Relative Pronouns
Rules and Examples
The word "relative" means "connected with something."
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Relative pronouns are a type of pronoun used to link different parts of a sentence.
Relative pronouns give more information about the subject or object of the sentence.
The Relative Pronouns:
- who
- whom
- whose
- whoever
- whomever
- which
- that
- what
- whatever
- whichever
Rules for relative pronouns
1. When referring to a person use Who, Whom, Whose, Whoever and Whomever
(We will look at the differences between who/whom and whoever/whomever in rules 3 and 4.)Examples:
- Who
bought the brown dog?
I am the one who bought the brown dog.
- To whom
were you speaking?
Mrs. Smith is the teacher to whom I was speaking.
- Whose
house is at the end of the street?
I do not know whose house is at the end of the street.
- Whoever
bought the car wants to speak with you.
- My daughter can ask whomever
she wishes to the dance.
2. When referring to a thing, place, or idea use Which, That, What, Whatever, and Whichever
Examples:
- In which
house do you live?
I live in the blue house, which is three houses south of yours.
- Did you see the dog that
I bought?
The dog that I bought is brown.
- What should
I wear to my interview?
Your red dress is what you should wear.
- Should I wear the green dress or the blue dress?
Choose whichever dress you like.
You can wear whatever you want.
Whatever option you choose will be great!
3. Who vs. Whom
A) Use Who when referring to the subject of a sentence.
The subject of the sentence is the one doing the action.Subject Pronouns relate to the subject of the sentence.
- I
- he
- she
- it
- they
- we
Examples:
- Who
rented the movie?
Nick (He) rented the movie.
Subject = Nick/He
Action = rented
- Who is
your father?
Fred (He) is my father.
Subject = Fred/He
Action = is
B) Use Whom when referring to the object of a sentence.
The object of a sentence receives the action.Object pronouns relate to the object of the sentence.
- me
- him
- her
- it
- them
- us
Examples:
- Whom
did you call?
I called John (him).
Object = John/him
Action = called
- To whom
did Mike address the letter?
Mike addressed the letter to Mr. Jones (him).
Object = Mr. Jones/him
Action = addressed
4. Whoever vs. Whomever
A) Use Whoever when the sentence requires a subject pronoun as the answer.
Examples:- Whoever
comes to the store today (They) will be entered into a drawing
for $100.
- Whoever
arrives home first (He or She) should put the dog outside.
B) Use whomever when the sentence requires an object pronoun as the answer.
Examples:- Whomever
did you ask?
I asked Sarah (her).
- I would like to talk to whomever
broke this chair.
I would like to talk to them (whomever broke this chair).
Note:
The words "whom" and "whomever" are not used very often in American English. Most Americans use the words "who" and "whoever" in most cases.For example:
Instead of saying, "I would like to talk to whomever broke this chair."
Most Americans would say, "I would like to talk to whoever broke this chair."
Instead of saying, "Whom did you call?"
Most Americans would say, "Who did you call?"
It is important that you know the general rules of using who, whom, whoever, and whomever, but – when in doubt – stick with who and whoever most often. They will sound more natural in spoken American English.
These were the uses of Relative Pronouns. Now that you know them, it is time to practice! Read and do exercises.
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