Relative Pronouns

and
Relative Adverbs
By: Yopa Riyanda Puteri

© Rafael Moreno Esteban

Relative pronoun Use
Who subject or object pronoun
for people
Which subject or object pronoun
for animals and things
Which referring to a whole
sentence
Whose possession for people
animals and things
Whom object pronoun for people,
especially in non-defining
relative clauses (in defining
relative clauses we
colloquially prefer who)
That subject or object pronoun
for people, animals and
things in defining relative
clauses (who or which are
also possible)
© Rafael Moreno Esteban
Example
I told you about the woman
who lives next door.
Do you see the cat which is
lying on the roof?
He couldn’t read which
surprised me.
Do you know the boy whose
mother is a nurse?
I was invited by the
professor whom I met at the
conference.
I don’t like the table that
stands in the kitchen.
 Relative Adverbs
 A relative adverb can be used instead of a
relative pronoun plus preposition. This often
makes the sentence easier to understand.
 This is the shop in which I bought my bike.
→ This is the shop where I bought my bike.

Relative Meaning Use Example

adverb
When in/on which refers to a time the day when we
expression met him
Where in/at which refers to a place the place where
we met him
why for which refers to a person the reason why
we met him
© Rafael Moreno Esteban
 LINKING WORDS

RELATIVE
PRONOUNS

WHO / THAT WHICH / THAT WHOSE

PREPOSITION
+ WHOM
or
+WHICH
(Formal)
 LINKING WORDS

RELATIVE ADVERBS

WHEN / THAT WHERE WHY / THAT

 Exercises
1. It is not yet clearly understood _________
cause obesity.
a. why eating too many hamburgers can
b. why can eating too many hamburgers
c. what can eating too many hamburgers
d. eating too many hamburgers can

Then, the answer is a. why eating too

many hamburgers can
2. It was the arch the dome, among
the chief innovations of Roman
architecture.
a. eventually that made possible
b. that eventual made possible
c. that eventual made possibly
d. that eventually made possible

Then, the answer is d. that eventually

made possible
© Rafael Moreno Esteban
3. While most New Yorkers believe in
ghosts, ______ do not.
a. are a few who
b. there are a few which
c. there are a few that
d. a few are who

Then, the answer is c. there are a few that

© Rafael Moreno Esteban