Identify relative pronouns

Key Notes:

  1. What Are Relative Pronouns?
  • Relative pronouns are words that introduce relative clauses and connect them to the main part of a sentence. They provide more information about a noun.
  • Common relative pronouns include: who, whom, whose, which, and that.
  1. Functions of Relative Pronouns:
  • Who: Refers to people and is used as the subject of a verb.
    • Example: “The teacher who teaches math is nice.”
  • Whom: Refers to people and is used as the object of a verb or preposition (more formal).
    • Example: “The student whom I met yesterday is my friend.”
  • Whose: Indicates possession.
    • Example: “The girl whose bike was stolen is sad.”
  • Which: Refers to animals or things and is used for non-defining clauses (extra information).
    • Example: “The book, which is on the table, is interesting.”
  • That: Refers to people, animals, or things and is used for defining clauses (essential information).
    • Example: “The car that is parked outside is mine.”
  1. How to Identify Relative Pronouns in Sentences:
  • Look for the clause that follows the relative pronoun; it usually provides additional information about a noun.
  • Example: “The dog that barked last night kept me awake.”
    • Here, “that” introduces the clause “that barked last night,” giving more details about “the dog.”
  1. Differences Between Relative Pronouns:
  • Use who for subjects and whom for objects when referring to people.
  • Use which for non-defining information and that for defining information about things or animals.
  1. Examples for Practice:
  • “I met a girl who loves to read.”
  • “This is the movie that I told you about.”
  • “The cat which is sleeping on the couch belongs to my sister.”
  • “He is the man whose car broke down.”
  1. Common Mistakes to Avoid:
  • Confusing who and whom. Remember: use who when it’s the subject and whom when it’s the object.
  • Using that instead of which in non-defining clauses. (e.g., “My dog, which is brown, loves to play” is correct, while “My dog, that is brown, loves to play” is incorrect).
  1. Practice Identifying Relative Pronouns:
  • Read sentences and identify the relative pronouns, then discuss what noun they refer to and the information they add to the sentence.

Let’s practice!🖊️