Relative Pronouns:

What are Relative Pronouns?

Relative Pronouns are used to join a clause or phrase to a noun or pronoun (antecedent) in the previous clause. The Relative Pronoun introduces the relative clause and can be a subject or an object of the verb or the object of a preposition.

Relative Pronouns List:

Functions of the Relative pronoun:

Within the Relative (Subordinate) Clause, the Relative Pronouns may work as Subject of the verb, Object of the verb, or Object of a Preposition.

Relative Pronoun as a Subject: When the verb is used right after a Relative Pronoun in a sentence, it is called the Subject.

Examples:

• The man who helped Covid patients got rewarded. (The man helped Covid patients.  ‘The man’ is the subject.) 
• This is the website that helped several students. (The website helped several students. ‘The website’ is the subject.)
• Don’t go in bad weather which is unsafe for you. (‘The weather is unsafe for you. ‘The weather is the subject.)

Relative Pronoun as an Object: When there is no verb right after a Relative Pronoun in a sentence, it is called the Object. We use any noun or pronoun immediately after the Relative Pronoun.

Examples:

• I saw a girl whom I met in Bangalore. (I met a girl in Bangalore. “A girl is an object)
• This is the lappy which my brother gave as a gift. (My brother gave the lappy as a gift. ‘The lappy is the object.)
• The student, whom we helped, has helped many others. (We helped the student. ‘The student is the object)

Relative Pronoun as an Object of a Preposition:

Examples:

• This is the office in which I work.
• The reason, for which you have come here, has not been disclosed.
• This is the teacher to whom I submit the project.
• The passengers, with whom I should travel, are still coming.

The Relative Pronoun works as a Pronoun as well as a Conjunction.

Examples:

• I met Mr. Reddy who taught us English. 

Here, the Relative Pronoun ‘who’ acts as a pronoun as it has replaced a noun ‘Mr. Reddy’ and also acts as a conjunction as it joins two clauses ‘I met Mr. Reddy’ and ‘taught us English.’ 

Uses of the Relative Pronouns:

The use of Who:

It is used

• for people.
• sometimes for pet animals.
• as the Subject (Nominative Case).
• for Masculine or Feminine Gender.
• for both Singular and Plural.

Examples:

• These are the players who received the trophy.
• The players who played by fair means did not win the trophy.
• The girls who teased the boy got rusticated.
• The principal saw the girls who teased the boy.
• Aswini, who participated in a mega marathon event, won the gold medal.
• This is the lady who received the gold medal.
• This is the man who helped many Covid patients.
• Don’t believe a person who says one thing now and the other thing later.

The use of Whom:

It is used

• for people.
• as the Object (Accusative Case).
• for Masculine or Feminine Gender.
• for both Singular and Plural.

Examples:

• These are the people whom we should not allow into the campus.
• The boy whom we helped is in London now.
• Mr. Reddy whom we met yesterday is our master.
• The response of the principal whom I have met is good. 
• This is the student whom we appreciated earlier.

Whom with a Preposition:

Examples:

• There are ten new employees to whom I sent the appointment letters.
• Spoken English classes are good for the students for whom English is a second language.
• I have many trusted friends with whom I share everything.

The use of Whose:

It is used

• for people and animals and must be followed by a noun.
• as the Possessive (Genitive Case).
• to replace the possessive expressions (my, your, his, her, its, our, their)
• for Masculine or Feminine Gender.
• for both Singular and Plural.

Examples:

• The government needs to help the children whose parents have died of Covid19.
• We have issued hall tickets to all the students whose payment is clear.
• I know many lovers whose love is not successful.
• We spoke to Hrithik whose ambition is to become an IAS officer.
• The man whose bike was missing gave a complaint.

The use of Which:

It is used

• for animals and things
• as the Subject or Object (Nominative or Accusative Case).
• for both Singular and Plural.

Examples:

• How can you join a school which is far away from here?
• I need to attend a party which is going to be arranged by my friend.
• There are several animals which are without food. 

• The school which you have chosen is really good.
• The new dog which I bought yesterday is so cute.
• There are several paintings which have been done by my son.

The use of What:

It is used

• only for things without an antecedent
• only for Singular.
• as the Subject or Object (Nominative or Accusative Case).
• Its antecedent is not expressed directly.
• It does not refer to a noun that comes before it.
• ‘What’ means ‘that which’ or ‘the things which.’

Examples:

• What seems difficult may not be difficult. (Used as a Subject)
• What is easy to speak seems hard sometimes. (Used as a Subject)
• What was shown as real might be magic. (Used as a Subject)
• What may be said as critical is actually easy. (Used as a Subject)
• What cannot be created must not be destroyed. (Used as a Subject)

• What you do may be useful to others. (Used as an Object)
• I can always get what I desire. (Used as an Object)
• Give him only what he requires. (Used as an Object)
• Just contribute what you can. (Used as an Object)
• Nobody knows what he will become in the future. (Used as an Object)

Note:

What Vs. That:

When there is an antecedent, we generally use ‘that’ in place of ‘what’.

• The gift what you gave me is really valuable. (Incorrect)

(Here, the use of ‘what’ is wrong because there is an antecedent ‘gift’.)

• The gift that you gave me is really valuable. (correct)

What Vs. Which:

What is used in general when there are many options and which is used for specific things when there are limited options.

Examples:

• What do you select out of those 100 cars?
• Which do you select from those two cars?

The use of That:

It is used

• for people, animals and things
• as the Subject or Object (Nominative or Accusative Case).
• for both Singular and Plural.
• We use ‘that’ instead of who, whom or which.

Examples:

• The book that is damaged has been returned. (Used as the Subject)
• My bike that is parked outside is missing. (Used as the Subject)
• There are so many vehicles that are seized by the financiers. (Used as the Subject)
• She has bought mangoes that are very sweet. (Used as the Subject)

• This is the book that I referred to you. (Used as the Object)
• The city that I prefer to visit is Kashmir. (Used as the Object)
• This is the man that I have spoken of. (Used as the Object)
• The activities that you prepared are really excellent. (Used as the Object)

‘That’ is used after Superlative Adjectives:

Examples:

• This is the best decision that you have ever taken.
• Terminator is one of the best movies that I have ever seen.

‘That’ is used after some words like all, any, anybody, anything, none, no one, nobody, nothing, same, somebody, something.

Examples:

• There is nothing that I consider about it.
• All the work that you have done is of no use.
• Is there anybody that I can interview?
• All that seems good may not be good.
• There is something in this painting that impressed me.

‘That’ is used after Interrogative Pronouns – Who and What.

Examples:

• Who is the person that I must meet?
• What are your instructions that I need to follow?

‘That’ is used instead of ‘who’ or ‘which’ after two antecedents, one denoting a person and the other denoting an animal or a thing:

Examples:

• Both the man and his car that are missing are found in a canal.
• The police and their hounds that went into the jungle returned with a criminal.

Use of Where, When and Why

Where: Used in place of at which, referring to places.

• I know a place where we can hide this horse.
• Our friend has a home theatre where we can watch this movie

When: Used in place of on which, referring to time.

• There will be a day when you realise everything.

Why: Used in place of for which, referring to reason.

• I don’t know the reason why you have insulted him.

The use of As and But:

As is used as a relative pronoun after ‘such’ and ‘same’.

Examples:

• I never had such a time as today.
• I just don’t want to face the same problem as this.
• Her problem is the same as yours.
• You can do the same as I do.

But is used after a negative, in the sense of who……not or which……not.

Examples:

• There is no student but will attend the classes. (That means there is no student who will not attend the classes)
• There is no problem but has a solution. (Means – there is no problem which does not have a solution)
• There is scarcely a teacher but knows these basic things. (That means there is no (scarcely any) teacher who doesn’t know these basic things)
• There is no employee but supports me. (Means – there is no employee who doesn’t support me)

Compound Relative Pronouns:

A Pronoun that is formed by adding a suffix like ‘ever’, ‘soever’ is called a Compound Pronoun. We use the suffix ‘-ever’ and ‘-soever’  for emphasis or to show surprise. 

We use compound Relative Pronouns without an antecedent because they contain antecedents within them. 

The Compound Relative Pronouns are: Whoever (Whosoever), Whomever (Whomsoever), Whichever (Whichsoever), Whatever (Whatsoever)

Examples:

• I will speak to whoever wants to speak to me.
• Whoever comes to the office, inform them about this.
• You can go with whomever you like.
• Whatever happens, let it happen.
• You can invite whomever you want.
• Whatever I suggest, he happily accepts.
• You can take whichever you prefer.
• Whichever of the jobs you accept, that will be fine.
• You can do whatever you want.

Relative Pronouns Exercises:

Fill the blanks with suitable Relative Pronouns:

1. We always like the people — speak the truth. 
2. There was an elephant  — is very small.
3. The students — books are lost did not come to school.
4. She went to Karnataka — is her birthplace. 
5. I have seen the bike —– looks like yours
6. I did not find the teacher — punished the boy. 
7. Here is the bike — I have recently lost. 
8. I hopefully get — I deserve. 
9. Time — is lost, is lost forever. 
10. I already know the person — you called. 
11. Here is a book — you can read. 
12. Can you show me the road —— leads to the chowrasta?
13. The parcel — you sent did not arrive. 
14. Carefully listen to — she says. 
15. Did you open the email — I sent you? 
16. — I have said is final. 
17. Do you expect — will happen?
18. These are the students —– names are on the notice board.

Answers:

1. Who, 2. Which, 3. Whose, 4. Which, 5. Which, 6. Who, 7. Which, 8. What, 9. Which, 10. Whom, 11. That, 12. That, 13. Which, 14. What, 15. That, 16. What, 17. What, 18. Whose 

Relative Pronoun Quiz 1

Relative Pronoun Quiz 2

Also Read:

• Types of Pronouns
• Uses of Pronouns
• Impersonal Pronoun
• Exclamatory Pronouns
• Interrogative Pronouns
• Defining and non-defining relative clauses
• Omission of the Relative Pronoun
• Reciprocal Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns
• Distributive Pronouns
• Indefinite Pronouns
• Demonstrative Pronouns
• Reflexive and Emphatic Pronouns
• Personal Pronouns