Relative Pronouns
0 A relative pronoun is a pronoun used to
begin a subordinate clause; it can be
referred to as a relative pronoun since it
indicates the relationship of the
subordinate clause to the rest of the
sentence.
0 Relative clauses are ADJECTIVE CLAUSES!
Common Relative Pronouns
0 Who/whom
0 Whoever/whomever
0 That
0 Which
Relative Pronouns Introduce
Relative Clauses
0 Relative pronouns are a type of
or
clause.
0 When a sentence contains a subordinate clause, it is
a
0 A relative clause cannot stand alone as sentence
0
subject
verb
does not make sense without the main clause
Relative Clause Examples
0 The house that Jack built is large
0 The main clause:
0 The dependent (relative clause): that Jack built
0 The professor whom I respect, recently received an
award.
0 Main Clause: The professor recently received an award.
0 Relative Clause: whom I respect
0 It took me a while to tolerate people who eat
popcorn during a movie.
0 The library did not have the book that I wanted.
When do we use whom as a
relative pronoun?
0 We use whom when the relative clause is used in the
objective case.
0 The woman to whom you have spoken is my teacher.
0 Main clause: The woman is my teacher.
0 Dependent Clause: to whom you have spoken
(whom is the object of the preposition to)
The visitor for whom you were waiting has arrived.
Relative Pronouns Can Be Used
As A Possessive In Some Clauses
0 Whose is the only possessive relative pronoun. The antecedent
of “whose” can be both people and things.
0 The family whose house burnt in the fire was immediately given
a complimentary suite at a hotel.
0 The book whose author won a Pulitzer Prize has become a
bestseller.
(Notice that there are no commas that set off the clauses above;
that is because these are restrictive clauses and are necessary to
the full understanding of the sentence.
(Restrictive Clause=no comma needed!)
Some Relative Clauses Are Set
Off By Commas
0 Relative pronouns that introduce clauses that are “non-
restrictive” provide non-essential information about the
antecedent in the main clause.
Often “which” is the relative pronoun that begins non-restrictive
clauses.
The theater, in which the play debuted, housed 300 people.
The sculpture, which he admired, was moved into the basement of
the museum.
(If you remove these clauses, the meaning of the main clause does
not change, and the information that the clause provides is not
necessary; it is non-essential)
(non-essential=commas needed)
“That”…Use Only In
Restrictive Clauses
(no
comma
needed)
0 The relative pronoun that can only be used in restrictive
clauses. It can also be substituted for who (when it refers
to a person) or which (when it refers to a thing).
0 Sparky was a puppy that became a member of our
family immediately.
0 William Harvey was the man who played in five different
World Series.
0 That spotted dog was the one that bit me on the leg.
0 He is a kind person who will never let you down.
When should I use “that” and
when should I use “which”
0 There are several cases when that is more appropriate
than which:
0 After the pronouns “all,” “anything,” “few,” “many,”
“much,” “nothing,” “none,” and “something.”
0 The police usually ask for all details that help identify
a missing person.
0 Dessert is something that he wants.
Case 21 Example Question
0 Which of the following sentences does not contain a
RELATIVE CLAUSE (a subordinate clause that begins with a
relative pronoun)?
0 A. The man who drove the white car caused the accident.
0 B. The man to whom she is engaged has enlisted in the
military.
0 C. The elephant that performed in the circus was a hefty
animal.
0 D. Although she likes Leonard, she is too shy to tell him.
AND THE ANSWER IS…D
0 A. The man who drove the white car caused the
accident. (relative clause)
0 B. The man to whom she is engaged has enlisted in
the military. (relative clause)
0 C. The elephant that performed in the circus was a
hefty animal. (relative clause)
0 D. Although she likes Leonard, she is too shy to tell
him. (While “Although she likes Leonard” is a
dependent or subordinate clause, it IS NOT a relative
clause because it does not begin with a relative
pronoun! It is actually an adverb clause that begins
with a subordinate conjunction.)
Case 21 Example Question
0 Which of the following sentences is complex with a
relative pronoun and has a singular, possessive,
feminine personal pronoun? (Underline exactly what
the question is asking!)
A. While she may be stubborn, she is not unreasonable.
B. She who laughs last is the one who does not
understand her own joke.
C. Her mother is such a kind person, but she is not.
D. My favorite food is chicken-on-a-stick, yet my
brother who works at the fair has never tried it.
AND THE ANSWER IS…B
0 Which of the following sentences is complex with a relative
pronoun and has a singular, possessive, feminine personal
pronoun? (Underline exactly what the question is asking!)
A. While she may be stubborn, she is not unreasonable.
(THIS SENTENCE IS COMPLEX BUT DOES NOT HAVE A RELATIVE PRONOUN
A FEMININE, SINGULAR POSSESSIVE PRONOUN.)
NOR
B. She who laughs last is the one who does not understand
her own joke. (THIS IS YOUR ANSWER!!!)
C. Her mother is such a kind person, but she is not.
(This sentence is compound, not complex; it does, however have a feminine,
singular possessive pronoun.)
D. My favorite food is chicken-on-a-stick, yet my brother
who works at the fair has never tried it.
(This sentence is compound-complex with a relative
pronoun, but it does not have a feminine, singular
possessive pronoun.)