Why can the relative pronoun be omitted for these following sentences ?

Question

Look at the sentence:—&gt; That’s the actor who was a pilot in Star Wars.The relative pronoun is the subject so we cannot omit it.I know that we can omit the relative pronoun if it’s the object.My question is :Why can the relative pronoun (+ be verb) be omitted from these following sentences ?1)—&gt; My brother, who is a former professional hokey player, coaches elite high school hockey.becomes:—&gt; My brother, a former professional hokey player, coaches elite high school hockey.2)—&gt; Teachers who work online have flexible schedules.becomes:—&gt; Teachers working online have flexible schedules.

BillJ · Accepted Answer

I answered your questions here: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/537963/why-can-the-relative-pronoun-be-omitted/537966#537966

CalifJim · Answer

miradorMy brother, a former professional hockey player, coaches elite high school hockey.

You can put two noun phrases in sequence like that when they both refer to the same person or thing. It may look like the omission of components of a relative clause, but it's considered a different construction (an 'appositive').

miradorTeachers who work online have flexible schedules.

Without the relative subject pronoun, you only have

Teachers work online have flexible schedules.

That's wrong, just as the rule says.

An -ing construction can modify a noun, though, which is what you have with

Teachers working online have flexible schedules.

That's not the same as omitting a relative subject pronoun. That's using a different construction. Those two constructions are often both available to provide the same meaning; however, the -ing clause doesn't express tense explicitly like the relative clause does.

In those days the people who took part in a trial as members of the jury were usually ...
In those days the people taking part in a trial as members of the jury were usually ...

CJ

Why can the relative pronoun be omitted for these following sentences ?

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