេះដឹង

check_circle Safe to Drop?

"The book that I read was good."
Can we drop 'that'?

(តើយើងអាចលុប 'that' ចេញពីប្រយោគនេះបានទេ?)

gpp_maybe TRICKY QUESTION!

"The boy who broke the window ran away."
Can we drop 'who'?

(តើយើងអាចលុប 'who' បានទេ?)

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visibility_off Identify

Which sentence sounds more natural in spoken English?

(តើប្រយោគមួយណាស្តាប់ទៅធម្មជាតិជាង ពេលនិយាយ?)

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Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Media Hunt headphones (ស្តាប់ចម្រៀង ឬមើលកុន ហើយព្យាយាមរកប្រយោគដែលគេលុប relative pronoun ចោលចំនួន ១!)

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Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Write Your Own edit_document (សរសេរប្រយោគ ១ ដោយប្រើរចនាសម្ព័ន្ធ [Noun + Subject + Verb]។ ឧ. The movie I watched was scary.)

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Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Fix the Trap bug_report (ហេតុអ្វីប្រយោគនេះខុស? "The teacher teaches me is nice." កែវាឲ្យត្រូវវិញ!)

Ask a Question 🙋‍♂️

តើអ្នកមានចម្ងល់មែនទេ? សួរគ្រូនៅទីនេះ!

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Recent Questions

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Panha 2 hours ago

Teacher, do I *have* to drop the pronoun? Will I lose points on an English test if I keep it?

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SP

Sopheak Pich Teacher 1 hour ago

Hi Panha! No, you will not lose points. Keeping "that" or "which" is 100% grammatically correct. However, dropping them makes your English sound much more fluid and native-like, especially when speaking. It's a great style choice! 🗣️

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Vireak 5 hours ago

Can we drop "whose" too? Like "The man car was stolen"?

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SP

Sopheak Pich Teacher 4 hours ago

Great question, Vireak! No, you can NEVER drop "whose". "Whose" is necessary to show possession. You can only drop "who", "which", "that", and "whom" (when they are objects). 🔑