English Grammar: Pronouns

Pronouns — Relative Pronouns

A relative pronoun is a pronoun that joins the clause which it introduces to its own antecedent. The antecedent of a pronoun is the noun or pronoun to which it refers.

The relative pronouns are who, which, that, and what. The pronoun who has two other forms, whose and whom. When the relative pronoun is combined with ever and soever, it is called a compound relative pronoun.

List of Compound Relative Pronouns

The relative pronoun is always found in a clause which it introduces. For that reason, we shall postpone further study of relative pronouns until we take up the study of subordinate clauses.

Use of Relative Pronouns

The following distinctions are generally observed in the use of relative pronouns. A careful writer or speaker always observes these distinctions:

Who is used when the antecedent is a person.

That is used to refer to either persons or things.

Which is used to refer to anything except persons.

The book which (or that) I was reading has disappeared. (correct)
(Which or that refers to things.)

She is the girl who won the award. (correct)
(Who refers only to persons.)

This is the dog that (or which) was lost. (correct)
(That or which refers to things.)

She is the girl that won the award. (correct)
(That may refer to persons.)

Margaret is the girl which entered the contest. (incorrect)
(Which should not be used to refer to persons.)