What are Relative Pronouns?

Relative pronoun is a type of pronoun, that is used to refer back to a noun or pronoun that has already been mentioned. In other words, it introduces subordinate clauses and connects them to the main clause in a sentence.

There are five main relative pronouns in the English language, those are,

These pronouns are used to provide additional information about a noun or pronoun that has already been mentioned in the sentence.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these relative pronouns and how they are used in sentences:

  1. Who and whom are used to refer to people. Who is used as the subject of the subordinate clause, while whom is used as the object. For example:

It’s important to remember that, who is used when the pronoun is the subject of the clause, while whom is used when the pronoun is the object of the clause. Here are a few more examples to illustrate this point:

  1. Whose is used to show possession or ownership. It can be used to refer to people or things. For example:

Here are a few more examples of how whose is used to show possession:

  1. That is used to introduce a clause that provides more information about the noun or pronoun it refers to. It can be used to refer to people, animals, or things. For example:

Here are a few more examples of how that is used to provide additional information about a noun or pronoun:

  1. Which is used to introduce a clause that provides additional information about the noun or pronoun it refers to. It can be used to refer to people, animals, or things. For example:

Also Read: Intensive Pronoun | (Easy Definition & Examples 2025)

An Intensive Pronoun is a type of pronoun that is used to give importance (emphasis) to the subject or antecedent in the sentence. In other words, it is also defined as the pronoun that ends with “-self” or “-selves” and places emphasis on its antecedent in the sentence. (Read More)

More Similar Examples of Relative Pronouns

Relative Pronoun: Who

Here are a few examples of sentences that use the relative pronoun “who” to introduce a clause providing additional information about a noun or pronoun:

It’s important to note that “who” should only be used to refer to people, not things. If you want to refer to a thing, you should use “that” instead. For example:

Relative Pronoun: Whom

Here are a few examples of sentences that use the relative pronoun “whom” to introduce a clause providing additional information about a noun or pronoun:

It’s important to note that “whom” is relatively formal and is not used as frequently in spoken English as it is in written English. In spoken English, it is more common to use “who” in the object case. However, “whom” is still considered correct and is often used in formal written English.

Relative Pronoun: Whose

Here are a few examples of sentences that use the relative pronoun “whose” to introduce a clause providing additional information about a noun or pronoun and indicating possession or ownership:

It’s important to note that “whose” should not be confused with “who’s”, which is a contraction of “who is”. For example:

Relative Pronoun: Which

Here are a few examples of sentences that use the relative pronoun “which” to introduce a clause providing additional information about a noun or pronoun:

  1. Essential clauses:
  1. Non-essential clauses:

It’s important to note that “which” should only be used to refer to things, not people. If you want to refer to a person, you should use “who” instead. For example:

Also Read: What is a Pronoun? | Pronoun Definition and Examples

The pronoun is a part of speech which replaces the repeated Noun in the sentence. For example, he, she, it, we, they, you, etc. (Read More)

Relative Pronoun: That

Here are a few unique examples of sentences that use the relative pronoun “that” to introduce a clause providing additional information about a noun or pronoun:

  1. Essential clauses:
  1. Non-essential clauses:

It’s important to note that “that” should only be used to refer to things, not people. If you want to refer to a person, you should use “who” instead. For example:

Common Mistakes while using Relative Pronoun

There are several mistakes that people commonly make when using relative pronouns in English. Here are a few examples:

  1. Using “that” instead of “who” or “whom”: “That” should only be used to refer to things, not people.
    • For example: “The person that I met at the store was very nice” is incorrect – it should be “The person who I met at the store was very nice”.
  2. Omitting the relative pronoun entirely: In some cases, the relative pronoun can be omitted entirely if it is the subject of the clause.
    • For example: “The book I bought yesterday” can be shortened to “The book I bought yesterday (that) is really good”. However, this is only acceptable if the relative pronoun is the subject – if it is the object of the clause, it cannot be omitted.
  3. Using “which” instead of “that”: “Which” should only be used to introduce non-essential clauses, while “that” should be used to introduce essential clauses.
    • For example: “The house which I grew up in was small” is incorrect – it should be “The house that I grew up in was small”.
  4. Confusing “whose” and “who’s”: “Whose” is the possessive form of “who” while “who’s” is a contraction of “who is”.
    • For example: “Who’s house is this?” is incorrect, instead it should be “Whose house is this?”

By being aware of these common mistakes and making a conscious effort to avoid them, you can improve your use of relative pronouns in English.

Summary

Relative Pronoun
Relative Pronoun

If you are interested to learn more, then you can refer to Wikipedia here.

I hope that you understood the topic well. If you still have any doubts, then comment down below, and I will respond as soon as possible. Thank you 🙂

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