Here are some basic examples of relative pronouns. These clauses, like adjectives, describe the subject in some way. For example, Id never met him before becomes whom Id never met before.. Enroll for Spoken English Course! 3. In English grammar, a pronoun is referred as a word that can be used . Garners modern English usage (4th ed.). Relative pronouns list The boyfriend wont lie to her. The student who got the highest grade on the exam was very proud. Something went wrong while submitting the form. These clauses are optional, as they only add additional information about the subject or object of the main clause. The woman who lives next door is my neighbor. [which is the subject of the clause, and the clause is non-restrictive. Let us find out if you have got it all right. We would no longer know which wardrobe leads to a magical land with talking animals, which was the intention of the sentence. Which one you use depends on whether the relative clause is restrictive or nonrestrictive. Relative pronouns add information; interrogative pronouns ask questions to gather more information. Here, whom is the pronoun that introduces the relative clauses. Whose is the possessive form of who and is used when describing the ownership of something or someone by the subject or object noun phrase. But when, where, and why arent relative pronouns; theyre relative adverbs. A restrictive clause is an essential part of its sentence; if it were taken out of the sentence, the sentences meaning would change. In the examples, you could cut out the non-defining clause and still understand the point of the sentence. A relative pronoun plays the role of a noun phrase within that clause. These pronouns are used to indicate that you dont know the specific identity of the thing or person youre referring to and are making a general statement. When a relative pronoun is restrictive and is not acting as subject of the clause, it can be left out. If you remove these clauses from the sentence, the meaning changes so much that theyre not the same sentence anymore. Pronouns are a subcategory of nouns. 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). 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. adds detail to a noun or pronoun in non-essential clauses. Various types of relative pronouns are used with different purposes at different places in the sentence. I allow this website to collect and store submitted data. The bottle game is liked by all. Relative pronouns can sometimes be dropped, Relative pronoun with prepositions and quantifiers. They not only connect two clauses but also act as the subject or object of the verb in the relative clause. Teaching Strategies, Tactics, and Methods. In such sentences, that introduces a restrictive or essential clause and is used without commas. The park at the end of our street, which is pristine, is a favorite place of mine. [that is restrictive, but its the subject of the clause. For example: The woman who owns the store is very friendly. I am not sure whom this book belongs to. You. 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.. 6:44. 4. When refers to a time or period and is often used as a relative pronoun in less formal situations. The rule of thumb is this: That introduces a restrictive clause, and which introduces a nonrestrictive clause. Using which instead of that: Which should only be used to introduce non-essential clauses, while that should be used to introduce essential clauses. Example of Relative Pronouns: Robert is a king who rules the seven kingdoms. Relative Pronouns Rules. Both conditions met. My aunt bought me a ukulele. I enjoy being busy all the time and respect a person who is disciplined and have respect for others. It surprises some people to learn that both who and which can take the possessive form whose. 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. The relative pronoun which is used for both things and sometimes, animals. To get the most out of these examples, satisfy yourself that the relative pronoun indeed points to the highlighted noun and whether it can be dropped (mentioned in the comments wherever they can be dropped). 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. What is pristine, the park or the street? Distributive Pronoun An adjective pronoun is an adjective used as a pronoun. A relative pronoun is used to introduce (or head) an adjective phrase. The students like their English teacher. Click here to learn more examples from the Relative Pronoun exercise questions. Butterfield, J. It can be used to refer to people, animals, or things. [That is the object of the relative clause that you bought last week. The person that I called yesterday was my father. Pronoun meaning. In spoken English, it is more common to use who in the object case. Relative Pronouns how, that, what, when, where, which, who, whom, whose, why The relative pronouns above are the simple relative pronouns. The relative pronoun whose is used for possessive forms of people and things. The footballer about whom people dont know much played key role in todays match. I love the ukulele that my aunt bought me. What can be used as a relative pronoun, but it works slightly differently; it doesnt follow on from a preceding noun phrase but introduces a clause on its own. The teacher whose class I enjoyed the most is Mrs. Smith. An Entrepreneur (Director, White Planet Technologies Pvt. The house whose owner is on vacation has an unsightly garden. The woman who won the race was very excited. You should, however, consider the possibility that your readers will disagree. Watch is object of the sentence, and hence the relative pronoun that is the object in the clause. The noun to which a pronoun refers is called an antecedent. Olivia wants a boyfriend. If you can substitute he or she for whom and the sentence still makes sense, youre using the correct form. 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. In fact, relative pronouns are around a lot more often than any distant aunts or cousins youll see on Thanksgiving you probably use them in conversation every day. 8. Which refers to things, qualities, and ideasnever to people. What Is a Possessive Pronoun? The woman who came to the door left flowers for you. Provides updates on notifications, syllabuses and dates for government exams. (The clause who lives in New York provides additional, but not necessary, information about the noun sister and can be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence). And thats the relative pronoun in a nutshell. I love the ukulele. Thats why it has been enclosed in brackets. Greenhouse gases, which originate mainly from human activities such as transportation, electricity, and industry, are warming our planet to a dangerous level. The politician whose policies I disagree with is unpopular. There is just one thing that you should keep in mind when combining two sentences using relative pronouns. In English grammar, a relative pronoun is a pronoun that introduces an adjective clause (also called a relative clause ). That is often used when referring to people or things. The house whose owner is on vacation has an unsightly garden. Some are listed below. ], I cant find the watch that you bought last week. Component 3. Having moderate amount of something may be beneficial than having excess, which may be harmful. There, I met Dr Johnson. 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 [Preposition about precedes relative pronoun whom. A relative pronoun is a word that introduces a relative clause and connects it to the main clause of a sentence. Interrogative Pronoun. Here, which is joining the two related clauses about choosing a colour and a colour which would look good on everyone. Passive Voice: When to Avoid It and When to Use It. Types of Relative Pronouns Download Entri App! For example, below, were not sure whether the speakers husband or their father-in-law is called Joe, until the sentence is rephrased for clarity. Relative pronouns can function as the subject or object of the relative clause. You can combine multiple activities that are similar in nature to avoid switching back and forth. Arelative clauseis a type of clause that modifies or gives extra information about the subject or object in the main clause. Using that instead of who or whom: That should only be used to refer to things, not people. 3. The car, which was sold by Mr. Pratap, suddenly caught fire. (the relative pronoun whose refers to the noun dog already mentioned), The car that hit me was going very fast. These clauses come after the verb in the sentence. Thank you! (The clause which I visited last weekend provides additional, but not necessary, information about the noun museum and can be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence). Most common relative pronouns are who, which, whom, whomever, whose, whoever, whichever, and that. The truth is, this sentence is perfectly fine. In other words, it introduces subordinate clauses and connects them to the main clause in a sentence. Here is a brief summary of the five relative pronouns: Note: Feel free to use the above image, using the link (url) of this post for reference/attribution. Reordering the sentence can help, but rewriting it would be even better. We drove past the college, _____ is celebrating its 50. In English grammar, a pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun, noun phrase, or noun clause. The politician whom the media has been criticizing recently is unpopular. (The clause whom the media has been criticizing recently provides additional information about the noun politician and is the object of the verb criticizing). Relative clauses can be very useful for making complex ideas easier to understand. Indefinite Pronoun My neighbor Jamil, whom Id never met before, came over to introduce himself yesterday. They are used to join two clauses together, with the relative pronoun acting as the subject or object of the relative clause. adds detail to a noun or pronoun in essential clauses. Choose the correct relative pronouns from the following sentences given below and match with the given answer: Answers: 1 who, 2 who, 3 which, 4 that, 5 whom, 6 who, 7 that, 8 which, 9 that, 10 whose, 11 whose, 12 whose, 13 who, 14 which, 15 which, 16 whose, 17 who, 18 who, 19 whose, 20 whom, Pronoun