A RELATIVE PRONOUN is a pronoun that describes a Noun or Pronoun immediately preceding it. It is, in a way, a pronoun used to describe a Noun or a Pronoun.
The term 'relative' implies relation. It means 'the relative pronoun' relates the noun or pronoun prior to it to the remaining part of the sentence describing it.
A relative pronoun acts not only as a pronoun but also as a conjunction because it works to join parts of a sentence or two sentences; as
I like playing football. It is my hobby.
I like playing football which is my hobby.
The Relative Pronouns are - Who in Subject case, Whom in Object case and Whose in Possessive case. All of these three relative pronouns are used in case of living things.
For example:
He is the man who stole my purse.
In this sentence 'He' is Subject and 'is' verb.
In fact the main sentence is -- ...the man......stole my purse. Here 'who' is used to give details of the man. It is describing the noun 'man'. Here 'the man' is in subject case. So the relative pronoun 'who' used in its place is also in subject case.
In other words the relative pronoun 'who' is used in Subject case.
Following examples elicit this fact further.
He is the boy who stood first in the class.
In this sentence, ' He is the boy' is a complete part of the sentence.
'.....the boy .....stood first in the class' is other part of the sentence. Both the parts of the sentence give complete meaning and sense. The relative pronoun 'who' joins these two parts and describes the noun 'the boy' further. As the boy is in subject case, so 'who' is also in subject case.
The person who met you in the market is my friend.
In this sentence the parts of the sentence are 'The person ...met you in the market..' and 'The person...... is my friend.' The relative pronoun 'who' joins these parts and describes further the noun immediately preceding it 'the person'. Thus it makes the sense and meaning of the sentence complete. The noun 'the person' is in subject case so 'who' used in its place is also in subject case.
He is the boy whom I like very much.
The two parts in this sentence are - He is the boy ......I like whom very much. But whom is shifted from its place and is used to connect two parts of the sentence. If answer to the word 'whom' is sought it will be 'him' i.e. I like him very much. Here 'him' is in objective case. Simi;arly 'Whom' too is in objective case.
So the relative pronoun 'whom' is used in objective case.
The boy whom you met in the market is my friend.
The two parts of the sentence are --
"The boy ..... is my friend" and "you met whom in the market".
The relative pronoun 'whom' is used to connect these two parts. Here too the answer to the question in part second is 'you met 'him' in the market'. Here 'him' is in object case so 'whom' is also a relative pronoun in object case.
In certain cases the relative pronoun in object case is preceded by a preposition. For example:
To whom was she married?
By whom is this picture painted?
These senetnces are in interrogative form.
If these are changed into their affirmative form, these will be:
She was married to whom.....(i.e. him)
This picture is painted by whom.....(i.e. him)
and whom will be substituted by an object like 'him'.
She was married to him.
This picture is painted by him.
The relative pronoun 'whom' therefore is in objective case.
When the subject of a verb is a Relative Pronoun, the verb is used agreeing in number and person with the Antecedent of the relative pronoun: as,
I who am (not is) your friend will stand by you through
thick and thin.
This is one of the best books that have (not has) ever appeared.
(It is because subject in this sentence is 'books' and not 'one'.
The relative pronoun 'Whose' is used for persons in possessive case.
For example :
The boy whose purse he stole is my friend.
In this sentence the relative pronoun'whose' is used to join two sentences - The boy ... is my friend. He stole....(his) purse.
The word required to substitute 'whose' is 'his' which is in possessive case. Therefore 'whose' too is a relative pronoun in possesive case.
The boy whose father is a doctor is my friend.
The two parts of the sentence, 'The boy ....is my friend.' and '....father is a doctor' are joined by the relative pronoun in possessive case 'whose'. If 'whose' is substituted, it will be by a pronoun in place of 'the boy' 'his' i.e. 'he' used in possessive case.
It is wrong to use whose for animals or non living things; as,
The dog the colour of which (not whose colour) is white is mine.
The table, the leg of which (not whose leg) was broken has been got repaired.
'Who' is a relative pronoun in subject case, 'whom' a relative pronoun in object case and 'whose' is a relative pronoun in possessive case.
These three pronouns are also used as Interrogative Pronouns.
For example :
Who stole your book?
Whom do you like?
Whose book is this?
In this case the sentence always ends with a question mark(?).
Relative Pronoun 'Which' is used with animals and things.
For example:
The pen which you see on the table is mine.
The dog which she purchased yesterday is white.
Relative Pronoun 'Which' is used for making choice out of many things, animals or persons.
For example:
I told him which of the two books I read.
Of all the colours which she likes is green.
I am in a fix which of the gifts to choose.
'Which' is used for persons if a choice is to be made from a number of persons.
I donot know which of these boys is her brother.
Relative Pronoun 'that' is used with a person or a thing
-- Superlative degree i.e. with a specific or a particular thing.
For example:
He will select the way that he considers the best..
This is the best gift that I have ever received.
She purchased the purse that was the costliest.
'That' is used with certain words as;
Following words take 'that' as relative pronoun with them.
All, any, alone, anything, none, nothing, nobody, same. such, only, everything, much, little, few.
For example:
He is the only person that can save you.
This is all that I had to say.
I paid him the little that I had.
There was none that could explain it.
He spent everything that he earned.
Relative Pronoun 'that' is used if person and animal or thing are referred to in a sentence together.
For example
The jockey and the horse that won the race both will be rewarded.
The man and the car that you saw have since left.
In a sentence with two parts, if the Subject is followed by a relative pronoun, there is no need to add another subject to its second part because the relative pronoun covers that part
also as ;
The boy who stood first in the class, he will be honoured in the annual function.
In this sentence the relative pronoun 'who' covers both parts of the sentence and the subject 'he' is superfluous here. It will be as;
The boy who stood first in the class will be honoured in the annual function.
Use of That and What
'That" is used as a Relative pronoun, Conjunction and Adjective as;
1. This is the picture that he wants. (Relative Pronoun)
There is a noun before the relative pronoun 'that'.
2. He thinks that he will succeed.
'That', a conjunction, joins two clauses in the sentence.
3. That house is mine.
'That' an adjective describes a noun 'house'.
Both 'That' and 'What' are used as a relative pronoun.
The relative pronoun 'That' takes a noun before it whereas 'what' is used in the absence of a noun as;
The book that I need is not available in the market.
This is the book that I wanted.
She achieved what she desired in her life.
I heard carefully all that she spoke.
He will provide all that you need.
(In these sentences, 'all' is a pronoun and 'that' is a relative pronoun. 'That she spoke' and 'all that you need,' a phrase, is acting as an object.)
What she spoke was not audible to me.
What you need will be provided to you.
(In these two sentences 'what you need' and 'what she spoke' (a phrase,) are acting as Subject.)
(Noun+that= what)
Here follow some exercises for practice.
EXERCISE
ONE
Fill in the blank with a suitable relative pronoun in it.
(using who, whom,whose, which,that)
1. The necklace .......... she lost was made of gold.
2. She is the lady ..........son is a doctor.
3. This is the house........my brother has purchased.
4. He is the person ........ the committe appointed chairman.
5. Nobody likes a person........is lazy.
6. He is not the person.......you can trust upon.
7. She is such a lady ........can deceive you anytime.
8. I donot like the person......accompanies her.
9. He ........lent you a book is known to me.
10. Such persons always decieve those .......trust on them.
TWO
Fill in the blank with a suitable relative pronoun in it.
(using who,whom, whose,which,that)
1. She saw people and animals ......were roaming in the fair.
2. They rescued the fishermen ....... were stranded in the storm.
3. Do you know the man........you have lent your book?
4. The person ......is standing on the stage is a famous singer.
5. The oldman........ is wearing a turban is an economist.
6. He ......works hard is sure to succeed in life.
7. He is the same boy ............came to my house yesterday.
8. Where is the employee ........ watch has been solen?
9. Here is the boy......the teacher caught stealing books.
10. The teacher caught the boy ........was stealing books.
ANSWERS
ONE
1.that 2. whose 3. that 4. whom5.who 6. that 7. that 8.who 9.who 10.who
TWO
1.that 2. that3.whom 4. that 5. that 6. who 7. that 8. whose 9. whom10. who
THREE
Complete the following sentences by using an appropriate relative pronoun out of the given options.
1. You.........(who*/that) are rich should come forward and help the people ............(which/whom*) you can.
2. They.......(who/that*) are wise always behave humbly with others.........(who/whom*) they meet.
3. People......(that*/who) are not true to their word are not respected by those among............(who/whom*) they live.
4. The boy and the car .........(that*/which) were hit by a speeding vehicle are safe in a house........(which*/that) is located nearby.
5. He is one of the ablest students ..........(that*/which) I have ever seen1. in my teaching career..........(which*/that) spanned over ten years.
FOUR
Out of the following sentences find out the correct one
ONE
1.Children
who live in villages are deprived of opportunities of higher education which those which live in cities have.
2.Children who live in villages are deprived of opportunities of higher education whom those which live in cities have.
3.Children which live in villages are deprived of opportunities of higher education whom those who live in cities have.
4.Children who live in villages are deprived of opportunities of higher education which those who live in cities have.
TWO
1. A youngman , who married a girl, which he loved, against the wishes of his parents who did not like her, had to leave his parents' house.
2. A youngman, that married a girl, who he loved, against the wishes of his parents which did not like her, had to leave his parents' house.
3. A youngman who married a girl, whom he loved, against the wishes of his parents who did not like her, had to leave his parents' house.
4. A youngman, who married a girl, that he loved, against the wishes of his parents who did not like her, had to leave his parents' house.
THREE
1.It is an institution which is nestled in Sahyadrihills and that is the first of its kind that imparts training to cadets who would be future officers of Army, Airforce and Navy.
2.It is an institution which is nestled in Sahyadrihills and that is the first of its kind that imparts training to cadets whom would be future officers of Army, Airforce and Navy.
3.It is an institution which is nestled in Sahyadrihills and that is the first of its kind that imparts training to cadets which would be future officers of Army, Airforce and Navy.
4. It is an institution who is nestled in Sahyadrihills and is the first of its kind that imparts training to cadets which would be future officers of Army, Airforce and Navy.
FOUR
1.He which finds my purse who I purchased yesterday will get all the money which I had kept in that
2. He who finds my purse which I purchased yesterday will get all the money that I had kept in that.
3. He which finds my purse who I purchased yesterday will get all the money that I had kept in that.
4. He who finds my purse who I purchased yesterday will get all the money that I had kept in that.
My boss,who joined the office recently, is looking for a house which should be not only spacious but also located in the nearby vicinity.
