A relative pronoun is a word that is used to introduce a relative clause, which is a type of dependent clause that’s used to modify or describe a noun. 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!
What is a Relative Pronoun?
A relative pronoun is a word used to begin a relative clause. A few examples of relative pronouns include ‘who,’ ‘that,’ ‘whose,’ ‘which,’ and ‘whom.’
By now, we might have a basic idea of what these words are, but to really tackle the question of ‘what is a relative pronoun?’, we must first understand the relative clause. So let’s rewind a bit and take a look at what relative clauses are.
Relative Clauses
A relative clause is a type of clause that modifies or gives extra information about the subject or object in the main clause. They belong to a group of clauses called dependent or subordinate clauses. This means that a relative clause can’t function as a sentence by itself and only makes sense when paired with the main clause.
These clauses are optional, as they only add additional information about the subject or object of the main clause. 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.
So, as we now know, it’s the relative clause that holds the extra information about the subject or object noun phrase, and it’s doing all of the work in terms of portraying meaning.
But how do they relate to relative pronouns?
The relative pronoun is the word that introduces the relative clause so listeners or readers know whether the speaker or writer is referring to the subject or object noun phrase from the main clause.
Many linguists use different terminology when discussing grammar to refer to the same concept. It’s important to note that relative clauses are sometimes referred to as adjective clauses because they give us additional information about the subject of the independent clause.
Examples of Relative Pronouns
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. Here are a few examples of how these pronouns might be used in sentences.
Relative Pronouns: Who
This is used when referring to people in the subject noun phrase. It’s also common to use ‘who’ to refer to the object noun phrase, but this wasn’t considered standard English.
- ‘Joe baked his mum a Victoria sponge cake, who was very pleased with her Mother’s Day present.’
‘Who’ is the relative pronoun here, as it introduces the relative clause that adds extra information about Joe’s mum, the object of the sentence.
The sentence could make sense without this relative clause: ‘Joe baked his mum a Victoria sponge cake.’
Relative Pronouns: That
‘That’ is often used when referring to people or things.
- ‘The paints that I bought will be used on wood.’
‘That’ is the relative pronoun that introduces the relative clause I bought. This is used to describe the subject, ‘the paints.’ This relative clause is non-essential as the sentence could make sense without it: ‘The paints are going to be used on wood.’
Relative Pronouns: Which
‘Which’ is also used when referring to things.
- ‘The book was in terrible condition and was a fantastic read.’
As we can see from this example, ‘which’ indicates the start of the relative clause that gives some extra information about the book’s condition.
Relative Pronouns: Whose
‘Whose’ is the possessive form of ‘who’ and is used when describing the ownership of something or someone by the subject or object noun phrase.
- ‘The dog, whose collar was loose, ran away and found his way home.’
Relative Pronouns: Where
‘Where’ is used when referring to a place or location.
- ‘The house where I grew up has now been turned into flats.’
- ‘I went to the house where I grew up.’
In these examples, ‘where’ is used to introduce the clause that gives further information about the house and why it’s essential to the writer.
Relative Pronouns: Whom
‘Whom’ is used when adding extra information about the object of the main clause. Unfortunately, it’s becoming quite archaic, which means it’s coming out of use.
It’s not often found in American English and is only used in formal or academic contexts in British English. So pupils don’t need to worry about this one too much, but it’s helpful for them to be aware of it when they read older or formal texts.
- ‘The parents spotted a lady in a suit, whom they assumed to be the head teacher.’
- ‘The dog chased the cat, who was very afraid.’
Here, ‘whom’ is the pronoun that introduces the relative clauses. However, it could easily be substituted for the more informal ‘who.’
Relative Pronouns: When
‘When’ refers to a time or period and is often used as a relative pronoun in less formal situations.
- ‘There isn’t a day when I don’t think about it.’
