Relative pronouns are used to introduce relative clauses, providing more information about a noun without starting a new sentence. They help combine two sentences into one by linking the additional information directly to the noun it describes.

Types of Relative Pronouns

Here are the main relative pronouns in English, along with their functions:

who: Refers to people and acts as a subject.
whom: Refers to people and acts as an object (more formal).
whose: Indicates possession for people or things.
which: Refers to animals or things and can act as subject or object.
that: Refers to people, animals, or things; used in defining clauses.
where: Refers to places.
when: Refers to time.

When referring to places in a relative clause, which pronoun should you use?

which

where

when

that

where

`Where` is used to refer to places.

Relative Pronouns Usage

. who (subject for people)

"The teacher who helped me is kind."
"The man who called you is waiting."
"She is the one who won the prize."

. whom (object for people, formal)

"The student whom you met is my friend."
"To whom should I address the letter?"
"The person whom I spoke with was helpful."

. whose (possession for people or things)

"This is the author whose book you liked."
"I saw a dog whose tail was wagging."
"She has a friend whose father is a doctor."

. which (subject or object for animals/things)

"The cake, which was delicious, is gone."
"I found a book which explains grammar."
"The car which is parked outside is mine."

Fill in the blank: I found a book _____ explains grammar.

whose

which

that

who

which

`Which` is used to refer to the book.

. that (subject or object for people, animals, or things)

"The movie that we watched was exciting."
"I have a friend that can help you."
"The dog that barked all night is lost."

. where (refers to places)

"This is the café where we met."
"Do you know a city where it never snows?"
"She returned to the village where she was born."

. when (refers to time)

"I remember the day when we first met."
"There was a time when phones were rare."
"She left at a moment when everyone was busy."

Fill in the blank: There was a time _____ phones were rare.

that

when

where

which

when

`When` introduces a clause about a time period.

Fill in the blank: I remember the day _____ we first met.

that

when

where

which

when

`When` refers to the time of the meeting.

Defining vs. Non-Defining Clauses

Defining clauses give essential information and do not use commas.
Non-defining clauses add extra information and are set off by commas.

Example Type	Example	Explanation
Defining (no commas)	The man who called is here.	Essential info (which man?)
Non-defining (commas)	Mr. Smith, who is my teacher, left early.	Extra info (we already know him)

Usage Notes

Use who for subjects and whom for objects (though whom is less common in speech).
Use that in defining clauses but which in non-defining clauses.
Don't use commas around defining clauses.
Use commas around non-defining clauses.
Omit the relative pronoun when it is the object (e.g., "The book [that] I read.").

Examples for Reference

Relative Pronoun	Example
who	The artist who painted this is famous.
whom	The person whom you invited is here.
whose	I met a writer whose novels are popular.
which	The laptop, which is new, works fast.
that	The song that you played is my favorite.
where	This is the park where we first met.
when	I'll never forget the day when I graduated.

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025