Course on Relative Pronouns - TOEIC® Preparation
Relative pronouns are used to connect two clauses to form a richer and more precise sentence. They avoid word repetition and introduce what are called relative clauses. In French, equivalent relative pronouns would be « qui », « que », « dont », etc.
A relative clause is a part of a sentence that provides additional information about a noun. It cannot exist alone, as it depends on a main clause.
- The boy who is wearing a red shirt is my brother.
- « the boy » is the main clause
- « Who is wearing a red shirt » is the relative clause, which provides more information about « the boy ».
In English, the most common relative pronouns are:
- Who / Whom
- Which
- That
- Whose
Sometimes Where, When, and Why are included in this category because they serve a similar role in connecting two parts of a sentence.
1. Restrictive and Non-restrictive Clauses
In English, the position and punctuation of the relative clause are very important. We distinguish between:
- Restrictive clauses
- Non-restrictive clauses
A. Restrictive Clauses
A restrictive clause is a part of a sentence that provides essential information. Without it, the sentence loses its meaning or becomes ambiguous.
For example, if one says:
- The book that I borrowed is fascinating.
Here, « that I borrowed » is necessary to know which book is being talked about. One cannot simply say The book is fascinating, as it could refer to any book. A characteristic of restrictive clauses is that they are not separated by commas, as they are fully part of the sentence.
Similarly, in the sentence:
- The man who lives next door is a doctor.
The information « who lives next door » allows us to identify precisely which man is being referred to. Without it, the sentence « The man is a doctor » would be too vague.
B. Non-restrictive Clauses
A non-restrictive clause provides additional information, but it is not essential to understand the meaning of the sentence. It is simply there to add an extra detail. This is why it is always enclosed in commas.
Take this example:
- This book, which I borrowed last week, is fascinating.
The information « which I borrowed last week » is interesting, but it is not indispensable. Even without this part, the sentence This book is fascinating still makes sense. The addition of the comma clearly shows that this information is secondary.
Similarly, in the sentence:
- My neighbor, who is a doctor, helped me yesterday.
We already know who is being talked about: « my neighbor ». The fact that he is a doctor is an additional detail, but the sentence would still make sense without this information.
2. Main Relative Pronouns: Who, Which, That, Whose
A. Who (and Whom)
Who generally refers to a person (or several people).
- The man who lives next door is a doctor.
- She's the teacher who helped me improve my pronunciation.
B. Whom
Like who, whom is also used for people, but its use is more formal and more rare. It often appears after a preposition or in formal contexts.
- The person whom I met yesterday was very kind.
- He is the colleague with whom I worked on the project.
- The teacher whom I respect the most is Mr. Green.
Today, many English speakers replace whom with who, especially in spoken language. Whom remains the form considered more correct in formal or written language.
C. Which
Which generally refers to objects, animals, or ideas. It introduces a relative clause that provides additional information about a non-human element.
- The book which I borrowed from you is fascinating.
- This is the car which won the race.
- He showed me the painting which he had bought at the auction.
D. That
That is a relative pronoun that can replace who (for people) or which (for things/animals). It is often preferred in restrictive relative clauses.
- The woman that called me yesterday is my aunt.
- The movie that I watched last night was really good.
- I really love the music that you played at the party.
Sometimes, the relative pronoun that (or who / which) can be omitted in certain relative clauses. This is called omission.
- The book I read was interesting.
That or which?
In English, the choice between that and which often depends on the type of relative clause.
- That is generally preferred in restrictive clauses
- The car that I bought is red → The information is essential to identify the car
- Which is more commonly used in non-restrictive clauses
- My car, which is red, needs washing → The information about the color is simply complementary.
Obligation to have a that after everything, anything, nothing, all
After these words, it is mandatory to use the relative pronoun that. It cannot be omitted or replaced by which or who.
- Everything that you said was true.
- There's nothing that we can do about it.
- All that matters is your happiness.
E. Whose
Whose is the relative pronoun that expresses possession. It corresponds to « dont » or « à qui appartient » in French.
- I met a girl whose brother is a famous actor.
- He's the writer whose books you love.
- The company whose employees went on strike is now negotiating.
F. Whatever, Whoever, Whichever, Wherever, Whenever
These pronouns express an idea of indeterminacy or generalization:
- Whatever
- Do whatever you want.
- Whoever
- Whoever wins will get a prize.
- Whichever
- Take whichever you prefer.
- Wherever
- Go wherever you like.
- Whenever
- Call me whenever you need.
G. Expressions with Relative Pronouns
Some verbs or expressions require a preposition before a relative pronoun. In this case, whom (for people) or which (for objects/animals) can be used.
- To + whom/which
- The professor to whom I spoke was very helpful.
- This is the solution to which I was referring.
- With + whom/which
- She's the colleague with whom I work.
- The method with which we succeeded was innovative.
- Without + whom/which
- He is a friend without whom I wouldn't have made it.
- The tool without which we cannot work is missing.
- By + whom/which
- The method by which we solved the problem was innovative.
- The process by which this wine is made is centuries old.
- From + whom/which
- The teacher from whom I learned the most is retired.
- The country from which this tradition originates is unknown.
- About + whom/which
- The author about whom we talked is famous.
- The theory about which we are learning is complex.
- On + which
- The topic on which he wrote is fascinating.
- The table on which I placed my book is broken.
- None / all / some / neither / a few … + of who / of which
- The students, some of which had already graduated, attended the ceremony.
- The books, none of which I had read before, were very interesting.
In spoken or informal English, the preposition is often moved to the end of the sentence and whom is often replaced by who:
- The professor I spoke to was very helpful. = The professor to whom I spoke was very helpful.
- The colleague I work with is very kind. = The colleague with whom I work is very kind.
3. Secondary Relative Pronouns: Where, When, Why
Although they are often called relative adverbs rather than pronouns, where, when, and why play a role similar to that of relative pronouns. They relate to a place, a time, or a reason.
A. Where
Where is used to talk about a place (real or abstract).
- I love the city where I grew up.
- This is the house where we spent our vacation.
B. When
When is used to talk about a time or a period.
- There was a time when people wrote letters instead of emails.
- I remember the day when we first met.
C. Why
Why is used to introduce the reason or the cause.
- Do you know the reason why he left so suddenly?
- That's why I decided to travel alone.
Conclusion
Relative pronouns are essential for connecting ideas and structuring more precise and natural sentences. They help avoid repetition and add information without making the discourse heavy. Knowing how to distinguish between restrictive and non-restrictive clauses helps better organize sentences and express exactly what one wants to say.