Identifying Relative Pronouns
This relative pronoun is used to refer to people.
Who
In reduced relative clauses, this word is often omitted.
the relative pronoun ("who", "which", "that")?
The book _____ is on the table belongs to me
that
that is the RP used for animals
This relative pronoun is used to refer to things or animals.
Which
In what kind of construction can a relative pronoun and the verb from the relative clause can often be combined into this construction.
reduced relative clause
The woman ____ lives next door is a doctor
who
This is the restaurant where we had dinner last night.
correct
This relative pronoun is used to refer to both people and things, and it can be the object of a preposition.
Whom
Reduce the following sentence:
The man who is driving the car is my brother
the man driving the car is my brother
Do you know the reason ____ she left so early?
why
The car that we rented broke down on the highway.
Correct: "That" is correctly used to introduce a restrictive clause providing essential information about the car
This relative pronoun is used to refer to a time.
When
Reduce the following sentence:
The cake eaten by the children was delicious
the cake, which was eaten by the children, was delicious
which
The woman whom is standing by the door is my aunt.
Incorrect!
who is correct
This relative pronoun can be used to refer to a whole sentence or clause.
That
Expand the following reduced relative clause:
The book written by Mark Twain is a classic.
The book, which was written by Mark Twain, is a classic
The lady ____ we talked to is a police officer.
whom
The boy, whose is sitting at the back, is my brother
Incorrect: "Whose" should be followed by the noun it possesses ("the boy"), not by a verb.