LoginRelative Determiners
In this lesson, master relative determiners, which provide detailed information about nouns in relative clauses. Clear explanations and practice exercises to help you learn.
What Are Relative Determiners?
Relative determiners are used before nouns to connect the relative clause to an independent clause. They introduce the nominal relative clause.
Relative Determiners: Uses
Relative determiners connect a dependent clause to the main clause. Relative determiners and the nominal relative clause can act as the object or the subject of the independent/main clause.
Relative Determiners: Placement
Relative determiners introduce a nominal relative clause and are always followed by a noun or noun phrase.
Here is the list of English relative determiners with examples:
What/Whatever
What book to buy doesn't matter.
'What book to buy' is a subject for 'doesn't matter.' 'What' is used before 'book.'
Which/Whichever
I don't know which book you bought.
'Which book you bought' is an object for 'know'. 'Which' is used before a noun.
Possessive Relative Determiner 'Whose'
Relative determiner 'whose' shows possession.
I don't know whose book you have.
'Whose' heads the nominal relative clause and serves as the object.
Tip!
If 'whose', 'what', and 'which' are not followed by a noun, they are no longer determiners. Rather, they are interrogative pronouns. In the following examples, they are relative pronouns:
Whose are these?
What do you want?
Which is better?
Review
Relative determiners are used to connect a dependant clause to the main clause. They are used:
as the head of a nominal relative clause
always followed by a noun/noun phrase
Quiz:
Sort the words to form a correct sentence using a relative determiner.
Match each sentence with the description of the function of the relative determiner used.
Fill in the blanks with relative determiners.
decision you make in your youth will affect your future.
She didn't specify
project files we should review first.
I can't remember
jacket was left at the party.
book you choose from the shelf should be interesting.
Which sentence correctly uses the relative determiner "whatever"?
She'll accept whatever job offer she receives.
Whatever happened at the party?
I'll take whatever you're giving away.
Whatever happened yesterday was unfortunate.
Which sentence uses "which" as a relative determiner?
Which team scored the winning goal?
She couldn't decide which dress to wear.
The book, which was old, smelled musty.
Which is your favorite season?
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