LoginRelative Pronouns
This detailed lesson explains Relative Pronouns in English with examples and a quiz to test your knowledge.
What Are Relative Pronouns?
Relative pronouns are a type of pronoun used to introduce a relative clause and connect it to the main clause of the sentence.
English Relative Pronouns
There are five main relative pronouns in English:
who
which
that
whom
Tip!
The relative pronoun 'that' is very flexible, as it can be used to refer to both people and things.
I like girls who are smart.
In this example, 'who' refers to 'girls'.
I like girls that are smart.
Relative Pronouns as the Subject of Relative Clauses
To join two sentences or clauses with a relative pronoun, the subject of the second clause is replaced with the relative pronoun. The relative clause is the part of the sentence that contains the relative pronoun and provides a description for a noun. Check out the examples.
He likes action movies. They are exciting. → He likes action movies that are exciting.
We can combine the two sentences by using the relative pronoun 'which' or 'that.'
I like my mom. She is very kind. → I like my mom who is very kind.
We take the subject of the second clause 'she' and replace it with the relative pronoun 'who'.
In the above examples the words 'who' and 'that' are the subjects of the relative clauses.
Relative Pronouns as the Object of Relative Clauses
Relative pronouns can also be used as the object of a relative clause. To combine two sentences in this way, the object of the second sentence is replaced with a relative pronoun and moved to the beginning of the sentence to form a relative clause. Pay attention to the example:
He likes thriller movies. He can watch them with friends. → He likes thriller movies (that) he can watch with friends.
Here, we take the word 'them' (the object of the second clause) and replace it with the relative pronoun 'that.' So the word 'that' becomes the object of the clause.
When relative pronouns are used as the object of a restrictive relative clause, we can omit the relative pronoun and the sentence would still make sense. But remember this is only possible when the relative pronoun is the object of a restrictive clause and cannot be applied when it is the subject or the clause is non-restrictive.
He likes thriller movies (that) he can watch with friends.
As you can see, omitting the relative pronoun (that) which replaced the object, makes no difference in the meaning of the sentence.
My car, which I drive every day, is old.
In this sentence, 'which' is the object, but since the clause is non-restrictive, it cannot be omitted from the sentence.
Warning
It is grammatically incorrect to include both the relative pronoun and the subject or object in a relative clause, as the pronoun is meant to replace the subject or object.
He likes movies that are exciting. (Not 'He likes movies that they are exciting'.)
'They' (subject) is replaced by 'that,' so we cannot use it again.
He likes friends that he can talk to. (Not 'He likes friends that he can talk to them'.)
'Them' (object) is replaced by 'that,' so we cannot use it again.
The Object Form of Who
The object form of 'who' is technically 'whom' which can be used as the object of a verb or preposition. However, in modern English 'whom' is not used frequently, and 'who' is commonly used as both the subject and object of a relative clause.
This is my mom, whom you met at the parent-teacher conference.
This is my mom, who you met at the parent-teacher conference.
Don't Forget the Prepositions
If the verb in the sentence requires a preposition, the preposition must be included in the relative clause. When "whom" is used to represent the object in the relative clause, the preposition comes before it, but if "who" is used to represent the object, the preposition remains in its original position, after the verb or at the end of the sentence. Compare the examples:
He likes to have friends. He can have fun with them. → He likes to have friends who he can have fun with.
When 'who' is used, the preposition remains after the verb.
He likes to have friends with whom he can have fun.
When 'whom' is used, the preposition moves to the beginning of the clause.
That vs. Which/Who?
To determine when to use the relative pronoun 'that' - which can refer to people, animals, or things - it is important to understand the distinction between restrictive (also called essential) and non-restrictive (also called non-essential) clauses.
A restrictive clause is necessary to distinguish the noun or pronoun from others of the same type
Restrictive clauses cannot be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence and are not set off by commas. When talking about a thing or an animal, the restrictive clause begins with 'that'. However, if the subject is a human, both 'who' and 'that' are allowed, but 'who' is the preferred form.
The house that was up for sale was sold yesterday.
The couple who called yesterday want to buy the house.
You can also say "The couple that called yesterday," but some may find it unacceptable.
A non-restrictive clause provides additional, non-essential information about a noun or pronoun in a sentence.
A non-restrictive clause can be removed without changing the basic meaning of the sentence and is always set off by commas.
When the subject of the sentence is a thing or an animal, the non-restrictive clause should start with 'which.'
The house, which was painted red, was sold yesterday.
Here the non-restrictive clause tells us that the house was painted red. But it does not tell us which of the several red houses in the neighborhood was sold. It would be incorrect to use this non-restrictive clause if there had been only one house painted red.
However, if the subject is a human, 'who' is used to introduce the non-restrictive clause and 'that' or 'which' are incorrect.
What distinguishes a non-restrictive clause from a restrictive clause is the use of commas and necessity of the information.
The couple, who have two children, bought the house.
Review
Relative pronouns are used in the middle of sentences to connect a main clause to a relative clause.
relative pronouns | |
|---|---|
to refer to things | which |
to refer to people and things | that |
to refer to people | who |
the objective form of who | whom |
Quiz:
Which sentence uses the relative pronoun correctly?
The book, who I borrowed from the library, is very interesting.
The book, which I borrowed from the library, is very interesting.
The book, that I borrowed from the library, is very interesting.
The book, whom I borrowed from the library, is very interesting.
Sort the words to form a correct sentence.
Which of the following statements is true regarding the omission of relative pronouns?
Relative pronouns can always be omitted, regardless of the clause type.
Relative pronouns can only be omitted when they replace the subject of a restrictive clause.
Relative pronouns can only be omitted when they replace the object of a restrictive clause.
Relative pronouns can only be omitted when they replace the object of a non-restrictive clause.
Match each incomplete sentence to the correct ending based on the relative pronouns.
Fill the blanks with the correct relative pronoun.
The woman
won the award is my neighbor.
The book
I borrowed from the library is due tomorrow.
The teacher
you recommended is excellent.
The house,
was built in 1920, is now a museum.
The children,
are playing in the park, are my students.
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