what is a relative pronoun example

or Which kind? The relative pronoun can be left out if both of the following conditions apply: This means that whom can usually be omitted, and that often can; which and who generally cant be left out. The teacher appreciated the student. Heres a tip: Want to make sure your writing shines? Your email address will not be published. You should, however, consider the possibility that your readers will disagree. Mary liked the actress who was playing Scarlett. Which is used to introduce a clause that provides additional information about the noun or pronoun it refers to. You have been successfully subscribed to the Grammarly blog. Something went wrong while submitting the form. A clause beginning with a relative pronoun is poised to answer questions such as Which one? Federer changed the racket whose strings had snapped. Examples: Jeff Bezos, while narrating his growing-up years, mentioned how he learnt resourcefulness from his grandfather, who could perform small maintenance tasks at his farm on his own. If you can substitute he or she for whom and the sentence still makes sense, youre using the correct form. A relative pronoun is a word that is used to introduce a relative clause, which is a type of dependent clause thats used to modify or describe a noun. Thats why it has been enclosed in brackets. Combining such sentences adds another tool to vary your sentences. Independent and Dependent Clauses: Rules and Examples. There, I met Dr Johnson, who attended the same school as I did. mode: 'thumbnails-rr',
Aarts, B. The relative pronouns are that, what, which, who, whom, whose, whatever, whichever, whoever, and whomever. on Relative Pronoun | Easy Definition and Examples. They relate to their antecedent hence the relative part of their name. The teacher that gives out candy is always the students favorite. The car whose engine is out of order has been gathering dust for a month now. Hence, you can drop that, shown in brackets. Relatively painless, wasnt it? ], The person (whom) I trusted blindly betrayed me. Fowlers dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.). Relative B. Interrogative C. Personal D. Indefinite The word who is an example of an interrogative pronoun. She finally visited the coffee shop that had such great reviews. Download Entri App! An antecedent is a noun that is replaced by a pronoun. (the relative pronoun who refers to the noun woman already mentioned), The dog whose collar was found in our yard must be lost. I allow this website to collect and store submitted data. This usage is considered wrong by many style guides, although some authorities argue that it shouldnt be, since its been common for a long time. A nonrestrictive clause, on the other hand, provides information that could be removed without affecting the basic meaning of the sentence. [which is restrictive, and its not the subject of the clause (people is). A clause that begins with a relative pronoun is ready to answer questions like Which one? Arelative clauseis a type of clause that modifies or gives extra information about the subject or object in the main clause. 4. This is a person, whom I met last year for my increment. The relative pronoun whose can be used to refer to both people and things. Who (along with whom) is used only to refer to people (and sometimes animals). (If you recall, who replaced Dr Johnson in the last of the three sentences, just like pronouns do.). (Note that a restrictive relative clause is an essential part of the sentence as it makes the noun specific; it comes without commas. A relative pronoun ( who in the above sentence) is used to join two sentences that share a noun or pronoun: Dr Johnson and he (highlighted in bold) are one and the same. The relative clause provides information about the house. (2016). The footballer people dont know much about played key role in todays match. (Whose refers to the company and shows that the products belong to it). The person who told me about exams is my teacher. (The relative pronoun is "that." Umberto loves movies that have a lot of action. That clarifies the noun youre talking about in essential clauses which adds more information in non-essential clauses. They include, If we were to excise the clause that has the fur coats in it from the sentence, the meaning of the sentence would change. They dont ask questions; as a pronoun, they merely point to a noun. (Which refers to the dog and provides additional information about it). Relative pronouns list Here are a few examples: 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. It introduces a relative clause. Relative pronoun that is used to refer to animals and things. According to it, a relative pronoun is a pronoun such as who, that, or which that introduces a relative clause in a sentence.. Which one you use depends on whether the relative clause is restrictive or nonrestrictive. Relative clauses modify a word, phrase, or idea in the main clause. Relative pronoun whom, which is often preceded by a preposition, is also used to refer to people. ], He has a pet dog, whom he adores. Passive Voice: When to Avoid It and When to Use It. The difference between who and whom is rarely observed in everyday speech nowadayspeople mostly just say whobut you should distinguish between them in formal and academic writing. by You is the subject here.]. What, Who, Which Did you know that these words are not just to be used to ask questions but also to relate one part of the sentence to another? 7. Self Introduction for Academic Job Interview, Self Introduction for Interview for Experienced Engineer, Self Introduction for Students during Interview, Self Introduction for Kids of different ages and classes, Self Introduction for Students in Function, Self Introduction for Freshers in Medical - MBBS, BAMS, BHMS, etc. These words can also function as other parts of speechthey arent exclusively used as relative pronouns. Pedagogue is a social media network where educators can learn and grow. In the first sentence, for examples, the remaining part has its own subject (my brother) and verb (bought). Hence, it cant be dropped.]. My old college, which is completing its 100th anniversary in 2024, looks as good as new. But the clause exists even after dropping the relative pronoun. Example: The clean gardens at the end of our boulevard are a favourite place of mine. Is better than The gardens at the end of our boulevard, which are clean, are a favourite place of mine.. Police officers and firefighters are people. If you removed them, the sentence would convey basically the same information. Interpretative dance, which I find a bit disconcerting, is all the rage. A relative pronoun is a word that introduces and connects a dependent (or relative) clause to an independent clause. [Relative pronoun can be dropped and in moved to after expert.]. Relative pronouns are a stepping stone towards relative clauses, which help combine sentences sharing the same noun. Relative pronoun is a pronoun that connects a clause or phrase to the noun or pronoun. A relative pronoun is a pronoun that marks a relative clause. 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(More on individual relative pronouns later in the post.) Distributive Pronoun For example, below, were not sure whether the speakers husband or their father-in-law is called Joe, until the sentence is rephrased for clarity. Who describes people only; that describes objects and non-human things only. Examples: He apologized to the girl whose spectacles got broken. In the last sentence, the important part is that the painting is worth a million dollars; the fact that Hannah adores it is just nice to know. In English grammar, a pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun, noun phrase, or noun clause. 2. The woman who came to the door left flowers for you. A few examples of relative pronouns include who, that, whose, which, and whom.. 6:44. James, whose pictures were used by the magazine without consent, sued the publication. Real-world examples. Relative pronouns add information; interrogative pronouns ask questions to gather more information. She may be assigned the project (that) she worked on last year. Whats the subject of the sentence? (The clause whose class I enjoyed the most provides additional information about the noun teacher and indicates that the teacher owns the class). Non-essential clauses (also known as non-defining or nonrestrictive clauses) add information that's nice to have but isn't essential to the sentence's overall meaning. Sign up for our weekly newsletters and get: By signing in, you agree to our Terms and Conditions It surprises some people to learn that both, is a better construction when talking about things rather than people, but this results in unnecessary awkwardness. Learn how your comment data is processed. The person who I met at the store was very nice. Most Covid deaths have happened in states whose hospitals have run out of capacity.
Relative pronoun who is used to refer to people and sometimes pets. [Relative pronoun can be dropped and for moved to after responsible. There are five main relative pronouns in the English language, those are. The clause or phrase modifies the noun that the pronoun connects. Relative pronouns, if it qualifies a person, comes after the who is qualified. A restricted clause is an important aspect of a sentence; without it, the meaning of the sentence would be altered. Who and whom are used to refer to people. A relative pronoun is a pronoun used to introduce a relative clausea clause that gives further information about the preceding noun or noun phrase (e.g., the ball that I threw). Unlike other relative pronouns though, that takes only restrictive clauses. I hope that you understood the topic well. The word which, on the other hand, should introduce a nonessential clause that can be removed from a sentence without changing the sentences meaning. (This is why it is a type of adjective.) To be honest, this sentence is completely acceptable. It can also be used to introduce a clause or phrase which provides more information about the preceding noun or pronoun. The piggy bank that was on my desk got broken. The truth is that. A relative pronoun is a pronoun that's used to introduce a relative clause. But they also replace the noun or pronoun to keep your writing from sounding repetitive. Take a simple Relative Pronoun Exercise to see if you understood the concepts discussed above. There, I met Dr Johnson. A relative pronoun is one that opens a relative clause. 8. and These relative pronouns function exactly like adjectives, and so the clauses they form can also be called adjective clauses. Words that are relative pronouns include 'which' and 'who.'. Yes, even a word less matters. Copyright 2022 GrammarBrain All rights reserved . A rare, precious opportunity that comes with some problems is better than a regular opportunity that is perfect. The use of a relative pronoun in the sentence provide clue that the relative clause is beginning. (2023, January 23). Have you played the game? A relative pronoun is a word that is used to connect an independent clause to a relative clause. Chris didn't want to take it. The main English relative pronouns are which, that, who, and whom. Otherwise, the sentence creates a needless ambiguity. But how do they relate to relative pronouns? There is no existence of relative clause in the sentence without the use of a relative pronoun. ], John is the person (whom) I trusted so much. The students like their English teacher. Some will argue that which is a better construction when discussing things rather than people, but this causes unnecessary confusion. The museum, which I visited last weekend, was very interesting. The type of. The truth is, this sentence is perfectly fine. However, whom is still considered correct and is often used in formal written English. This is a person, whose dog was stolen right from the home. Here are a few more examples to illustrate this point: Here are a few more examples of how whose is used to show possession: Here are a few more examples of how that is used to provide additional information about a noun or pronoun: Also Read: Intensive Pronoun | (Easy Definition & Examples 2022). In these examples, where is used to introduce the clause that gives further information about the house and why its essential to the writer. What is a relative pronouns easy definition? I did well in chemistry, which was always my favorite subject. For example: There are several mistakes that people commonly make when using relative pronouns in English. 10. With words like which, who, and whom, youd think that relative pronouns are actually question words. The city, which is known for its beautiful parks, is a popular tourist destination. Few examples of Relative Pronoun are, who, whose, that, whom and which. These clauses are optional, as they only add additional information about the subject or object of the main clause. We replaced he with a relative pronoun who to form the relative clause who attended the same school as I did and attached it to the first sentence. We would no longer know which wardrobe leads to a magical land with talking animals, which was the intention of the sentence. Relative pronouns are that, which, who, whom, whose.. Hence, it cant be dropped. Federer, whose illustrious tennis career has inspired many, is struggling with injuries of late. For expressing possession for things, of which is recommended, but more common in use is whose (even for things) as it sounds smoother and straightforward. A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun (I, me, he, she, herself, you, it, that, they, each, few, many, who, whoever, whose, someone, everybody, etc.). The woman who lives next door is my neighbor. The woman who came to the door left flowers for you. It functions as the object, not the subject, of the clause. Download Entri App! Here is an example: The person who phoned me last night is my teacher. Required fields are marked *. Oxford University Press. Click here to learn more about the latest trend of grammar questions in competitive exams! The boyfriend wont lie to her. We use the relative pronoun 'whose' at the beginning of a relative clause instead of using a possessive adjective. There is another category of relative pronouns called compound relative pronouns, formed by the addition of -ever or -soever. Advanced suggestions for simplified writing, Grammar, tone, clarity, style guides, and more, Writing assistance on 500,000+ apps and sites across your devices, For desktop apps and websites like Word and Gmail, For sites like Google Docs, Gmail, and LinkedIn, Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes, Format citations in APA, MLA, and Chicago, is a word that introduces a dependent (or relative) clause and connects it to an independent clause. The conference room that was booked for the meeting has been double-booked. Their roles in questions are similar to their roles in relative clauses: what and which are used to ask questions about things, who and whom about people, and whose about ownership. Use these words when youre not sure who (or what) youre talking about. Relative pronouns, like conjunctions, are words that join clausesin this case, a relative clause to its main clause. Example: The house that is under construction will be beautiful. Participial phrases, which act adjectivally, too are pretty mobile. These clauses are separated by commas from the rest of the sentence, and they are introduced by which. Whomever you hire will be fine with me. The scientist whose research I referenced in my paper is very well-known. Now that you know how to use relative pronouns correctly, theres just one issue left how do you choose the right one and avoid annoying grammar mistakes? However, it could easily be substituted for the more informal who.. A restrictive clause is an essential part of its sentence; if it were taken out of the sentence, the sentences meaning would change. For example, Id never met him before becomes whom Id never met before.. When they come before a noun in a question, they're functioning as interrogative determiners. Little grammar. 1. Most relative pronouns are also used as interrogative pronounswords used to ask questions. For example: The book that I read last night was really interesting. (Which refers to the car and provides additional information about it). Use suitable relative pronouns to link the following sentences: 1. Remember, a clause has to have at least a subject and a verb. The politician whom the media has been criticizing recently is unpopular. (The clause whom the media has been criticizing recently provides additional information about the noun politician and is the object of the verb criticizing). Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published. (This is correct but cumbersome.). 2. 3. A non-restrictive clause, in contrast, is not an essential part of the sentence as it merely adds extra information; it comes with a pair of commas. The key is knowing what they are and how to use them correctly (and they wont even judge your lifestyle choices). Which refers to things, qualities, and ideasnever to people. To ensure clarity, place an antecedent immediately before the relative pronoun referring to it. or What kind? Omitting relative pronouns is common in writing, but its even more common in speaking. She introduced me to John, who was new to the neighborhood. Its primarily used for things other than people, but its often used to refer to people too, especially when making a generalization (e.g., parents that engage with their kids) and sometimes also with specific people (e.g., it was Steph that said it). (the relative pronoun whose refers to the noun dog already mentioned), The car that hit me was going very fast. relative pronoun in hindirelative pronounrelative pronounsrelative pronoun in urdurelative pronouns in english grammarrelative pronouns in hindirelative pron. Who is used as the subject of the subordinate clause, while whom is used as the object. Relative pronouns may be preceded by quantifiers (example: all, some, none, many, and two) followed by the preposition of. Caulfield, J. Using which instead of that: Which should only be used to introduce non-essential clauses, while that should be used to introduce essential clauses. In English grammar, a relative pronoun is a pronoun that introduces an adjective clause (also called a relative clause ). The teacher whom the students respect the most is Mrs. Smith. (The clause whom the students respect the most provides additional information about the noun teacher and is the object of the verb respect). User: Identify the sentence that correctly uses in indefinite articles (More) Relative pronouns can be used to join two sentences. In the formal writing, the use of preposition at the end of sentence should be avoided. Butterfield, J. Reordering the sentence can help, but rewriting it would be even better. I love the ukulele that my aunt bought me. Copyright (c) 2023 Pedagogue. (2011). Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. ; Robert only trusts Ned who is a friend of him. We recommend maintaining a clear distinction in your writing, using who or whom for people and that or which for things. I dont like people who only talk about themselves. What is pristine, the park or the street? Here, which contains several fur coats is a parenthetical remark that can be removed without materially altering the sentence. When those words ask a question, theyre functioning as interrogative pronounswhich replace nouns in interrogative sentences. The people who were at the party were all my friends. A restrictive clause provides essential identifying information about the antecedent. When refers to a time or period and is often used as a relative pronoun in less formal situations. | Easy Definition & Examples 2022, Relative Pronoun | Easy Definition and Examples, Reflexive Pronouns | (Easy Definition & Examples 2022), Compound Adjectives | Easy Definition & Examples (2022). Some plants, which are colorful, are toxic to pets. Its important to note that relative clauses are sometimes referred to as adjective clauses because they give us additional information about the subject of the independent clause. The post you just went through belongs to the broader topic of clause. Like adjectives, these clauses in some way describe that subject. If we were to excise the clause that has the fur coats in it from the sentence, the meaning of the sentence would change. For example: 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: Its important to note that which should only be used to refer to things, not people. Relative Pronouns are used to refer back to a noun or pronoun that has already been mentioned. Examples: Please tell whoever may call that madam is not available. Two relative pronouns whose functions are easily confused are that and which. This kind of clause gets a. , on the other hand, should introduce a nonessential clause that can be removed from a sentence without changing the sentences meaning. (Whom is the object of the clause whom the students admire). });
. Relative pronouns are meant to provide more information about the subject (noun or pronoun) it relates to. What Are Syllables, and How Do You Count Them? Learn more about how these words are used as relative pronouns. Words that are relative pronouns include which and who. Learn more about this type of pronoun and how to teach them in our handy teaching wiki! My neighbor Jamil, whom Id never met before, came over to introduce himself yesterday. I dont know who you are talking about. Like other pronouns, a relative pronoun can cause ambiguity if it is not placed straight after its antecedent (the noun or noun phrase it refers back to). He is currently living in India and always strives to help people to educate in the most sophisticated way. Relative Pronouns | Definition, List & Examples. Here, he was already in the front position. Which is also used when referring to things. Whichever train you take from here, you will end at Charing Cross station. The teacher who gives out candy is always the students favorite. That introduces a restricted clause whereas which a non-restrictive clause. We replaced he with a relative pronoun who to form the relative clause who attended the same school as I did and attached it to the first sentence. In spoken English, it is more common to use who in the object case. For example: The car which I bought last week is already having problems. This is my brother who moved to New York last year. (The clause whose paintings I admire the most provides additional information about the noun artist and indicates that the artist owns the paintings). For example, the sentence The book that I am reading is interesting contains a relative clause (that I am reading) that modifies the noun book. Both conditions met. The second person [whom] I met at the office was Sandra. Like conjunctions, relative pronouns are words that connect clausesin this case, a relative clause to its main clause. The woman whose wallet I found turned out to be my neighbour. 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