A relative pronoun serves two purposes in a sentence. It connects two clauses just like a conjunction. At the same time, it acts as the subject or object of the verb in the relative clause.

Study the example given below.

• This is Rani. She was my classmate at university.

We can combine these two sentences using the relative pronoun who.

• This is Rani who was my classmate at university. (NOT This is Rani who she was my classmate…)

Here the relative pronoun who replaced the personal pronoun she.

Another example is given below.

• This is the kitty. I adopted him last week.
• This is the kitty that I adopted last week. OR This is the kitty whom I adopted last week.

Here the relative pronoun whom/that replaced the personal pronoun him.

Use who to refer to people and pet animals when the relative pronoun is the subject of the verb in the relative clause.

• I talked to the girl. She was sitting alone.
• I talked to the girl who was sitting alone.

Use whom to refer to people and pet animals when the relative pronoun is the object of the verb in the relative clause. Whom replaces object pronouns like him, her, them, us etc.

• She married an architect. She met him at a party.

Here we are replacing the object pronoun him with a relative pronoun. Hence, we use whom instead of who.

• She married an engineer whom she met at a party. (NOT She married an engineer whom she met him at a party.)

The relative pronoun whose replaces possessive adjectives like his, her, their, our etc.

• The man called the police. His house had been burgled.
• The man whose house had been burgled called the police.

Worksheet

Answers

1. I talked to the girl who was sitting alone.

2. I have a friend who writes articles for websites.

3. I know a girl who has lovely brown eyes.

4. This is my friend who works in Mumbai.

5. The man whose cat was missing searched everywhere.

6. He who works hard will succeed.

7. I don’t like people who abuse animals.

8. Everyone praised the boy who had risked his own life to save his drowning friend.

9. I talked to the girl whose mother had not come to pick her up from school.

10. The temple which stands on a hill was built in the 15^th century. / The temple which was built in the 15^th century stands on a hill.