Fluency Focus: At the B2 level, sounding natural is just as important as being grammatically correct. When writing professional emails or leading virtual meetings, native speakers frequently drop words to streamline their sentences.
We often omit relative pronouns (like who, which, or that) when they are the object of the clause. Let's look at how to refine your professional sentence structures.
Mastering fluency in professional corporate environments.
warning Professional Tip
You cannot omit the relative pronoun if it is the subject of the clause. For example, you can say "The candidate (who) we interviewed is qualified," because "we" is the subject doing the action. But you cannot say "The candidate is qualified is John"—it must be "The candidate who is qualified is John" because "who" is acting as the subject.
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Advanced Clause Structures
The client I met
Omitted Pronoun
The client I met...
Instead of: "The client whom I met..."
Example: The client I met at the industry conference was highly interested.
The software we purchased
Omitted Pronoun
The software we purchased...
Instead of: "The software which we purchased..."
Example: The software we purchased has a great user interface.
The report she wrote
Omitted Pronoun
The report she wrote...
Instead of: "The report that she wrote..."
Example: The quarterly report she wrote is highly detailed and accurate.
Although the budget was cut
Adverbial Clause
Although the budget...
A clause of concession showing a contrast.
Example: Although the budget was cut, the marketing project continued successfully.
Since the server was down
Adverbial Clause
Since the server...
A clause of reason explaining 'why' (similar to 'because').
Example: Since the server was down, the team took a different analog approach.
While we were presenting
Adverbial Clause
While we were presenting...
A clause of time showing an ongoing background action.
Example: While we were presenting the data, the CEO asked a critical question.
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Knowledge Check
mail Email to a Client
Which sentence sounds the most natural because it correctly omits the relative pronoun?
(Hint: We can omit the pronoun when it is the object of the clause, not the subject.)
report Project Delay Report
Fill in the blank with the correct adverbial clause: "___ the server crashed, we missed the deadline."
(Hint: We need a word that shows the reason 'why'.)
psychology Identifying the Error
Why is this sentence incorrect: "The manager hired us is very friendly."?
(Hint: Look at the professional tip at the beginning of the lesson.)
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Study Resources
Lesson Summary & Review
Let's review the key concepts covered in the interactive module above to ensure you are ready to build perfect, professional English sentences.
Omitting Relative Pronouns
In spoken and professional written English, we often drop the relative pronouns (who, which, that) to make our sentences flow more naturally and concisely.
You can drop it if it is the object of the relative clause. (e.g., "The software [that] we purchased is excellent.")
You CANNOT drop it if it is the subject of the relative clause. (e.g., "The manager who hired me is excellent.")
Adverbial Clauses
Adverbial clauses are groups of words that function as an adverb. They tell us when, why, or under what conditions something happened, which is vital for clear corporate reporting.
Concession (Although/Even though): Shows a contrast. (e.g., "Although the budget was cut, we succeeded.")
Reason (Since/Because/As): Explains why. (e.g., "Since the server crashed, we missed the deadline.")
Time (While/When/As): Explains when. (e.g., "While we were presenting, the CEO asked a question.")
