Relative Pronouns

Using who, whom, whose, which, and that to connect clauses

intermediate

When to Use

•Who for people (subject): The woman who called is my aunt.
•Whom for people (object, formal): The person whom I met was kind.
•Whose for possession: The man whose car was stolen reported it.
•Which for things: The book which I read was interesting.
•That for people or things (defining clauses): The car that I bought is red.

How to Form

Affirmative (+)

Noun + relative pronoun + clause

Negative (-)

Same structure; negation in the relative clause

Question (?)

Relative pronouns rarely start questions; use in statements

💡 That can replace who/which in defining clauses. Whom is formal; who is often used instead.

Examples

✓The teacher who helped me was kind.

✗The teacher which helped me was kind.

Use who for people.

✓The book that I read was great.

✗The book who I read was great.

Use that/which for things.

✓The girl whose bag was stolen cried.

✗The girl who's bag was stolen cried.

Whose = possession; who's = who is.

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

• People: who (subject), whom (object), whose (possession).
• Things: which or that.
• That can replace who/which in defining clauses.
• Whose shows possession for people or things.

relative-clauses reduced-clauses reflexive-pronouns 📝 pronouns-intermediate 📝 relative-pronouns-quiz

Relative Pronouns

Using who, whom, whose, which, and that to connect clauses

intermediate

When to Use

•Who for people (subject): The woman who called is my aunt.
•Whom for people (object, formal): The person whom I met was kind.
•Whose for possession: The man whose car was stolen reported it.
•Which for things: The book which I read was interesting.
•That for people or things (defining clauses): The car that I bought is red.

How to Form

Affirmative (+)

Noun + relative pronoun + clause

Negative (-)

Same structure; negation in the relative clause

Question (?)

Relative pronouns rarely start questions; use in statements

💡 That can replace who/which in defining clauses. Whom is formal; who is often used instead.

Examples

✓The teacher who helped me was kind.

✗The teacher which helped me was kind.

Use who for people.

✓The book that I read was great.

✗The book who I read was great.

Use that/which for things.

✓The girl whose bag was stolen cried.

✗The girl who's bag was stolen cried.

Whose = possession; who's = who is.

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

• People: who (subject), whom (object), whose (possession).
• Things: which or that.
• That can replace who/which in defining clauses.
• Whose shows possession for people or things.

relative-clauses reduced-clauses reflexive-pronouns 📝 pronouns-intermediate 📝 relative-pronouns-quiz

Relative Pronouns

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

Related

Relative Pronouns

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

💡 Practice Tips

Related

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

✗The man which called is here.

✗The car who I bought is red.

✗The student who's book I borrowed.

💡 Practice Tips

Related

When to Use

How to Form

Examples

Common Mistakes

✗The man which called is here.

✗The car who I bought is red.

✗The student who's book I borrowed.

💡 Practice Tips

Related