Relative Pronoun Concepts

1. Who, Whom and Whose

What it means: These relative pronouns are used for people.

Remember:

• Who → subject
• Whom → object
• Whose → possession

Example: The candidate ___ was selected has ten years of experience.

Answer: who

The candidate who was selected has ten years of experience.

Here, who is the subject of “was selected”.

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2. That vs. Which

What it means: Both can introduce relative clauses, but they are used differently.

Remember:

• That → essential information, usually without commas
• Which → extra information, usually with commas

Example: The laptop ___ I bought last week has stopped working.

Answer: that

The laptop that I bought last week has stopped working.

The phrase “I bought last week” tells us which laptop.

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3. When Can a Relative Pronoun Be Omitted?

What it means: A relative pronoun can sometimes be removed when it is the object of the relative clause.

Remember:

• Object → can usually be omitted
• Subject → cannot be omitted

Example: The person whom you met at the conference is my mentor.

Here, you is the subject and whom is the object of “met”.

So we can say:

The person you met at the conference is my mentor.

Answer: Yes, whom can be omitted.

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4. Correct Antecedent

What it means: A relative pronoun should clearly refer to the correct noun.

Remember: Place the relative clause close to the noun it describes.

Example: I spoke to the manager’s secretary who was very helpful.

This can be confusing because “who” may seem to refer to either manager or secretary.

A clearer sentence is:

The manager’s secretary, who was very helpful, spoke with me.

Now it is clear that who refers to the secretary.

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5. Relative Adverbs: Where, When and Why

What it means: Where, when, and why connect a noun with additional information about place, time, or reason.

Remember:

• Where → place
• When → time
• Why → reason

Example: That is the house ___ I grew up.

Answer: where

That is the house where I grew up.

Where has the same basic meaning as in which here.

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6. Reduced Relative Clauses

What it means: A relative clause can sometimes be shortened to make the sentence simpler.

Remember:

Active:

The man who is standing there → The man standing there

Passive:

The car that was stolen → The car stolen

Example: The documents that were submitted yesterday are missing.

Remove that were and keep submitted.

Answer:

The documents submitted yesterday are missing.