How to write shorter describing clauses: the boy playing football
Short answer: Shorten a describing clause by dropping who is or which is before an -ing word, and which was before a past participle. The boy who is playing football becomes the boy playing football. The cake which was made by Mom becomes the cake made by Mom. The long form is always correct; the short form uses fewer words.
🎯 I can make a describing clause shorter.
At a glance
| Long form | Short form | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| the boy who is playing | the boy playing | drop who is before -ing |
| the cake which was made by Mom | the cake made by Mom | drop which was before a participle |
| the dog which is sleeping | the dog sleeping | drop which is before -ing |
How to write it
- Find a describing clause with who is, which is or which was.
- If an -ing word follows, drop who is or which is.
- If a past participle follows (made, drawn, written), drop which was.
- Read the short form aloud to check it sounds natural.
Rewrite practice
- Before:
The man who is standing at the gate is the guard.
After: The man standing at the gate is the guard.
who is dropped. - Before:
The pictures which were drawn by Lan are on the wall.
After: The pictures drawn by Lan are on the wall.
which were dropped. - Before:
The tree which was planted last year is tall.
After: The tree planted last year is tall.
which was dropped.
Common mistakes
The boy who playing football is my brother.→ The boy playing football is my brother.
Drop who is, or keep it: who is playing.The tree planting last year is tall.→ The tree planted last year is tall.
A tree is planted: use the participle.The students sitting at the back is noisy.→ The students sitting at the back are noisy.
The verb matches students.
Full clause or short form?
Both are correct.
| Full clause | Short form |
|---|---|
| The man who is sitting near the door is my uncle. | The man sitting near the door is my uncle. |
| The letter which was written by Dad is on the table. | The letter written by Dad is on the table. |
Check yourself
- Shorten: “The dog which is sleeping is mine.”
Show the answer
The dog sleeping is mine. Drop which is.
- Shorten: “The cake which was made by Mom is good.”
Show the answer
The cake made by Mom is good. Drop which was.
- Fix: “The boy who playing football...”
Show the answer
The boy playing football... Drop who is.
Rule cards that help
- Shorter describing clauses: the boy playing: Drop who is / which is before an -ing word. Drop which was before a past participle.
Questions
Can I shorten every describing clause?
No. Only clauses with who is, which is, who was or which was before an -ing word or a past participle.
What is a past participle?
The third form of a verb: make, made, made; draw, drew, drawn; write, wrote, written.
Where is the rule?
See the rule article on shorter describing clauses.
Part of 🌉 Because, when, if, who and more (stone 2 of the Learning Path). See also the English writing guide. Đọc bằng tiếng Việt.
Written for English learners by the English for Fun team. How we write our lessons · Last updated 2026-11-05.
Reviewed by Chinh Q. Hoang, PhD, founder, English for Fun · 2026-10-30