Understanding Relative Pronouns: A Beginner’s Guide

Table of Contents

Relative pronouns are essential tools in English grammar, helping connect sentences and adding extra information about nouns. Words like who, whom, which, that, and whose are relative pronouns, which make writing smoother and clearer.

For beginners, learning how to identify and use them can greatly improve sentence structure. In this post, we’ll break down what relative pronouns are, how to use them correctly, and some common mistakes to avoid. Let’s dive into this important part of English grammar!

What Are Relative Pronouns?

Relative pronouns are words that link a dependent clause (a group of words with a subject and verb but not a complete thought) to a main clause. They refer back to a noun or pronoun in the sentence to give more information without starting a new sentence. The most common relative pronouns in English are:
Who
Whom
Which
That
Whose

These words simplify the flow of sentences and help avoid repetition. For example, instead of saying: “The car is blue. The car belongs to Sarah,” we can say: “The car that belongs to Sarah is blue.”

How to Use Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns help connect two ideas in a sentence. They refer back to a noun, known as the antecedent, and introduce more details about it,

Who:

refers to people as the subject of the sentence. It connects additional information about a person to the main sentence, without starting a new sentence.

The woman who teaches English is my friend.

Whom:

Used in formal writing to refer to the object of a verb or preposition (less common today).

The man whom we met was very nice.

Whose:

Shows possession. It connects a clause to a noun by indicating that something belongs to the person, animal, or thing mentioned earlier in the sentence.

The girl whose dog ran away was upset.

Which:

Refers to animals or things. It introduces a relative clause that gives extra information about the noun it refers to.

The book which you gave me is amazing.

That: Refers to people, animals, or things and is often interchangeable with who or which. It introduces a restrictive clause, which provides essential information to identify the noun being referred to.

The car that I bought is fast.

Comparison: “Which” vs. “That”

Which and that are both relative pronouns used to refer to things or animals, but they serve different purposes in a sentence.

Restrictive vs. Non-Restrictive Clauses:

That is used in restrictive clauses, which provide essential information. Without this information, the meaning of the sentence would change or become unclear. These clauses are necessary to identify the noun being talked about.

Example With that:

The book that I borrowed is very interesting.

The clause that I borrowed is crucial to specify which book is being referred to. If you remove this clause, you won’t know which book is interesting.

Which is used in non-restrictive clauses, which give extra or non-essential information. These clauses add details, but the sentence would still make sense if you removed them. Which clauses are usually set off by commas.

Example with which:

The book, which I borrowed from the library, is very interesting.

The clause “which I borrowed from the library” is extra information. Even if you take out this detail, the main sentence “The book is very interesting” still stands.

Essential vs. Extra Information:

That introduces information that is critical to the meaning of the sentence. The sentence would feel incomplete without it.

The car that I bought last week is blue.
Here, the clause “that I bought last week” is important to know which car is being talked about.

Which adds information that’s not necessary to understand the main idea of the sentence.

The car, which is parked outside, is blue.
In this sentence, the fact that the car is parked outside is extra. You can remove this detail, and the sentence would still make sense: “The car is blue.”

Comma Use:

That is never used with commas. Since it introduces essential information, there’s no need to separate it from the rest of the sentence.

The movie that we watched was amazing.

Which is almost always used with commas because it adds extra information.

The movie, which we watched last night, was amazing.

Can “That” and “Which” Be Used Interchangeably?

No. That and which cannot be used interchangeably because they serve different purposes.

That is for essential information.
Which is for non-essential information.

If you mix them up, the meaning of the sentence can change. For example:

The house that has a red door is mine.
Here, the red door identifies which house is mine. It’s crucial information.
The house, which has a red door, is mine.
Here, the red door is just an extra detail. The main point is that the house is mine, regardless of the door’s color.

Leaving Out the Relative Pronoun

Leaving out the relative pronoun, also known as relative pronoun omission, is a useful technique in English grammar that helps make sentences more concise.

Relative pronouns such as who, whom, that, and which introduce relative clauses, providing additional information about a noun.

In certain cases, these pronouns can be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence.

Examples:

Original Sentence: The book that I borrowed was fascinating.
Omitted Relative Pronoun: The book I borrowed was fascinating.

Original Sentence: The movie that we watched last night was great.
Omitted Relative Pronoun: The movie we watched last night was great.

Original Sentence: The man who called you is waiting.
Omitted Relative Pronoun: The man called you is waiting. (Incorrect)

Original Sentence: The car that she drives is new.
Omitted Relative Pronoun: The car she drives is new.

Original Sentence: The teacher who taught me is retiring.
Omitted Relative Pronoun: The teacher taught me am retiring. (Incorrect)

Relative Pronouns: Definition and Examples

Common Mistakes with Relative Pronouns

Using relative pronouns correctly can be tricky, especially for those new to English. Here are some common mistakes to watch out for, along with explanations and examples to clarify how to avoid them.

Using “That” and “Which” Interchangeably:

Many people confuse that and which, thinking they can be used in any context. However, they have different functions.

Mistake: The book that I read, which was fascinating.
Correction: The book that I read is fascinating. (restrictive)
The book, which I found at the library, is fascinating.” (non-restrictive)

Tip: Use that for essential information (no commas) and which for additional, non-essential information (with commas).

Omitting the Relative Pronoun Incorrectly:

Sometimes, learners mistakenly omit the relative pronoun when it should not be removed, especially when it is the subject of the clause.

Mistake: The teacher who teaches math is nice. → The teacher teaches math is nice.
Correction: The teacher who teaches math is nice.

Tip: You can only omit the relative pronoun when it functions as the object of the clause.

The car (that) I bought is new.

Using “Whom” Incorrectly:

Whom is often misused or overused in informal contexts. People sometimes use whom when they should use who.

Mistake: Whom is coming to the party?
Correction: Who is coming to the party? (Here, who is the subject.)

Tip: Use whom when it is the object of a verb or preposition.

The person whom I called is my friend.

Confusing Possession with Whose:

Whose shows possession, but it’s often confused with who’s a contraction of who is.

Mistake: Who’s car is this?
Correction: Whose car is this? This shows that the car belongs to someone.

Tip: Remember that whose is possessive, while who’s is a contraction.

Using Which for People

Some learners incorrectly use which to refer to people, when who should be used instead.

Mistake: The woman which lives next door is friendly.
Correction: The woman who lives next door is friendly.

Tip: Use who for people and which for things or animals.

Example Sentences Using Relative Pronouns

The dog that we rescued is very playful.
The musician who performed last night is my favorite.
This is the woman whose garden won the award.
The friend whom I met at the party is coming over.
The movie, which received several awards, is now on Netflix.
The house that we bought needs some renovations.
The student who studied diligently passed the exam.
This is the chef whose restaurant earned a Michelin star.
The book that I borrowed from you was fascinating.
The concert, which was held in the park, was amazing.
The girl who won the contest is my friend.
The car that you saw yesterday is mine.
The man whom I met is a famous actor.
The cat which is sitting by the window is asleep.
The student whose homework was late apologized.

Differences Between Relative and Interrogative Pronouns

Relative pronouns and interrogative pronouns serve different functions in sentences, and understanding these differences is crucial for effective communication. Below are the key distinctions between them:

Relative Pronouns:

These are used to introduce relative clauses, which provide additional information about a noun (the antecedent) in the main clause. They help connect two clauses within a sentence.

Interrogative Pronouns:

These are used to ask questions. They introduce interrogative clauses that seek information about a noun.

Common Examples:

Relative Pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, that
Interrogative Pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, what

Function in a Sentence:

Relative Pronouns:

They relate to a noun mentioned previously in the sentence. They provide essential or non-essential information about the noun.

The book that I read was fascinating.

Here, that relates to “the book” and provides additional information.

Interrogative Pronouns:

They are used to ask questions about people or things. They do not relate to a noun mentioned previously but rather seek to identify or obtain information.

Which book did you read?

Here, which is asks for specific information about the book.

Clause Type:

Relative Pronouns: They introduce relative clauses, which can be restrictive (essential for meaning) or non-restrictive (adding extra information).