RELATIVE PRONOUNS

Paul Nicklas
Inlingua DC, ILI MD
* Relative Clauses give additional information about
something

Ex. A vandal is somebody who damages

buildings or objects
 * Relative pronouns link up two sentences

eg A vandal is somebody. They damage

buildings or objects

A vandal is somebody they who damages

buildings or objects
* Relative Pronouns look like wh-questions but they aren’t

who – which – where – when - whose

 * Relative Clauses have the same structure as sentences: subj+ verb + object

eg A cot is a place where a baby sleeps.

(subj) (verb)
* They depend on a word (= antecedent).
This word comes immediately before
them.

eg the blue dress which she is wearing was a

antecedent

present from her sister

 * We use them depending on the antecedent:

WHO/THAT→ for people

eg a bully is a person who/that hurts weaker people

Martin Freeman is the actor who/that plays Bilbo in the
film “The Hobbit”

WHICH/THAT→ for THINGS-STUFF

eg a mop is a thing which/that you use to wash the floor

yoghurt is stuff which/that helps your digestion
 Relative Pronouns explained

WHOSE→ for possession

eg Where is the girl whose father is an actor?

Sam is the boy whose dog won the competition.

WHERE→ for place

eg The hotel where we slept was very good.

Is that the place where the accident happened last
week?
 Relative Pronouns explained

WHEN→ for time

eg That was the day when my sister was born.

2011 is the year when a tsunami
devastated Japan.