[Grammar] It is where I lived. It was when I lived alone. I don't know why I failed.

[Matthew Wai]

1. It is (the place) where I lived.
2. It was (the time) when I lived alone.
3. I don't know (the reason) why I failed.
4. He is the person who I saw.

The bracketed text can be omitted, while the underlined text cannot.
Am I right?

 

[teechar]

You're right.

 

[emsr2d2]

I would say that "He/She/That is who I saw" is fine in BrE. "the person" can be omitted.

 

[Matthew Wai]

"the person" can be omitted.

Why did Rover_KE say the antecedent could not be omitted below?
https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/...-with-my-mum?p=1295186&viewfull=1#post1295186

 

[Rover_KE]

'He is who went to school with my mum' is not natural English (and my reply in that thread got several Likes.)

Similarly, 'He is who I saw' sounds wrong to me. 'That is who I saw' is fine.

 

[Tdol]

'He is who went to school with my mum' is not natural English (and my reply in that thread got several Likes.)

Similarly, 'He is who I saw' sounds wrong to me.

I agree that the first isn't natural. The second doesn't sound great, but I think it is possible.

 

[Barb_D]

3. I don't know (the reason) why I failed.


The bracketed text can be omitted, while the underlined text cannot.
Am I right?

Omit "the reason" or omit "why" -- do NOT use both.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I would not use 'the reason', but is there a reason why it is wrong?

The underlined text above is a quote from Cambridge, so I think it is right.

 

[Barb_D]

I, and many other writers, find it redundant.
Perhaps we Americans are more adamant about it than UK speakers.

 

[Matthew Wai]

But it can be found in other dictionaries too.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I would write 'The reason is that ...'.