Relative Pronoun
A relative pronoun is an important part of English grammar. It helps us connect two sentences and give additional information about a noun without repeating it. Relative pronouns make sentences shorter, clearer, and more natural in both speaking and writing.
This article explains relative pronouns in depth, including definitions, types, rules, examples, common mistakes, and practice exercises, in simple and clear English.
A relative pronoun is a word used to refer to a noun that comes before it and to add extra information about that noun. It introduces a relative clause and helps join two ideas into one sentence. Common relative pronouns include who, which, that, whose, and whom.
>Types of Relative Pronouns
| Relative Pronoun | Usage | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Refers to people (subject) | The boy who won the race is my friend. |
| Whom | Refers to people (object) | The teacher whom I met yesterday is kind. |
| Whose | Shows possession | She is the girl whose father is a doctor. |
| Which | Refers to animals or things | The book which is on the table is mine. |
| That | Refers to people, animals, or things (defining clause) | This is the house that Jack built. |
Types of Relative Pronoun:
1. Defining Relative Pronoun
2. Non-Defining Relative Pronoun
Defining Relative Pronoun
A defining relative pronoun is used to introduce a clause that gives essential information about a noun. This information is necessary to identify the person or thing being talked about, and the sentence’s meaning is incomplete without it. Common defining relative pronouns are who, which, that, whose, and whom.
Relative Pronouns Used:
Examples
1. The boy who is wearing a red shirt is my friend.
2. This is the book that I told you about.
3. The student who scored first rank is from Tamil Nadu.
4. I like movies which have strong stories.
5. The man whose car was stolen went to the police.
Non-defining Relative Pronoun
A non-defining relative pronoun introduces a clause that gives extra information about a noun, not essential to the meaning of the sentence. It is always separated by commas and commonly uses who, whom, whose, or which (never that). Even if the clause is removed, the main sentence still remains clear and complete.
Examples:
1. Ravi, who lives in Chennai, is my cousin.
2. My phone, which I bought last year, is very slow.
3. Mr. Kumar, whose son is a doctor, is my teacher.
4. The Taj Mahal, which is in Agra, attracts tourists.
5. My mother, who is a nurse, works at night.
👉 Remove the clause → still meaningful.
Common Mistakes
1. Who vs Which (people)
❌ This is the boy which won the prize
✅ This is the boy who won the prize
2. Which vs That
❌ The book that I bought, is expensive
✅ The book which I bought is expensive
Use which in non-defining clauses.
3. Whom vs Who
❌ The man who I met yesterday
✅ The man whom I met yesterday
4. Missing relative pronoun
❌ This is the girl won the race
✅ This is the girl who won the race
5. Wrong use of whose
❌ The boy which father is a doctor
✅ The boy whose father is a doctor
6. Repeating noun and pronoun
❌ This is the book which book I lost
✅ This is the book which I lost
7. Using that after comma
❌ My house, that is big, is old
✅ My house, which is big, is old
8. Using relative pronoun for place
❌ This is the place which I live
✅ This is the place where I live
9. Using relative pronoun for time
❌ This is the day which we met
✅ This is the day when we met
10. Using relative pronoun for reason
❌ The reason which he failed
✅ The reason why he failed
Relative Pronoun Quiz — Pick the Relative pronoun
10 questions. Choose the correct Relative pronoun.