Relative Pronouns
What are relative pronouns? Relative pronouns are words like where/who/which/whose and they are written with a group of words to form a clause which can be a connecting/defining clause or an inserted/a non-defining clause.
"where" clauses
"where" clauses are for places
This is the road. The accident happened here.
This is the road where the accident happened. (connecting clause/defining clause) ("the road" is the place)
(.....where the accident happened is known as the "where" clause which connects "This is the road" and "The accident happened here")
Once the "where" clause is used, the word "here" must be dropped and no comma is needed.
More example sentences:
The place is marked X. You must sign there. The place where you must sign is marked X. ("where you must sign" is a defining clause)
The playground has been demolished. We used to play hide-and-seek there when we were kids.
The playground where we used to play hide-and-seek when we were kids has been demolished. (defining clause)
"who" clauses
"who" clauses are for people only
This is Mr Peterson. He is our General Manager.
This is Mr Peterson who is our General Manager. (connecting/defining clause/"He" must be dropped)
(..."who is our General Manager" is the "who" clause that connects "This is Mr Peterson" and "He is our General Manager")
More example sentences:
The long-haired lady is Karen's aunt. She came for the interview yesterday.
The long-haired lady who came for the interview yesterday is Karen's aunt. (connecting/defining clause/"She" must be dropped)) OR
The long-haired lady, who is Karen's aunt, came for the interview yesterday. (non-defining clause that gives extra information about "The long-haired lady") (two commas are needed, one before the clause and one after it)
I saw a huge man. He was wearing a scary mask.
I saw a huge man who was wearing a scary mask. (connecting/defining clause/ "He" must be dropped))
"which" clauses
"which" clauses are for things and animals, never for people
Old Mrs Lee likes wearing her favorite dress. The dress looks old-fashioned.
Old Mrs Lee likes wearing her favorite dress which looks old-fashioned. (connecting/defining clause/"The dress" must be dropped)
"which looks old-fashioned" is called the "which" clause that connects "Old Mrs Lee likes wearing her favorite dress" and "The dress looks old-fashioned"
More example sentences:
Tommy keeps three cats. They look very cute.
Tommy keeps three cats which look very cute. (connecting/defining clause/"They" must be dropped)
Teresa's pet dog has been taken to the veterinary clinic. It was run over by a car.
Teresa's pet dog, which was run over by a car, has been taken to the veterinary clinic. ("It" must be dropped)
Note that this kind of "which" clause is actually an insertion into the sentence Teresa's pet dog has been taken to the veterinary clinic. This kind of "which"clause is called a non-defining clause and it gives more information about Teresa's pet dog such as why her dog has been taken to the veterinary clinic. When a clause is an insertion into a sentence, the two commas (,) must be included; one comma just before the clause and another comma just after the clause.
"whose" clauses
"whose" clauses are generally for people and animals
"whose" used as a relative pronoun indicates relationship/ownership
This is Florence. Her mother is a florist.
This is Florence whose mother is a florist. (connecting/defining clause/ "Her" must be dropped/no comma is needed) (indicating mother-and-daughter relationship)
Jenny has just given birth to a set of twin boys. Her husband is an engineer.
Jenny, whose husband is an engineer, has just given birth to a set of twin boys. (whose husband is an engineer is an inserted/non-defining clause in the sentence "Jenny has just given birth to a set of twin boys" and the two commas are needed)
That is our neighbor's mother cat. Her kitten was killed by a vicious stray dog.
That is our neighbor's mother cat whose kitten was killed by a vicious stray dog. (connecting/defining clause/"Her" must be dropped/no comma is needed)
The volunteers helped the landslide victims. Their houses had been buried deep in the ground.
The volunteers helped the landslide victims whose houses had been buried deep in the ground. (defining clause/indicating ownership - the houses belonged to the landslide victims)
"that" is also a relative pronoun and it is used in connecting/defining clauses only
Example sentences:
This is the book. I borrowed it from the town library.
This is the book that I borrowed from the town library.
In informal English usage, you can drop the relative pronoun "that" like this: This is the book I borrowed from the town library.
She is the young lady. I saw her last evening.
She is the young lady that I saw last evening. OR
She is the young lady I saw last evening. (informal)
This is the tree-house. The children built it last summer.
This is the tree-house that the children built last summer. OR
This is the tree-house the children built last summer. (informal)
"whom" can be used as a relative pronoun and is often used in formal clauses, especially after "to"
Example sentence:
He is our new boss. You passed the newsletter to him a while ago.
He is our new boss to whom you passed the newsletter a while ago.
Note that defining and non-defining clauses are actually subordinate clauses.
Click on "grammar" for the explanation on Main Clauses and Subordinate Clauses.
REMEMBER:
When where/who/which/whose/whom are used in clauses, they are called relative pronouns NOT question words. However, when they are used to begin questions such as Where do you live?/Who is that woman?/Which suitcase is yours?/Whose wallet is that on the couch?/Whom do you wish to speak to?, they are called question words.
"that" can never be used to begin questions, therefore it is never a question word.
AVOID THIS MISTAKE
Do not take relative pronouns as conjunctions! They are not conjunctions though they can be used to connect sentences.
Here's a short evaluation exercise. In each question, you see two sentences. Rewrite them into one sentence using the suitable relative pronoun. Read the given example.
Switzerland is a European country. You can see thick snow there during winter.
Switzerland, where you can see thick snow during winter, is a European country.
These are the new coffee cups. They are extremely breakable.
.................................................................................................
Laura is a high school student. Her sister is a famous actress.
.................................................................................................
The police have arrested the burglar. He broke into Mr Peterson's house last night.
.................................................................................................
Sally went to the old hut. She saw a few dead chickens in the old hut.
.................................................................................................
Click on "Show" for the answers after you've done this exercise.
Answers [Show] [Hide]
"where" clauses
"where" clauses are for places
This is the road. The accident happened here.
This is the road where the accident happened. (connecting clause/defining clause) ("the road" is the place)
(.....where the accident happened is known as the "where" clause which connects "This is the road" and "The accident happened here")
Once the "where" clause is used, the word "here" must be dropped and no comma is needed.
More example sentences:
The place is marked X. You must sign there. The place where you must sign is marked X. ("where you must sign" is a defining clause)
The playground has been demolished. We used to play hide-and-seek there when we were kids.
The playground where we used to play hide-and-seek when we were kids has been demolished. (defining clause)
"who" clauses
"who" clauses are for people only
This is Mr Peterson. He is our General Manager.
This is Mr Peterson who is our General Manager. (connecting/defining clause/"He" must be dropped)
(..."who is our General Manager" is the "who" clause that connects "This is Mr Peterson" and "He is our General Manager")
More example sentences:
The long-haired lady is Karen's aunt. She came for the interview yesterday.
The long-haired lady who came for the interview yesterday is Karen's aunt. (connecting/defining clause/"She" must be dropped)) OR
The long-haired lady, who is Karen's aunt, came for the interview yesterday. (non-defining clause that gives extra information about "The long-haired lady") (two commas are needed, one before the clause and one after it)
I saw a huge man. He was wearing a scary mask.
I saw a huge man who was wearing a scary mask. (connecting/defining clause/ "He" must be dropped))
"which" clauses
"which" clauses are for things and animals, never for people
Old Mrs Lee likes wearing her favorite dress. The dress looks old-fashioned.
Old Mrs Lee likes wearing her favorite dress which looks old-fashioned. (connecting/defining clause/"The dress" must be dropped)
"which looks old-fashioned" is called the "which" clause that connects "Old Mrs Lee likes wearing her favorite dress" and "The dress looks old-fashioned"
More example sentences:
Tommy keeps three cats. They look very cute.
Tommy keeps three cats which look very cute. (connecting/defining clause/"They" must be dropped)
Teresa's pet dog has been taken to the veterinary clinic. It was run over by a car.
Teresa's pet dog, which was run over by a car, has been taken to the veterinary clinic. ("It" must be dropped)
Note that this kind of "which" clause is actually an insertion into the sentence Teresa's pet dog has been taken to the veterinary clinic. This kind of "which"clause is called a non-defining clause and it gives more information about Teresa's pet dog such as why her dog has been taken to the veterinary clinic. When a clause is an insertion into a sentence, the two commas (,) must be included; one comma just before the clause and another comma just after the clause.
"whose" clauses
"whose" clauses are generally for people and animals
"whose" used as a relative pronoun indicates relationship/ownership
This is Florence. Her mother is a florist.
This is Florence whose mother is a florist. (connecting/defining clause/ "Her" must be dropped/no comma is needed) (indicating mother-and-daughter relationship)
Jenny has just given birth to a set of twin boys. Her husband is an engineer.
Jenny, whose husband is an engineer, has just given birth to a set of twin boys. (whose husband is an engineer is an inserted/non-defining clause in the sentence "Jenny has just given birth to a set of twin boys" and the two commas are needed)
That is our neighbor's mother cat. Her kitten was killed by a vicious stray dog.
That is our neighbor's mother cat whose kitten was killed by a vicious stray dog. (connecting/defining clause/"Her" must be dropped/no comma is needed)
The volunteers helped the landslide victims. Their houses had been buried deep in the ground.
The volunteers helped the landslide victims whose houses had been buried deep in the ground. (defining clause/indicating ownership - the houses belonged to the landslide victims)
"that" is also a relative pronoun and it is used in connecting/defining clauses only
Example sentences:
This is the book. I borrowed it from the town library.
This is the book that I borrowed from the town library.
In informal English usage, you can drop the relative pronoun "that" like this: This is the book I borrowed from the town library.
She is the young lady. I saw her last evening.
She is the young lady that I saw last evening. OR
She is the young lady I saw last evening. (informal)
This is the tree-house. The children built it last summer.
This is the tree-house that the children built last summer. OR
This is the tree-house the children built last summer. (informal)
"whom" can be used as a relative pronoun and is often used in formal clauses, especially after "to"
Example sentence:
He is our new boss. You passed the newsletter to him a while ago.
He is our new boss to whom you passed the newsletter a while ago.
Note that defining and non-defining clauses are actually subordinate clauses.
Click on "grammar" for the explanation on Main Clauses and Subordinate Clauses.
REMEMBER:
When where/who/which/whose/whom are used in clauses, they are called relative pronouns NOT question words. However, when they are used to begin questions such as Where do you live?/Who is that woman?/Which suitcase is yours?/Whose wallet is that on the couch?/Whom do you wish to speak to?, they are called question words.
"that" can never be used to begin questions, therefore it is never a question word.
AVOID THIS MISTAKE
Do not take relative pronouns as conjunctions! They are not conjunctions though they can be used to connect sentences.
Here's a short evaluation exercise. In each question, you see two sentences. Rewrite them into one sentence using the suitable relative pronoun. Read the given example.
Switzerland is a European country. You can see thick snow there during winter.
Switzerland, where you can see thick snow during winter, is a European country.
These are the new coffee cups. They are extremely breakable.
.................................................................................................
Laura is a high school student. Her sister is a famous actress.
.................................................................................................
The police have arrested the burglar. He broke into Mr Peterson's house last night.
.................................................................................................
Sally went to the old hut. She saw a few dead chickens in the old hut.
.................................................................................................
Click on "Show" for the answers after you've done this exercise.
Answers [Show] [Hide]
These are the new coffee cups which are extremely breakable.
Laura, whose sister is a famous actress, is a high school student.
The police have arrested the burglar who broke into Mr Peterson's house last night.
Sally went to the old hut where she saw a few dead chickens.
Laura, whose sister is a famous actress, is a high school student.
The police have arrested the burglar who broke into Mr Peterson's house last night.
Sally went to the old hut where she saw a few dead chickens.
By Susan L
On 1/12/2010 06:23:00 PM
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View More Articles... On 1/12/2010 06:23:00 PM
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