Relative pronouns: use (simplified)

DEFINING

RELATIVE CLAUSES:

USED TO GIVE ESSENTIAL INFORMATION.

NEVER SEPARATED FROM MAIN CLAUSE BY
reference/funct subject
ion
people
who
(that)

COMMAS!

object

possessive

whom/w
ho
(that)
that
(which)

whose

things

that
(which)

reference
time
place
reason
instrument/me
ans
the things
that

relative pronoun
when
where
why
whereby

NON-DEFINING

RELATIVE CLAUSES:

whose
(of which)

with
preposition
[to] whom
whom/who
to
(to) which
which to

what

USED TO GIVE EXTRA, NON-ESSENTIAL INFORMATION.

ALWAYS SEPARATED FROM MAIN CLAUSE BY COMMAS!
reference/funct
ion
people

subject

object

possessive

, who,

, whom/
who,

, whose,

things

,
which,

, which

, whose,
, (of which) ,

reference
time
place
reason
instrument/me
ans

relative pronoun
when
where
why
whereby

with
preposition
, [to] whom,
whom/who
to,
, [to] which,
, which to,

clause

which

Note:
Words in italics are used in more informal, usually spoken
English.
Words in round brackets () are used less frequently and
should be avoided to make your life easier.