Lesson 1 of 4 · Grade 9 English
Relative pronouns and clauses
15 min
A relative clause gives more information about a noun. It begins with a relative pronoun.
Relative pronouns
- who: for people (subject). The girl who won the race is my sister.
- whom: for people (object). The man whom we met is a doctor.
- whose: possession. The boy whose bag was stolen reported to the teacher.
- which: for things and animals. The book which I borrowed is interesting.
- that: for people or things in defining clauses. This is the house that Jack built.
- where: for places. This is the school where I studied.
Defining vs non-defining clauses
- Defining: necessary information, no commas. Pupils who study hard pass.
- Non-defining: extra information, with commas. Nairobi, which is the capital of Kenya, is busy. (Do not use that here.)
Joining sentences
I met a teacher. She teaches chemistry. → I met a teacher who teaches chemistry.
Key points to remember
- who/whom for people; which for things
- whose shows possession
- Non-defining clauses take commas and never "that"
- where for places
Test yourself
