Using that for people and things
4. Ming Er is a girl at my school. Ming Er got the highest exam score in my school. Ming Er’s parents come from China.
Ming Er, whose parents come from China, is the girl who got the highest exam score in my school.
We can sometimes use that as a relative pronoun for people:
Ming Er, whose parents come from China, is the girl that got the highest exam score in my school.
We also sometimes use that for things:
A hammer is a tool which is used to drive nails into wood.
A hammer is a tool that is used to drive nails into wood.
Short phrases used in relative clauses
We also sometimes use short phrases with a relative pronoun:
5. The 1940s were a terrible time. The Second World War happened during the 1940s. Many people died in the 1940s.
The 1940s during which time the Second World War happened, was a terrible time when many people died.
6. Zundert is a town in The Netherlands. Zundert is very peaceful. Vincent van Gogh was born in Zundert.
Zundert, in which place Vincent van Gogh was born, is a peaceful town in The Netherlands.
Zundert, in which town Vincent van Gogh was born, is a peaceful town in The Netherlands.