Relative Pronouns

Relative Pronouns Begin Relative Clauses Relative pronouns BEGIN a type of dependent or subordinate clause; because they begin with relative pronouns, sometimes they are called RELATIVE CLAUSES. When a sentence contains a subordinate clause (or dependent clause), it is a complex sentence. A relative clause cannot stand alone as sentence. A relative clause will have a subject and a verb, but it simply does not make sense without the main clause (independent clause).

RELATIVE CLAUSES ARE DEPENDENT CLAUSES THAT BEGIN WITH ONE OF THE FOLLOWING… Who whom That Which Whose

Who and Whom USE WHO AS A SUBJECT OF THE CLAUSE; USE WHOM AS THE OBJECTI OF THE CLAUSE WHO = HE WHOM=HIM That is the man who lives next door. main clause dependent clause (He lives next door) That is the man to whom my mother is married. main clause dependent clause (My mother is married to him.)

THAT AND WHICH DOGS THAT BARK SCARE ME. USE THAT WHEN THE RELATIVE CLAUSE IS IMPORTANT TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE SENTENCE DOGS THAT BARK SCARE ME. Since ALL dogs don’t scare you, the clause “that bark” is important so that your reader fully understands your thought. USE WHICH WHEN THE RELATIVE CLAUSE ADDS INFORMATION BUT WITHOUT IT, THE POINT YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE DOESN’T CHANGE DOGS WHICH MAKE GREAT PETS CAN BE EXPENSIVE. Your main point here is that dogs can be expensive. The fact that they make great pets is simply your opinion and isn’t necessary to the meaning of the sentence. DOGS, WHICH MAKE GREAT PETS, CAN BE EXPENSIVE. Usually writers will use commas before and after this type of clause, but it’s not incorrect not to use them.

THAT CAN BE RELATIVE AND DEMONSTRATIVE WHEN THAT (like this, these, and those) IS USED BY ITSELF AND DOES NOT BEGIN A DEPENDENT CLAUSE, IT IS A DEMONSTATIVE PRONOUN That is a fine car. That is not my brother, but this is. RELATIVE WHEN THAT BEGINS A RELATIVE CLAUSE, THE WORD GROUP CANNOT STAND ALONE AS A SENTENCE; IT IS DEPENDENT ON THE MAIN CLAUSE THE OFFICE THAT IS IN CHICAGO IS OUR MAIN HEADQUARTERS. MAIN CLAUSE Dependent Clause

Whose Shows Ownership That is the girl whose mother won an Olympic medal in swimming. Main clause dependent (relative) clause beginning with whose PLEASE NOTE… In this sentence, WHOSE is not interrogative because IT IS NOT ASKING A QUESTION! INTERROGATIVE – Whose mother is that?

LET’S PRACTICE IDENTIFY THE DEPENDENT CLAUSE IN EACH SENTENCE Elephants, which are my favorite animals, are nomadic animals.

Elephants, which are my favorite animals, are nomadic animals. (NOTICE THE COMMAS; THIS RELATIVE CLAUSE ISN’T NEEDED TO THE FULL UNDERSTANDING OF THE SENTENCE.)

FIND THE DEPENDENT CLAUSE THE BOY WHO GREW UP NEXT DOOR HAS GRADUATED FROM YALE.

THE BOY WHO GREW UP NEXT DOOR HAS GRADUATED FROM YALE. Dependent clause beginning with WHO

RELATIVE OR DEMONSTRATIVE? That is clearly not the answer to the question.

That is clearly not the answer to the question. Demonstrative Who can explain why?

RELATIVE OR DEMONSTRATIVE? The pencil that he gave me has 0.7mm lead.

The pencil that he gave me has 0.7mm lead. Relative Can you explain why?

Relative or Interrogative? Whose toy is this?

Whose toy is this? interrogative Did you notice the question mark? Did you notice that the sentence is only one main clause?

INTERROGATIVE OR RELATIVE? WAS THAT THE MAN WHO TAUGHT OUR CLASS?

RELATIVE WAS THAT THE MAN WHO TAUGHT OUR CLASS? THE QUESTION IS “WAS THAT THE MAN?” (BE CAREFUL HERE…ASK YOURSELF WHAT IS BEING ASKED AND WHAT IS THE MAIN/DEPENDENT CLAUSE)