Relative pronouns

​Relative pronouns

Agenda

• Check homework.

• Relative pronouns.

• Class exercise.

• Homework.​

What Is a Relative Pronoun

A relative pronoun is used to connect a clause or phrase to a noun or pronoun. The clause modifies or describes the noun. The most common relative pronouns are who, whom, whose, which, and that. Sometimes, when and where can be used as relative pronouns as well.

Relative Pronoun	Usage	Example
who	used for people: replaces subject pronouns like I, she, he, we, they	It was my husband
whose	shows possession or relationship	This is the girl
whom	replaces object pronouns like me, her, him	The man
which	used for objects and animals (typically non-defining clauses)	The robots,
that	used for people and things (typically defining clauses)	The piggy bank

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How to Use Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns are placed directly after the noun or pronoun they modify . The subject of the sentence is described by a relative clause . Since these clauses describe a noun or a pronoun, they are also known as adjective clauses because they act like adjectives in the sentence.

Each clause is introduced by a relative pronoun. Relative pronouns connect the description to the rest of the sentence in an orderly way. See how this works through a few examples.

• The driver who ran the stop sign was careless.

• The children, whom we love dearly, need better educational systems.

• Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died.

• I have a friend whose cat is annoying.

• The book, which is now out of print, has all the information you need.

• This is the book that everyone is talking about.

When and Where as Relative Pronouns

Occasionally, the relative adverbs when and where are also used as relative pronouns. As a relative pronoun, when introduces clauses that describe a noun that refers to a time, and where refers to a place. Check out a few different sentence examples.

• Grandma remembers a time when radio shows were popular.

• She remembered the day when they met.

• The office where I work is in this building.

• I want to visit the island where my grandma was born.

Who vs. That

One of the most common mistakes in writing is to use the wrong relative pronoun, particularly when it comes to mixing up who and that. Who is always used to set up a relative clause that describes a person, while that is used to describe an object or non-human things.

• I like the girl who runs fast.

• I like the boy who is in my class.

• The woman, who is very old, took a nap.

• I like the dog that does tricks

• I like the clock that chimes the hour.

Which vs. That

Another common error is to mix up that and which. When describing objects and non-human beings, that is used to introduce a defining relative clause (essential information and requires no additional punctuation), while which is used to introduce a non-defining clause (non-essential information set off by commas). See a few different examples.

• The cat, which is very old, took a nap.

• The hampster, which was in the cage, was running on the wheel.

• The phone, which was ringing, was in my bedroom.

• The cat that is very old needs to see the vet today.

• The cells that we had tested came back as benign.

• Here are some cookies that everyone can eat.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGNvzbM0LmM

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​Let's practice!

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https://www.liveworksheets.com/worksheets/en/English_as_a_Second_Language_(ESL)/Relative_pronouns/Relative__clauses_rs343464nr

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https://www.liveworksheets.com/worksheets/en/English_as_a_Second_Language_(ESL)/Relative_pronouns/Relative_pronoun_mq2231589ka

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https://www.liveworksheets.com/worksheets/en/English_as_a_Second_Language_(ESL)/Relative_pronouns/Relative_Clauses_st804937uv​

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