what is a relative pronoun example

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: Its important to note that who should only be used to refer to people, not things. It functions like a conjunction to combine parts of a sentence. There are five relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, and that. Example: The house that is under construction will be beautiful. Learn more: The family that eats together stays together. By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. He writes on most aspects of English Language Skills. Interrogative Pronoun. Heres the part in the book where the main character fights a dragon. Relative clauses modify a word, phrase, or idea in the main clause. 9. I want to receive exclusive email updates from YourDictionary. 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? The book which I bought yesterday is excellent. Heres a tip: Relatively painless, wasnt it? Which noun does relative pronoun refer to? Hence, it cant be dropped. Pronouns, in general, allow us to shorten our sentences and make them sound less repetitive. I enjoy being busy all the time and respect a person who is disciplined and have respect for others. However, it could easily be substituted for the more informal who.. That is the relative pronoun that introduces the relative clause I bought. Which refers to things, qualities, and ideasnever to people. What if we can join two of them? Remember, a clause has to have at least a subject and a verb. Join Now! Federer changed the racket whose strings had snapped. [Relative pronoun can be dropped. There is another category of relative pronouns called compound relative pronouns, formed by the addition of -ever or -soever. The subject that I liked best in school was chemistry. As we mentioned earlier, the relative pronouns that primary pupils will encounter are: These words are usually used in the middle or end of sentences to introduce the relative clause. A relative pronoun is a word that introduces a dependent (or relative) clause and connects it to an independent clause. It was the biggest cathedral [that] I had ever seen. Nonrestrictive clauses are just the opposite. Otherwise, the sentence creates a needless ambiguity. Hence, it cant be dropped. (That refers to the cat and provides more information about it). 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! Relative adverbs function like relative pronouns, but they refer to time, places, and reasons. The student solved the math problem. Please tell whoever may call that I am not available. Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. (The clause whom I admire the most provides additional information about the noun actor and is the object of the verb admire). He moved to New York last year. A relative pronoun is a word that introduces a dependent (or relative) clause and connects it to an independent clause. 9. It was my husband who broke the car door. The man whom I saw at the store was very tall. Most common relative pronouns are who, which, whom, whomever, whose, whoever, whichever, and that. In the first sentence, for examples, the remaining part has its own subject (my brother) and verb (bought). The students like their English teacher, who is from Bangalore. In the examples, you could cut out the non-defining clause and still understand the point of the sentence. (2023, January 23). ], Thats a mistake for(which) I cant be held responsible. Another common grammar mixup happens between who and that (or who, that, and which). The words 'who' (subject) and 'whom' (object) are used for people, 'which' for things, 'whose' for possession, 'that' for things and people to define relative clauses. Children whose parents are wealthy, spent more money. (That refers to the car and provides more information about it). My father, who was born in a village, knows to speak English very well. Learn more about how these words are used as relative pronouns. Copyright 2023 English Topper | All Rights Reserved. Component 2. In these examples, where is used to introduce the clause that gives further information about the house and why its essential to the writer. Relative B. Interrogative C. Personal D. Indefinite The word who is an example of an interrogative pronoun. He is currently living in India and always strives to help people to educate in the most sophisticated way. Such short, similar sentences in succession make writing monotonous and boring. A relative pronoun is one which is used to refer to nouns mentioned previously, whether they are people, places, things, animals, or ideas. 1. She introduced me to John, who was new to the neighborhood. Click here to learn more examples from the Relative Pronoun exercise questions. According to the Collins Dictionary, a relative pronoun is a word such as who, that, or which that is used to introduce a relative clause. The Macmillan Dictionary gives a similar definition. A relative pronoun is a pronoun that introduces a relative clause. Step-by-step process. If the relative pronoun is accompanied by a preposition, the relative pronoun is omitted and the preposition is shifted to the end of the relative clause. But they also replace the noun or pronoun to keep your writing from sounding repetitive. The teacher whose class I enjoyed the most is Mrs. Smith. Who and whom refer only to people. I dont like people who only talk about themselves. Privacy Policy. I dont like people is much different from I dont like people who interrupt me.. [That is the object of the relative clause that you bought last week. A restrictive clause is an essential part of its sentence; if it were taken out of the sentence, the sentences meaning would change. 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: "The artist whose paintings I admire the most is Vincent van Gogh". Learn English with Inverted Coconut! Make sure you locate the subject or object both sentences refer to and then replace it with the most suitable relative pronoun. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. Watch is object of the sentence, and hence the relative pronoun that is the object in the clause. (Whom is the object of the clause whom the students admire). Required fields are marked *. A noun is followed by an adjective clause: Example: The girl who won the contest is inside. (More on individual relative pronouns later in the post.) ; Robert only trusts Ned who is a friend of him. The woman whose wallet I found turned out to be my neighbour. Indefinite Pronoun Examples: He apologized to the girl whose spectacles got broken. Simply put, compound relative pronouns apply universally to a number of people or things. Having moderate amount of something may be beneficial than having excess, which may be harmful. My wallpaper, which is blue, is starting to peel at the corners. [Noun in magenta font and the relative pronoun in bold]. Copyright 2023 Lemon Grad. [that is restrictive, but its the subject of the clause. The house, the owner of which is on vacation, has an unsightly garden. The woman who lives next door is my neighbor. Sid is my brothers friend. It can be used to refer to people, animals, or things. How many are there? 6. Download Entri App! The scientist whom I interviewed for my research paper was very knowledgeable. (The clause whom I interviewed for my research paper provides additional information about the noun scientist and is the object of the verb interviewed). It may seem as though there are a few words missing from the list above. The guinea pig, which loves parsley, started squeaking when it saw its owner. The relative pronoun whose can be used to refer to both people and things. I chatted with my colleague, who is going through tough time after loss of a family member, to divert his attention and cheer him up. (Which refers to the dog and provides additional information about it). A relative pronoun points to the preceding noun (who points to Dr Johnson) and also starts a relative clause (who starts the relative clause who attended the same school as I did). My mom asked me to clean up the box. 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. Whereas, Who is used when the pronoun is the object of the clause. Let us find out if you have got it all right. Who is the relative pronoun here, as it introduces the relative clause that adds extra information about Joes mum, the object of the sentence. The word pronoun comes from its function of pointing to a noun Dr Johnson. We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. That and which are both normally used when the antecedent is an animal or thing, not a person. If it wasnt, we would have still put the relative pronoun in the front position (see the next example below). Possessive Pronoun [Relative pronoun can be dropped. Sid won a lottery. 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: Its important to note that whose should not be confused with whos, which is a contraction of who is. But they can also function as relative pronouns when wording gets confusing, especially with the pronoun which. As an example, consider the following: The man who came to the door left a package for us. Using that instead of who or whom: That should only be used to refer to things, not people. The car of which engine is out of order has been gathering dust for a month now. ], He has a pet dog, whom he adores. ], Diamond, which is extremely hard and expensive, is produced by intense heat and under great pressure. The use of relative pronouns is divided accordingly for the persons, things, etc. (The clause who were at the party provides additional information about the noun people and is the subject of the clause). Grammarly helps you communicate confidently. As a relative pronoun what means 'the things which.'. There is no existence of relative clause in the sentence without the use of a relative pronoun. A relative pronoun connects a noun or pronoun to a group of words that provide more information (known as a relative or adjective clause). You can combine multiple activities that are similar in nature to avoid switching back and forth. Your email address will not be published. A pronoun is part of speech that takes the place of a noun (person, place, thing, or idea) or noun phrase. Its never used for things. Common relative pronouns are "who", "whom", "whose", "which", and "that." They are used to replace subject pronouns, show possession, or refer to objects, animals, and things. Participial phrases, which act adjectivally, too are pretty mobile. Shanu has played the lead role in the new movie. or What kind? But the clause exists even after dropping the relative pronoun. (The clause that I rented for the weekend provides necessary information about the noun car and cannot be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence). (Relative pronoun for which feels awkward) [whom is restrictive, and its not the subject of the clause (I is). The noun the pronoun refers to is called the antecedent: They relate to their antecedent hence the relative part of their name. 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. An example is the word which in the sentence "This is the house which Jack built." Here the relative pronoun which introduces the relative clause, which modifies the noun house. your text, so your work is extra polished wherever you write. The second person [whom] I met at the office was Sandra. The following sentence may appear incorrect to some. In this post, well cover relative pronoun comprehensively, including how its used in sentences. A restricted clause is an important aspect of a sentence; without it, the meaning of the sentence would be altered. 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). Unlike other relative pronouns though, that takes only restrictive clauses. A clause beginning with a, , because they identify or give us additional information about the subject of the independent clause they relate to. A nonrestrictive clause, on the other hand, provides information that could be removed without affecting the basic meaning of the sentence. With words like which, who, and whom, youd think that relative pronouns are actually question words. 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). Its not often found in American English and is only used in formal or academic contexts in British English. [Who points to a pet here.]. ], Sam, whom I trusted blindly, betrayed me. The relative pronoun that is used only for things. There are also compound ones. Relative clauses are also sometimes referred to as adjective clauses, because they identify or give us additional information about the subject of the independent clause they relate to. placement: 'Right Rail Thumbnails',
He attended the same school as I did. Unlike nouns, pronouns rarely allow modification. Write better and faster Ginger helps you write confidently. That introduces a restricted clause whereas which a non-restrictive clause. Moving onto the relative pronoun 'Whose'. adds detail to a noun or pronoun in essential clauses. Relative pronouns are meant to provide more information about the subject (noun or pronoun) it relates to. (Here what and its clause act as the subject of the verb made.) Whom do you ask for advice when youre stuck? Pronouns function as nouns; they can be subjects, direct objects, indirect objects, objects of a preposition, and more. You see them used everyday with the most common relative pronouns being: who, whom, which, whoever, whomever, whichever, and that.. You is the subject here.]. Examples: In the modern workplace, the metaphor for ideal skillset is T-shaped skillset, which means deep expertise in one field and shallow knowledge of few related fields. When a relative pronoun is restrictive and is not acting as subject of the clause, it can be left out. 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. Here are some basic examples of relative pronouns. Garners modern English usage (4th ed.). Butterfield, J. Police officers and firefighters are people. This kind of clause gets a that. Examples: Please tell whoever may call that madam is not available. Relative pronoun can be defined as A relative pronoun is used to connect a clause or phrase to a noun or pronoun. Enroll for Awals Spoken English Course! Register Now! Some will argue that of which is a better construction when talking about things rather than people, but this results in unnecessary awkwardness. Who replaces the teacher, and whom replaces the children. An Entrepreneur (Director, White Planet Technologies Pvt. They can describe people, things (including animals), places, abstract ideas, or just about any noun as long as they refer to the subject or object contained in the main clause. People who / that read science fiction also enjoy fantasy. In grammar, a relative clause is a clause that modifies a noun or pronoun. Learn more: Weve gone through more than 400 resumes for this role but have found just two (whom) we can call for interview. That and which are two relative pronouns whose functions are often confused. As we can see from this example, which indicates the start of the relative clause that gives some extra information about the books condition. Generally, a relative pronoun is used in the beginning of an adjective clause (which modifies a noun or pronoun). Whats the subject of the sentence? Explore the topic further on this dedicated resource page: Find more posts on clause and learn the topic in-depth: Anil is the person behind content on this website, which is visited by 3,000,000+ learners every year. If you removed them, the sentence would convey basically the same information. Who and whom are used to refer to people. Whom Possessive meaning used for people (and sometimes animals). Few examples of Relative Pronoun are, who, whose, that, whom and which. 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). Relative Pronouns | Definition, List & Examples. 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The most commonly used relative pronouns in English are which, that, who, and whom. A passionate writer, writing content for many years and regularly writing for Teachingbanyan.com and other Popular web portals. In the above sentence, were putting main information in the relative clause, which turns things upside down. There are five commonly used relative pronouns are "who, whom, whose, which, and that." They are used to join two clauses together, with the relative pronoun acting as the subject or object of the relative clause. Though often interchangeable with who in informal settings, whom should be used when referring to the object of a verb or preposition. The restaurant is now closed. They also can stand alone as the subject or object of a sentence. Who describes people only; that describes objects and non-human things only. How many? (Ed.). (The clause whose research I referenced in my paper provides additional information about the noun scientist and indicates that the scientist owns the research). (This is correct but cumbersome.). nayanshi Published On August 23rd, 2022 Table of Contents Relative Pronoun Relative pronouns are words used to connect independent and dependent clauses. An antecedent is a noun that is replaced by a pronoun. [Parasite is subject of the sentence, and hence the relative pronoun who is subject in the clause. There, I met Dr Johnson. Use these words when youre not sure who (or what) youre talking about. The woman who came to the door left flowers for you. Adjective clause can be started with relative adverbs (when, where, why) or relative pronouns (that, who, whose, whom, which). Copyright White Planet Technologies Pvt. Hence, you can drop whom. Relative pronoun is a type of pronoun, that is used to refer back to a noun or pronoun that has already been mentioned. So, as we now know, its the relative clause that holds the extra information about the subject or object noun phrase, and its doing all of the work in terms of portraying meaning. (The clause who I spoke to provides additional information about the noun woman and is the object of the verb spoke). on Relative Pronoun | Easy Definition and Examples. Please tell whoever may call that I am not available. (the relative pronoun that refers to the noun car already mentioned), There are five commonly used relative pronouns are who, whom, whose, which, and that.. In spoken English, it is more common to use who in the object case. If we were to excise the clause that has the fur coats in it from the sentence, the meaning of the sentence would change. Consider these sentences about my visit to hospital. The boy stood up. In the question "Which cake exploded in the oven? (The clause who I met at the store provides additional information about the noun person and is the subject of the clause). Whoever bought me this lovely necklace has wonderful taste. When referring to persons, not every style guide believes that that is an acceptable relative pronoun to use. In the above example, "who": relates to "The person", which "who phoned me last night . Use suitable relative pronouns to link the following sentences: 1. When those words ask a question, theyre functioning as interrogative pronounswhich replace nouns in interrogative sentences. 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. They include whoever, whomever, whichever, and whatever. Relative pronouns typically begin adjective clauses to describe a noun (thats what adjectives do).

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