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. Now that you know how to use relative pronouns correctly, theres just one issue left how do you choose the right one and avoid annoying grammar mistakes? Join Now! Reordering the sentence can help, but rewriting it would be even better. Relative Pronouns | Definition, List & Examples. Who replaces the teacher, and whom replaces the children. in a nutshell. Relative clauses are also sometimes referred to as adjective clauses, because they identify or give us additional information about the subject of the independent clause they relate to. Example: The clean gardens at the end of our boulevard are a favourite place of mine. Is better than The gardens at the end of our boulevard, which are clean, are a favourite place of mine.. But can they ever appear in a noun clause? We saw leaving out relative pronouns as a way to make writing concise. The car, which was sold by Mr. Pratap, suddenly caught fire. Here are a few examples: By being aware of these common mistakes and making a conscious effort to avoid them, you can improve your use of relative pronouns in English. Why is it called relative pronoun? Relative pronouns can function as the subject or object of the relative clause. ; The seven kingdoms which are ruled by different houses answers to him. In the examples, you could cut out the non-defining clause and still understand the point of the sentence. Confusing whose and whos: Whose is the possessive form of who while whos is a contraction of who is. There is another category of relative pronouns called compound relative pronouns, formed by the addition of -ever or -soever. 3. Relative Pronouns Examples. 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? Take a simple Relative Pronoun Exercise to see if you understood the concepts discussed above. It was the biggest cathedral [that] I had ever seen. A relative pronoun is one that opens a relative clause. 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. Watch is object of the sentence, and hence the relative pronoun that is the object in the clause. We would no longer know which wardrobe leads to a magical land with talking animals, which was the intention of the sentence. I went to the hospital. However, with a relative clause, it is always possible to put one in. This usage is considered wrong by many style guides, although some authorities argue that it shouldnt be, since its been common for a long time. or What kind? Pronouns, in general, allow us to shorten our sentences and make them sound less repetitive. Who and whom refer only to people. Mary liked the actress who was playing Scarlett. ], Dont ask questions (which) people cant or dont want to answer. This weekend I watched romantic movies, which always make me cry. However, whom is still considered correct and is often used in formal written English. Who, whom, what, which, and that are all relative pronouns. Butterfield, J. Omitting the relative pronoun (when possible) has the effect of making the sentence sound less formal. Ragula Chakradhar is a student who is always passionate to learn something new and teach it to the world in the easiest way possible. Which is used to introduce a clause that provides additional information about the noun or pronoun it refers to. Whoever bought me this lovely necklace has wonderful taste. Retrieved March 3, 2023, target_type: 'mix'
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. An easy definition of a relative pronoun is a pronoun that refers to a noun or pronoun that has already been mentioned. Go with the safer bet, who. The teacher whom the students respect the most is Mrs. Smith. (The clause whom the students respect the most provides additional information about the noun teacher and is the object of the verb respect). Whomever and whoever can also be considered relative pronouns. (Which refers to the car and provides additional information about it). Copyright 2023 English Topper | All Rights Reserved. My wallpaper, which is blue, is starting to peel at the corners. The relative pronoun in each sentence is given in bold letters.
A way to find what role does the relative pronoun play in the clause is to write the clause as a sentence, replacing the relative pronoun with the noun it points to. It functions as the object, not the subject, of the clause. (the relative pronoun whose refers to the noun dog already mentioned), The car that hit me was going very fast. (The clause that I rented for the weekend provides necessary information about the noun car and cannot be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence). Ltd. All rights reserved. The house is closer to my school. We would no longer know which wardrobe leads to a magical land with talking animals, which was the intention of the sentence. Examples She is a woman who / that knows what she wants. Participial phrases, which act adjectivally, too are pretty mobile. The person whom I gift a precious thing is my best friend. Which is used to introduce a clause that provides additional information about the noun or pronoun it refers to. But the clause exists even after dropping the relative pronoun. ], Thats a mistake for(which) I cant be held responsible. (The clause whose class I enjoyed the most provides additional information about the noun teacher and indicates that the teacher owns the class). (Relative adverb where sounds better) That's the reason for which I'm late. The scientist whose research I referenced in my paper is very well-known. Examples: The laptop (that) my brother bought during Black Friday Sale isnt working. The word, phrase, or idea modified is called the antecedent. What is the difference between a pronoun and a relative pronoun? Learn more about how these words are used as relative pronouns. Police officers and firefighters are people. In this sentence, for example, whose engine, and not whose, is the subject of the relative clause. Few examples of Relative Pronoun are, who, whose, that, whom and which. The truth is that whose has been widely and correctly applied to nonhumans for hundreds of years. It can be used to refer to people, animals, or things. We can say that a relative pronoun plays role of a noun in the clause of sentence. Relative pronouns are important connecting devices. What she said made me cry. A relative pronoun is a pronoun used to introduce a relative clausea clause that gives further information about the preceding noun or noun phrase (e.g., the ball that I threw). Otherwise, the sentence creates a needless ambiguity. Whichever train you take from here, you will end at Charing Cross station. The people who were at the party were all my friends. He is a friendly a man. sounds complex, but it really isnt. If you want to collaborate with educators from around the globe, facilitate remote learning, etc., sign up for a free account today and start making connections. Required fields are marked *, Frequently Asked Questions on Relative Pronouns. I dont know who you are talking about. As an example, consider the following: The man who came to the door left a package for us. So pupils dont need to worry about this one too much, but its helpful for them to be aware of it when they read older or formal texts. Independent and Dependent Clauses: Rules and Examples. Some will argue that of which is a better construction when talking about things rather than people, but this results in unnecessary awkwardness. Remember, a clause has to have at least a subject and a verb. Example: The house that is under construction will be beautiful. A pronoun is a word that can replace a noun or a noun phrase in a sentence. Learn more. For example: Also Read: What is a Pronoun? However, it is generally avoided the use of 'that' for people especially in the formal writing. (2016). 4. Moving onto the relative pronoun 'Whose'. In most cases, it doesnt cause any ambiguity, but its typically better to keep the pronoun in formal writing. (The clause which is known for its beautiful parks provides additional, but not necessary, information about the noun city and can be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence.). 3. Following are the examples of relative pronouns: We have provided below some exercises in order to help you to improve your knowledge about relative pronoun. The use of a relative pronoun in the sentence provide clue that the relative clause is beginning. Explore the topic further on this dedicated resource page: Find more posts on clause and learn the topic in-depth: Anil is the person behind content on this website, which is visited by 3,000,000+ learners every year. The relative pronoun whose is used for possessive forms of people and things. The student solved the math problem. it's really simple and you can start enjoying all the benefits! The woman whose wallet I found turned out to be my neighbour. The conference room that was booked for the meeting has been double-booked. Whomever you employ will be acceptable to me. The possessive pronoun form of who, whose, can also be used as a relative pronoun to indicate ownership, but its rare and usually reads unnaturally. Most of the time, they replace adverbs in a sentence to add more detail. Sign up for our weekly newsletters and get: By signing in, you agree to our Terms and Conditions For example, Id never met him before becomes whom Id never met before.. They not only connect two clauses but also act as the subject or object of the verb in the relative clause. adds detail to a noun or pronoun in non-essential clauses. The police are searching for the van whose driver was kidnapped. Here are some examples of relative pronouns in a sentence: The man who called yesterday is still in the conference room. This means that a relative clause cant function as a sentence by itself and only makes sense when paired with the main clause. Here are a few more examples to illustrate this point: Here are a few more examples of how whose is used to show possession: Here are a few more examples of how that is used to provide additional information about a noun or pronoun: Also Read: Intensive Pronoun | (Easy Definition & Examples 2022). When they come before a noun in a question, they're functioning as interrogative determiners. She will choose the colour which looks good on everyone. That is the conference room where we held the meeting. The car that I rented for my road trip was very comfortable. ], The heart that loves is always young. Have you played the game? Not every style guide agrees on whether that is an acceptable relative pronoun to use when referring to people. You. As a relative pronoun what means 'the things which.'. Here, which contains several fur coats is a parenthetical remark that can be removed without materially altering the sentence. Here are some basic examples of relative pronouns. Like adjectives, these clauses in some way, , are words that join clausesin this case, a relative clause to its main clause. The relative pronoun whose can be used to refer to both people and things. Distributive Pronoun 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. The relative pronoun that is used only for things. The truth is that for hundreds of years, it has been widely and correctly applied to nonhumans. Scribbr. The students like their English teacher. Yes! A pronoun can function as a subject, object, or complement in a sentence. Second, knowing how to drop relative pronouns, wherever possible, makes your writing concise and smoother to read. Relative pronoun whom, which is often preceded by a preposition, is also used to refer to people. Published on Whom is used when adding extra information about the object of the main clause. (Who is the subject of the clause who got the highest grade on the exam). They can describe people, things (including animals), places, abstract ideas, or just about any noun as long as they refer to the subject or object contained in the main clause. (This is correct but cumbersome.). In this post, well cover relative pronoun comprehensively, including how its used in sentences. But for that, other relative pronouns are same as question words, which can create confusion. Relative pronouns are a stepping stone towards relative clauses, which help combine sentences sharing the same noun. Whoever, whomever, whichever, and whatever are among them. Whomever you hire will be fine with me. Pedagogue is a social media network where educators can learn and grow. [whom is not the subject of the clause, but its non-restrictive. You should, however, consider the possibility that your readers will disagree. The woman who lives next door is my neighbor. your text, so your work is extra polished wherever you write. The actor whom I admire the most is Tom Hanks. The relative pronoun can be left out if both of the following conditions apply: This means that whom can usually be omitted, and that often can; which and who generally cant be left out.
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