What are Relative Pronouns? Your Complete Guide 

What are Relative Pronouns? Relative pronouns are the unsung heroes of smooth, connected sentences. These seemingly small words – who, whom, which, that, and whose – play a vital role in linking clauses and adding depth to our communication. 

In this guide, we will break down the essentials of relative pronouns, exploring their definitions, usage, and how they contribute to clear and effective writing. Whether you are a language learner or simply looking to refine your grammar skills, this blog will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of what are relative pronouns, examples, exercises and more.

What are Relative Pronouns?

What are Relative Pronouns? Relative pronouns are essential tools in English grammar that allow us to connect clauses and provide additional information about nouns. Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses, which are dependent clauses that modify nouns. Essentially, they act as connectors, linking a descriptive clause to a noun in the main clause. This allows for more complex and nuanced sentence structures.

Common Relative Pronouns

After understanding what are relative pronouns, it is essential to learn about common pronouns and their examples.

Some of the most common relative pronouns in English are:

• Who:
  • Used to refer to people, typically when they are the subject of the relative clause.

Example: “The woman who spoke to me was very kind.”

• Whom:
  • Used to refer to people, typically when they are the object of the relative clause.  

Example: “The man whom I saw was wearing a hat.” (Note: “whom” is becoming less common in informal speech.)  

• Which:
  • Used to refer to things, animals, or ideas.

Example: “The book which I borrowed was very interesting.”

• That:
  • Can refer to people, things, animals, or ideas.  
  • Often used in restrictive relative clauses (those essential to the sentence’s meaning).  

Example: “The car that I bought is red.”

• Whose:
  • Used to show possession.  
  • Can refer to people, animals, or things.  

Example: “The student whose essay won the prize was delighted.”

Also Read: What is the Difference Between Nouns and Pronoun?

Examples of Relative Pronouns

Following are some of the common examples of relative pronouns, which will help you with a better understanding.

1. Who (referring to people as subjects):

• “The woman who is wearing a red dress is my aunt.” (Who is the subject of “is wearing”)
• “He is the student who won the scholarship.” (Who is the subject of “won”)
• “They are the people who helped me move.” (Who is the subject of “helped”)

2. Whom (referring to people as objects):

• “The man whom I saw at the store was very tall.” (Whom is the object of “saw”)
• “She is the person whom everyone admires.” (Whom is the object of “admires”)
• “The candidate whom they interviewed was highly qualified.” (Whom is the object of “interviewed”)
  • Note: In modern spoken English, “whom” is often replaced by “who” or omitted entirely.

3. Which (referring to things, animals, or ideas):

• “The book which I borrowed from the library is very interesting.” (Which refers to “book”)
• “The dog which barked at me was a small terrier.” (Which refers to “dog”)
• “The idea which she presented was innovative.” (Which refers to “idea”)

4. That (referring to people, things, animals, or ideas, often in restrictive clauses):

• “The car that I bought is red.” (That refers to “car”)
• “The person that called me was a telemarketer.” (That refers to “person”)
• “The movie that we watched was very exciting.” (That refers to “movie”)
• “The cat that is sitting on the fence is mine.” (That refers to “cat”)

5. Whose (showing possession):

• “The student whose essay won the prize was delighted.” (Whose shows possession by “student”)
• “The house whose roof is blue belongs to my neighbors.” (Whose shows possession by “house”)
• “The company whose profits increased is expanding.” (Whose shows possession by “company”)
• “The dog, whose tail was wagging, was very friendly.” (Whose shows possession by “dog”)

Also Read: Subject Pronouns Exercises

Common Mistakes to Avoid with Relative Pronouns

Using relative pronouns correctly can significantly improve your writing and speaking. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

1. Confusing “Who” and “Whom”:

• Mistake: Using “who” when “whom” is required, or vice versa.
• Why it happens: “Whom” is becoming less common in informal English, leading to confusion.
• How to avoid it:
  • If the pronoun is the subject of the relative clause, use “who.”
  • If the pronoun is the object of the verb or preposition in the relative clause, use “whom.”
  • If you’re unsure, try replacing the pronoun with “he/she” or “him/her.” If “he/she” works, use “who.” If “him/her” works, use “whom.”
  • In modern spoken English, many people simply use “who” in most situations.

2. Misusing “Which” and “That”:

• Mistake: Using “which” in restrictive clauses or “that” in non-restrictive clauses.
• Why it happens: The distinction between restrictive and non-restrictive clauses can be unclear.
• How to avoid it:
  • Restrictive clauses (essential to the sentence’s meaning): Use “that” (or sometimes “who”). These clauses are not set off by commas.
  • Non-restrictive clauses (provide extra information): Use “which” (or “who”). These clauses are set off by commas.
  • Example: “The book that I read was interesting.” (Restrictive) vs. “The book, which I read last night, was interesting.” (Non-restrictive)

3. Incorrect Use of “Whose”:

• Mistake: Confusing “whose” (possessive relative pronoun) with “who’s” (contraction of “who is”).
• Why it happens: They sound the same.
• How to avoid it:
  • “Whose” shows possession: “The student whose book was lost…”
  • “Who’s” is a contraction: “Who’s going to the party?”

4. Omitting the Relative Pronoun:

• Mistake: Leaving out the relative pronoun when it’s needed.
• Why it happens: In some informal contexts, omitting “that” is common, but it’s not always appropriate.
• How to avoid it:
  • In formal writing, include the relative pronoun unless it’s very clear from the context that it’s implied.
  • Example: “The book I read” is sometimes acceptable informally, but “The book that I read” is always correct.

5. Incorrect Antecedent:

• Mistake: Using a relative pronoun that doesn’t clearly refer to the intended antecedent.
• Why it happens: Confusing sentence structure or unclear references.
• How to avoid it:
  • Ensure the relative pronoun clearly refers to the noun it’s meant to modify.
  • Place the relative clause as close as possible to its antecedent.

6. Not understanding restrictive vs. non-restrictive clauses.

• Mistake: Not using commas correctly.
• Why it happens: Not fully understanding the purpose of the clauses.
• How to avoid it:
  • If the clause provides essential information, no commas.
  • If the clause provides extra, non-essential information, use commas.

7. Using the wrong pronoun for people vs. objects.

• Mistake: Using which for people or who for objects.
• Why it happens: Simple error.
• How to avoid it:
  • Who/whom = people.
  • Which/that = objects.

Must Read: First, Second and Third Person Pronouns

Practice Exercises for Relative Pronouns

Once you have gained all the information on what are relative pronouns, it is time to put your knowledge to the test. This can be done by solving the following practice exercises on relative pronouns, which will help you strengthen your understanding. 

Exercise 1

Instructions: Fill in the blanks with the correct relative pronoun (who, whom, which, that, whose).

1. The man ______ spoke to me was very kind.
2. The book ______ I borrowed from the library is due tomorrow.
3. The student ______ essay won the prize was very happy.
4. The dog ______ barked at the mailman is very protective.
5. The person ______ I saw yesterday was my neighbour.

Answers:

1. Who
2. Which/that
3. Whose
4. That/which
5. Whom

Exercise 2: Sentence Combining

Instructions: Choose the following pairs of sentences using a relative pronoun.

1. The car is parked outside. It is red.
2. The woman is a doctor. She helped me.
3. The house has a blue roof. It belongs to my friend.
4. The movie was exciting. We watched it last night.
5. The teacher is very patient. Her students adore her.

Answers:

1. The car that is parked outside is red.
2. The woman who helped me is a doctor.
3. The house whose roof is blue belongs to my friend.
4. The movie that we watched last night was exciting.
5. The teacher whose students adore her is very patient.

Exercise 3: Choose the Correct Pronoun

Instructions: Choose the correct relative pronoun from the following options given below.

1. The cake (who/which) I baked was delicious.
2. The athlete (whose/who’s) record was broken is disappointed.
3. The people (that/whom) we met were very friendly.
4. The problem (who/which) we discussed is complex.
5. The artist (whom/who) painted this picture is famous.

Answers:

1. Which
2. Whose
3. Whom/that
4. Which
5. Who

Exercise 4: Identify the Relative Clause

Instructions: Underline the relative clause in each sentence and identify the relative pronoun.

1. The student who studies hard usually succeeds.
2. The book that I read was very informative.
3. The house whose windows are broken needs repair.
4. The movie which we watched was a comedy.
5. The person whom I saw was my cousin.

Answers:

1. The student who studies hard usually succeeds. (who)
2. The book that I read was very informative. (that)
3. The house whose windows are broken needs repair. (whose)
4. The movie which we watched was a comedy. (which)
5. The person whom I saw was my cousin. (whom)

Exercise 5: Error Correction

Instructions: Correct the errors in the following sentences.

1. The dog who’s tail was wagging was friendly.
2. The book that I read, was very interesting.
3. The man whom speaks Italian is my teacher.
4. The car which I bought, it is blue.
5. The person whose I saw yesterday, she was nice.

Answers:

1. The dog whose tail was wagging was friendly.
2. The book that I read was very interesting. (remove comma)
3. The man who speaks Italian is my teacher.
4. The car which I bought is blue. (remove “it”)
5. The person whom I saw yesterday was nice. (remove “she”)

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