Understanding relative pronouns

What is a relative pronoun?

Relative pronouns refer to nouns that are previously mentioned in the same sentence. Like normal pronouns, relative pronouns are words that take the place of a noun and introduce additional information about it. Consider the following examples:

• Pizza, which we order every Friday night, is always a treat.

In this sentence, “pizza” is the noun, and “which” is the relative pronoun that refers to it.

• The professor who taught writing at my university is retiring.

Here, the relative pronoun “who” refers to the aforementioned noun, which is “professor.”

• “The laptop that I bought last week is worth the investment.”

“That” refers to “the laptop” and forms a dependent clause that makes up half of the sentence.

This additional information supplied by these pronouns comes in the form of a relative clause—a type of dependent clause that cannot stand on its own as a complete sentence. Sometimes, this clause is known as an adjective clause, because like an adjective, it gives more information about a noun.

Write with Confidence using Editor

Elevate your writing with real-time, intelligent assistance

Learn more

Common relative pronouns

Fortunately, there aren’t many relative pronouns out there to really cause confusion. Below are the most common relative pronouns and how they’re used to relate to types of nouns:

• Who: Used to refer to people.
  Example: “The girl who won the race is my wife.”

• Which: Used for animals and things.
  Example: “The car, which is blue, belongs to Steve.”

• That: Used for people, animals, and things.
  Example: “The book that I’m reading is compelling.”

A relative clause always begins with these relative pronouns. These simple and familiar words “who,” “which,” and “that,” serve as bridges that connect the ideas in your sentences.

How to use relative pronouns

To use relative pronouns in a grammatically correct way, first identify the noun that the relative pronoun replaces. For example, in the sentence, “The cat that chased the mouse is black,” “cat” is the noun, and the relative pronoun “that” refers to it.

Then, choose the correct relative pronoun. Depending on whether you’re referring to a person, animal, or thing, select “who,” “which,” or “that.”

Finally, introduce the relative clause, which is what the relative pronoun starts. This relative clause adds more information about the noun that is the subject of the sentence. For example, in “The book that I am reading is fascinating,” the relative clause is “that I am reading,” giving you the detail that the book is currently being read by the speaker.

Once you’re able to identify relative pronouns, you’ll gain confidence in your ability to create well-structured, informative, and engaging sentences. To take your writing skills to new heights, check out these tips for writing an introduction to a research paper, learning what a garden-path sentence is, or building a foundation for great writing with the basics of grammar.