A relative pronoun is a word that is used to introduce a relative clause, which is a type of dependent clause thats used to modify or describe a noun. Essential clauses, also known as defining or restrictive clauses, are important to the meaning of a sentence. A relative pronoun is a pronoun thats used to introduce a relative clause. It can also be used to introduce a clause or phrase which provides more information about the preceding noun or pronoun. A relative pronoun is a word that is used to connect an independent clause to a relative clause. These clauses come after the verb in the sentence. In the above example, "who": relates to "The person", which "who phoned me last night . In English grammar, a relative pronoun is a pronoun that introduces an adjective clause (also called a relative clause ). Who - Refers to a person (the noun/pronoun/subject which does the action) Whom - Refers to the object (the noun or pronoun that receives the action) Whose - Used to show possession of something or someone That - Used in a defining clause that refers to a person, animal or thing When they come before a noun in a question, they're functioning as interrogative determiners. The house, the owner of which is on vacation, has an unsightly garden. Greenhouse gases, which originate mainly from human activities such as transportation, electricity, and industry, are warming our planet to a dangerous level. 5. If you removed them, the sentence would convey basically the same information. The words 'who' (subject) and 'whom' (object) are used for people, 'which' for things, 'whose' for possession, 'that' for things and people to define relative clauses. A relative pronoun is a word that is used to introduce a relative clause, which is a type of dependent clause that's used to modify or describe a noun. Who and whom refer only to people. The teacher that gives better marks is always the pupils favourite. An antecedent is the noun that a pronoun refers to. Grammarly can check your spelling and save you from grammar and punctuation mistakes. Its never used for things. What are some examples of relative pronouns? Types of Relative Pronouns Federer, whose illustrious tennis career has inspired many, is struggling with injuries of late. In such sentences, that introduces a restrictive or essential clause and is used without commas. Examples of relative pronouns include who, whom, whose, where, when, why, that, which, and how. your text, so your work is extra polished wherever you write. Another common grammar mixup happens between who and that (or who, that, and which). A relative pronoun can also play a grammatical role of subject or object in the clause it introduces. The man whom I saw at the store was very tall. It is called a "relative" pronoun because it "relates" to the word that its relative clause modifies. The relative pronouns are "that," "which," "who," "whom," and "whose." Here are two examples: I know the boy who found my wallet. Relative pronoun whose is used to express possession for anything (people, animals, and things). A relative pronoun ( who in the above sentence) is used to join two sentences that share a noun or pronoun: Dr Johnson and he (highlighted in bold) are one and the same. Something went wrong while submitting the form. In other words, it introduces subordinate clauses and connects them to the main clause in a sentence. Although who can also be used to refer to group of people such as team, committee, group, council, and fire brigade, which is a better alternative. Who (along with whom) is used only to refer to people (and sometimes animals). The key is knowing what they are and how to use them correctly (and they wont even judge your lifestyle choices). They also act as conjunctions, joining the dependent and independent clauses together. Examples: Jeff Bezos, while narrating his growing-up years, mentioned how he learnt resourcefulness from his grandfather, who could perform small maintenance tasks at his farm on his own. Click here to learn more examples from the Relative Pronoun exercise questions. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 2021 Entri.app - Privacy Policy | Terms of Service, Confusions Regarding Usage of Relative Pronouns, Figures of Speech in English Definition, Types, and Usage, Central Bank of India Admit Card 2023 Out For 250 Vacancies, World Hearing Day 2023: Theme, Quotes, Logo, Significance, Quiz, BSF Water Wing 2022: Syllabus and Exam Pattern, OSSC Teacher Admit Card 2023 Out: Download Admit Card at ossc.gov.in, BSF Constable Cutoff Marks: Previous Year, Category Wise, Kerala PSC High School Teacher Rank List 2023- Direct Link, Download PDF, List of 28 States of India and their Capitals and Languages 2023 PDF Download, List of Government Banks in India 2023: All you need to know, TNPSC Group 2 Posts and Salary Details 2022, KSDA Recruitment 2023 Apply Online for 9264 FDA SDA Posts Qualification, New Map of India with States and Capitals 2023. Relative pronouns are meant to provide more information about the subject it relates to. Your writing, at its best [Relative pronoun can be dropped.]. But relative pronouns are different. Whom is used when adding extra information about the object of the main clause. (The clause who you are talking about provides additional information about the pronoun who and is the object of the clause). Join Now! Relative pronoun is a pronoun that connects a clause or phrase to the noun or pronoun. The boyfriend wont lie to her. ], Dont ask questions (which) people cant or dont want to answer. _taboola.push({
Who Refers to a person (the noun/pronoun/subject which does the action), Whom Refers to the object (the noun or pronoun that receives the action), Whose Used to show possession of something or someone, That Used in a defining clause that refers to a person, animal or thing, Which Used in a non-defining clause that refers to a person, animal or thing. | Easy Definition & Examples 2022, Relative Pronoun | Easy Definition and Examples, Reflexive Pronouns | (Easy Definition & Examples 2022), Compound Adjectives | Easy Definition & Examples (2022). Some will argue that which is a better construction when discussing things rather than people, but this causes unnecessary confusion. Relative pronoun is a type of pronoun, that is used to refer back to a noun or pronoun that has already been mentioned. The student who got the highest grade on the exam was very proud. User: Identify the sentence that correctly uses in indefinite articles (More) According to the Collins Dictionary, a relative pronoun is a word such as who, that, or which that is used to introduce a relative clause. The Macmillan Dictionary gives a similar definition of relative pronouns. Relative Pronouns Rules. But they can also function as relative pronouns when wording gets confusing, especially with the pronoun which. To ensure clarity, place an antecedent immediately before the. Look at these two sentences: 'I have a brother. Choose the safer option, who. We replaced he with a relative pronoun who to form the relative clause who attended the same school as I did and attached it to the first sentence. The city, which is known for its beautiful parks, is a popular tourist destination. (the relative pronoun that refers to the noun car already mentioned), There are five commonly used relative pronouns are who, whom, whose, which, and that.. For example: Here are a few examples of sentences that use the relative pronoun whom to introduce a clause providing additional information about a noun or pronoun: Its important to note that whom is relatively formal and is not used as frequently in spoken English as it is in written English. Learn all the skills (LSRW) with free Quizzes available to test yourself and improve your learning. Which and That are generally used for objects; while Who and Whom are used for people, and Whose is used to show possession. That introduces a restricted clause whereas which a non-restrictive clause. If you still have any doubts, then comment down below, and I will respond as soon as possible. ",whichmodifies cake. Pedagogue is a social media network where educators can learn and grow. The relative pronoun which is used for both things and sometimes, animals. I invested in ten different companies, three of which returned losses. That is often used when referring to people or things. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. (The clause whose class I enjoyed the most provides additional information about the noun teacher and indicates that the teacher owns the class). The movie that I watched last weekend was really good. (Whom is the object of the clause whom the students admire). When referring to persons, not every style guide believes that that is an acceptable relative pronoun to use. However, a more advanced step to make writing concisely is to reduce a relative clause to a phrase, a tool commonly used by professional writers. What, Who, Which Did you know that these words are not just to be used to ask questions but also to relate one part of the sentence to another? ; Robert only trusts Ned who is a friend of him. The student solved the math problem. Step-by-step process. whoever (who + ever) whosever (whose + ever) (Spelling rule: Don't allow ee .) Oxford University Press. (Which refers to the car and provides additional information about it). To ensure clarity, place an antecedent immediately before the relative pronoun referring to it. We saw leaving out relative pronouns as a way to make writing concise. Whomever and whoever can also be considered relative pronouns. Of these, whom cant be the subject of the clause and whose can be the subject in association with other nouns. The noun to which a pronoun refers is called an antecedent. That is used to introduce a clause that provides more information about the noun or pronoun it refers to. For example: The woman who owns the store is very friendly. (This is correct but cumbersome.). When choosing which relative pronoun to use, consider. We can't give you what you need. Most Covid deaths have happened in states whose hospitals have run out of capacity. James, whose pictures were used by the magazine without consent, sued the publication. Oops! I hope that you understood the topic well. Its use as a relative determiner (i.e., modifying a noun that comes after it) is much more standard. Most relative pronouns are also used as interrogative pronounswords used to ask questions. Example of Relative Pronouns: Robert is a king who rules the seven kingdoms. When refers to a time or period and is often used as a relative pronoun in less formal situations. [Relative pronoun can be dropped. The store whose window was broken had to close for the day. Both conditions met. Thats why it has been enclosed in brackets. has been widely and correctly applied to nonhumans for hundreds of years. Interpretative dance, which I find a bit disconcerting, is all the rage. Yet you may want to consider that your readers could disagree. Relative pronoun can be defined as A relative pronoun is used to connect a clause or phrase to a noun or pronoun. [Relative pronoun cant be dropped because the clause is non-restrictive.]. Revised on The relative clause it introduces is restrictive (i.e., not surrounded by commas). The police are searching for the van whose driver was kidnapped. Relative pronouns are used to form complex sentences. The pronoun is one of the traditional parts of speech. The type of relative pronoun used depends on what kind of noun is being described. Compound Personal Pronoun We recommend maintaining a clear distinction in your writing, using who or whom for people and that or which for things. They are used to join two clauses together, with the relative pronoun acting as the subject or object of the relative clause. The movie, which I saw last night, was really good. (The clause which I saw last night provides additional, but not necessary, information about the noun movie and can be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence). These clauses, like adjectives, describe the subject in some way. Pronouns function as nouns; they can be subjects, direct objects, indirect objects, objects of a preposition, and more. Advanced suggestions for simplified writing, Grammar, tone, clarity, style guides, and more, Writing assistance on 500,000+ apps and sites across your devices, For desktop apps and websites like Word and Gmail, For sites like Google Docs, Gmail, and LinkedIn, Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes, Format citations in APA, MLA, and Chicago, is a word that introduces a dependent (or relative) clause and connects it to an independent clause. The relative pronoun whose can be used to refer to both people and things. Grammarly helps you communicate confidently. (Whose refers to the boy and shows that the dog belongs to him). A relative pronoun is a word that is used to connect an independent clause to a relative clause. Relatively painless, wasnt it? The book whose author is unknown is very intriguing. We invited people whom we feel are fun at a party. (Note that a restrictive relative clause is an essential part of the sentence as it makes the noun specific; it comes without commas. There, I met Dr Johnson, who attended the same school as I did. The conference room that was booked for the meeting has been double-booked. The teacher that gives out candy is always the students favorite. Olivia wants a boyfriend. Learn English with Inverted Coconut! In English grammar, a pronoun is referred as a word that can be used . The most commonly used relative pronouns in English are which, that, who, and whom. Here are a few unique examples of sentences that use the relative pronoun that to introduce a clause providing additional information about a noun or pronoun: Its important to note that that should only be used to refer to things, not people. Yes! 2. The car whose engine is out of order has been gathering dust for a month now. People who / that read science fiction also enjoy fantasy. Note that clauses beginning with what act as . Whatever, whatsoever, whoever, whosoever and whichever are some of the compound relative pronouns. Words that are relative pronouns include which and who. Learn more about this type of pronoun and how to teach them in our handy teaching wiki! The car which I rented for the weekend was very comfortable. (The clause which I rented for the weekend provides necessary information about the noun car and cannot be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence). 8. Here, whom is the pronoun that introduces the relative clauses. The word compound relative pronoun appears to be complicated, but it isnt. Examples: Please tell whoever may call that madam is not available. Step 2: Replace the second word with the correct relative pronoun -- here will use ' whose ' because the name belongs to the boy (it's his possession). I am not sure whom this book belongs to. Relative pronouns can introduce both restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses. There is no existence of relative clause in the sentence without the use of a relative pronoun. Its not often found in American English and is only used in formal or academic contexts in British English. The possessive adjectives in English are my, your, his, her, its, our, your and their'. (The clause who I spoke to provides additional information about the noun woman and is the object of the verb spoke). Relative clauses can be very useful for making complex ideas easier to understand. She may be assigned the project (that) she worked on last year. There are also compound ones. When a relative pronoun is restrictive and is not acting as subject of the clause, it can be left out. My wallpaper, which is blue, is starting to peel at the corners. It functions like a conjunction to combine parts of a sentence. Retrieved March 3, 2023, | Pronoun Definition and Examples, Intensive Pronoun | Easy Definition & Examples, What is an Object Pronoun? The teacher who gives out candy is always the students favorite.
She will choose the colour which looks good on everyone. If you want to refer to a thing, you should use that instead. Relative clauses can be very useful for making complex ideas easier to understand. In spoken English, it is more common to use who in the object case. 4. Moving onto the relative pronoun 'Whose'. By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. However, whom is still considered correct and is often used in formal written English. Generally, a relative pronoun is used in the beginning of an adjective clause (which modifies a noun or pronoun). The car, which was sold by Mr. Pratap, suddenly caught fire. Omitting the relative pronoun (when possible) has the effect of making the sentence sound less formal. Enroll for Awals Spoken English Course! Only one condition met. Keep in mind that the main information we want to convey should be in the independent clause and not the relative clause. Pronouns are a subcategory of nouns. Jack Caulfield. 6. Pronouns, in general, allow us to shorten our sentences and make them sound less repetitive. If you remove these clauses from the sentence, the meaning changes so much that theyre not the same sentence anymore.