Relative Pronouns

A relative pronoun is a pronoun that introduces a relative clause. It is called a "relative" pronoun because it "relates" to the word that it modifies. Here is an example:

The person who phoned me last night is my teacher.

In the above example, "who":

relates to "person", which it modifies introduces the relative clause "who phoned me last night"

There are five relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, that Who !sub"ect# and whom !ob"ect# are generally only for people. Whose is for possession. Which is for things. In non-defining relative clauses, that is used for things. In defining relative clauses !clauses that are essential to the sentence and do not simply add extra information# that can be used for things and people . $elative pronouns can refer to singular or plural, and there is no difference between male and female. %oo& at these examples showing defining and non'defining relative clauses: example sentences ()sub"ect, *)ob"ect, +)possessive defining relative clauses ( ' The person who phoned me last night is my teacher. ' The person that phoned me last night is my teacher. ' The car which hit me was yellow. ' The car that hit me was yellow. * ' The person whom I phoned last night is my teacher. ' The people who I phoned last night are my teachers. ' The person that I phoned last night is my teacher. ' The person I phoned last night is my teacher.

notes

That is preferable

That is preferable Whom is correct but formal. The relative pronoun is optional.

' The car which I drive is old. ' The car that I drive is old. ' The car I drive is old. ' The student whose phone "ust rang should stand up. ' (tudents whose parents are wealthy pay extra. + ' The police are loo&ing for the car whose driver was mas&ed. ' The police are loo&ing for the car of which the driver was mas&ed. ' ,rs +ratt, who is very &ind, is my teacher. ( ' The car, which was a taxi, exploded. ' The cars, which were taxis, exploded. ' ,rs +ratt, whom I li&e very much, is my teacher. ' ,rs +ratt, who I li&e very much, is my teacher. ' The car, which I was driving at the time, suddenly caught fire. ' ,y brother, whose phone you "ust heard, is a doctor. ' The car, whose driver "umped out "ust before the accident, was completely destroyed. ' The car, the driver of which "umped out "ust before the accident, was completely destroyed.

That is preferable to which. The relative pronoun is optional.

Whose can be used with things. Of which is also possible.

non-defining relative clauses

Whom is correct but formal. Who is common in spo&en -nglish and informal written -nglish.

Whose can be used with things. Of which is also possible.

.ot all grammar sources count "that" as a relative pronoun. (ome people claim that even in defining relative clauses we cannot use "that" for people but must use "who/whom". There is no good reason for such a claim0 there is a long history of "that" for people in defining relative clauses from 1haucer, (ha&espeare and the Authori2ed 3ersion of The Bible to Fowler's and 1hurchill.