Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses — clauses that describe a noun. They connect two ideas into one sentence.

The Relative Pronouns

| Pronoun | Used For | Example | | ------- | -------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | | who | people (subject) | The woman who lives next door is a doctor. | | whom | people (object, formal) | The man whom I met was friendly. | | which | things and animals | The book which I bought is missing. | | that | people or things (defining only) | The car that I want is expensive. | | whose | possession | The girl whose bag was stolen cried. |

Defining vs. Non-Defining Clauses

Defining (restrictive) clauses identify the noun. Without them, the sentence loses meaning.

• The students who study hard will pass. (Only those specific students)
• The car that is red is mine. (Which specific car)
• No commas used.

Non-defining (non-restrictive) clauses add extra information. The sentence still makes sense without them.

• My mother, who is 65, still works. (Extra information)
• The Eiffel Tower, which is in Paris, is beautiful.
• Commas are required. Cannot use "that."

Omitting the Relative Pronoun

When the relative pronoun is the object of the clause, it can be omitted.

• The book that I bought is good. ➔ The book ~~ I bought is good.
• The man whom I saw left. ➔ The man ~~ I saw left.

When the relative pronoun is the subject, it cannot be omitted.

• The woman who called is my boss. (cannot omit "who")

Prepositions with Relative Pronouns

In formal English, prepositions come before the relative pronoun.

• The person to whom I spoke. (formal)

• The person who I spoke to. (informal)

• The city in which she lives. (formal)

• The city which she lives in. (informal)