RELATIVE PRONOUNS

A relative pronoun is a pronoun that introduces a relative clause. It is called a

"relative" pronoun because it "relates" to the word that it modifies. Here is an
example:

 The person who phoned me last night is my teacher.

In the above example, "who":

 relates to "person", which it modifies

 introduces the relative clause "who phoned me last night"

There are five relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, that*

Who (subject) and whom (object) are generally only for people. Whose is for
possession. Which is for things. That can be used for people** and things and
as subject and object in defining relative clauses (clauses that are essential to
the sentence and do not simply add extra information).

Relative pronouns can refer to singular or plural, and there is no difference

between male and female.

Look at these examples showing defining and non-defining relative clauses:

  example sentences notes

S=subject, O=object, P=possessive
defining S - The person who phoned me last That is preferable
night is my teacher.
- The person that phoned me last
night is my teacher.
- The car which hit me was yellow. That is preferable
- The cars that hit me were yellow.
O - The person whom I phoned last Whom is correct but very
night is my teacher. formal. The relative
 - The people who I phoned last pronoun is optional.
night are my teachers.
- The person that I phoned last
night is my teacher.
- The person I phoned last night is
my teacher.
- The car which I drive is old. That is preferable to
- The car that I drive is old. which. The relative
- The car I drive is old. pronoun is optional.
P - The student whose phone just  
rang should stand up.
- Students whose parents are
wealthy pay extra.
- The police are looking for the car Of which is usual for
whose driver was masked. things, but whose is
- The police are looking for the car sometimes possible
of which the driver was masked.
non- S - Mrs Pratt, who is very kind, is my  
defining teacher.
- The car, which was a taxi,  
exploded.
- The cars, which were taxis,
exploded.
O - Mrs Pratt, whom I like very much, Whom is correct but very
is my teacher. formal. Who is normal.
- Mr and Mrs Pratt, who I like very
much, are my teachers.
- The car, which I was driving at the  
time, suddenly caught fire.
P - My brother, whose phone you just  
heard, is a doctor.
- The car, whose driver jumped out Of which is usual for
just before the accident, was things, but whose is
completely destroyed. sometimes possible
 - The car, the driver of which
jumped out just before the accident,
was completely destroyed.

*Not all grammar sources count "that" as a relative pronoun.

**Some people claim that we cannot use "that" for people but must use
"who/whom"; there is no good reason for such a claim.