What Are Relative Pronouns?

(with Examples)

A relative pronoun is a pronoun that introduces an adjective clause. In English, the relative pronouns
are:

That Which Who Whom Whose

A relative pronoun is used to start a description for a noun. (This discription is called an adjective clause
or a relative clause.) The description comes after the noun to:

(1) identify it.

The lady who made your dress is waiting outside.

(The noun is the lady. The relative pronoun is who. The adjective clause identifying the lady is
shaded.)

I saw the dog which ate the cake.

(The noun being identified is the dog.)

We did not know the tune that had been playing..

(The noun being identified is the tune.)

(2) tell us more information about it.

For example:

Mrs Miggins, who owns a pie shop, is waiting outside.

(The noun is Mrs Miggins. The adjective clause tells us some information about her.)

I rode my bike, which now had two flat tyres, back home.

(The noun is my bike. The adjective clause tells us some information about it.)

Relative Pronouns (for People and Things)

Your choice of relative pronoun is determined by whether it refers to a person or a thing. Your choices
are:

Who and whom refer to people.

Which refers to things.

That and whose refer to people or things.

 Note: Be aware that a fair proportion of your readers will not like you using that for people. It is good
advice to avoid using that for people, especially in formal writing.

Relative Pronouns (in Different Cases)

Your choice of relative pronoun is not just determined by whether it refers to people or things. It is also
determined by the role the relative pronoun plays in its clause. For example:

People or Subjective Case Objective Case Possessive Case

Things
People who whom whose

(The boy who rang the (The boy whom you met) (The boy whose bike was
bell) stolen)
Things which which whose

(The candle which (The candle which you (The candle whose wick had
melted) made) snapped)
People or that that whose
Things
(The dog that bit the (The dog that the (The dog whose bark sounds
postman) postman hates) like cough)

Prepositions with Which and Whom

When whom or which is the object of a preposition, you can start the adjective clause with the
preposition (as opposed to the relative pronoun). For example:

The council will meet Professor Dobbs, from whom they expect an apology.

My greatest concern was the tide, against which we stood little chance.

It is not a mistake to leave the preposition at the end of the clause, but be aware that some of readers
might think it looks a little informal, especially if the preposition also ends the sentence.

Therefore, in formal writing, try to avoid ending a sentence in a preposition. However, if doing so makes
your sentence sound stilted, then either try to reword your sentence or just leave your preposition at the
end.