Relative Pronouns

The words that connect clauses to nouns they modify

Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses, which provide additional information about a noun. The main relative pronouns are who, whom, whose, which, and that. They serve two key functions:

  • Replace a noun in the subordinate clause
  • Connect the clause to the main sentence

Core Characteristics

  • Link clauses: Connect dependent clauses to main clauses
  • Replace nouns: Avoid repetition ("The woman who called")
  • Case-sensitive: Change form based on function (who vs. whom)
  • Restrictive vs. non-restrictive: Essential vs. extra information
  • No number/gender inflection: Same form for singular/plural

The Relative Pronoun System

1. "Who" (Subject for People)

  • "The doctor who treated me was kind." (subject of clause)
  • "She’s the teacher who inspired me."
Regional Note:

In informal US English, "who" often replaces "whom" ("The person who I met"). UK English more commonly retains "whom" in formal writing.

2. "Whom" (Object for People)

  • "The candidate whom we interviewed was impressive." (object of verb)
  • "The man to whom you spoke is my uncle." (object of preposition)
Oxford Guidance:

Required after prepositions in formal writing ("For whom was this intended?"). Often replaced by "who" in speech.

3. "Whose" (Possessive for People/Things)

  • "The artist whose work we admired." (people)
  • "A book whose cover was torn." (things – formal)
Alternative for Things:

"A book the cover of which was torn." (more formal)

4. "Which" (Things/Animals)

  • "The car, which was red, sped past us." (non-restrictive)
  • "The house which we bought needs repairs." (restrictive – UK)
US vs. UK:

US English prefers "that" for restrictive clauses ("The house that we bought"). UK accepts both.

5. "That" (People/Things in Restrictive Clauses)

  • "The book that you recommended was excellent." (essential info)
  • "She’s the one that helped us." (informal for people)
Oxford Rule:

Never use commas with "that" clauses – they’re always restrictive.

Advanced Usage Rules

1. Restrictive vs. Non-Restrictive Clauses

Restrictive (Essential – No Commas):
  • "The laptop that I bought has a great display." (Specifies which one)
Non-Restrictive (Extra – Use Commas):
  • "My laptop, which I bought last year, works perfectly." (Adds info)

2. Omission of Relative Pronouns

  • "The book (that) you wanted is here." (Object pronoun can be omitted)
  • "The woman (who) I met yesterday called again." (Informal)
Never Omit:

When the pronoun is the subject of its clause ("The man who called you" – not "The man called you")

3. Preposition Placement

Formal (Preposition First):
  • "The city in which I was born."
Informal (Preposition Last):
  • "The city which I was born in."

4. "What" as Relative Pronoun (Non-Standard)

  • ❌ "This is the car what I want." (Dialectal)
  • ✅ "This is the car that I want."

Regional Variations

1. UK vs. US English

UK Formal:
  • "The team which won the cup." (Acceptable for things)
  • "The person to whom I spoke." (Preposition fronting)
US Standard:
  • "The team that won the cup." (Preferred for restrictives)
  • "The person (who) I spoke to." (Stranded preposition)

2. Dialectal Forms

Scottish/Irish English:
  • "The man that his car was stolen." (For "whose")
African American Vernacular English (AAVE):
  • "This is the girl what helped me." (Non-standard)

Common Errors & Corrections

1. Wrong Pronoun Choice:
  • ❌ "The person which called me." → ✅ "who" (for people)
2. Restrictive/Non-Restrictive Confusion:
  • ❌ "My brother, that lives abroad, called me." → ✅ "who" (non-restrictive)
3. Redundant Subjects:
  • ❌ "The book that it was on the table." → ✅ "The book that was on the table."

Practice Exercises

1. Fill in the Blanks

  1. "The scientist _____ discovered the vaccine won a Nobel Prize." (who)
  2. "The documents _____ you requested are ready." (that/which)
  3. "The employee _____ laptop was stolen reported it." (whose)

2. Correct the Errors

  1. ❌ "The woman which helped us." → ✅ "who"
  2. ❌ "This is the car what I want." → ✅ "that/which"

Historical & Comparative Notes

Old English Roots:
  • "That" from þæt (neuter demonstrative)
  • "Who" from hwā (interrogative pronoun)
Cross-Linguistic Comparison:
  • Spanish: "que" (that), "quien" (who), "cuyo" (whose)
  • German: "der/die/das" (gender-specific relatives)