HOW TO REMEMBER : RELATIVE PRONOUNS

 

RELATIVE PRONOUNS

When a pronoun is used to join one phrase/clause to another phrase/cause, it is called relative pronoun, Who, whom, that, which, are relative pronouns.

Examples:

• He invented a car, which runs on gas.
• He bought the house, which was on sale.

Relative pronouns are so called because they refer to the nouns that immediately precede them. The nouns that precede them are called antecedents. 

Relative pronouns relate to the antecedents and at the same time link them with the remainder of the sentence. Thus, they also function as conjunctions.

1. THAT

"That" is applied to animals, people and inanimate objects.

Examples:

• Ones that are fresh will be used for the decoration.

 ("That" in the nominative case)

• The candidate that is selected will attend the next interview. ("That" in the nominative case).

• You can take the papers that have been already used. 

("That" in the objective case)

"That" is used:

i. To indicate people, objects or defining clauses

Example:

•  He is the man that the police are looking for.

ii. To replace adverbial clauses like "on which", "at which", "for which" and "in which

Examples:

•  I remember the day that I met you. (the day "on which")
• This is the chest that cost me a thousand rupees. ("for which I paid)
•  I remember the college that the function took place at. ("at which the function took place) . I have seen the film that you acted in. ("in which you acted)

iii. To replace "which"/"who"

a. "That" is used after adjectives in the superlative degree.

Example:

•  He is the most wonderful person that I've ever met.

b. "That" is used after "all", "only", "same", "nothing", "any".

Examples:

• There is nothing that can be done about the design. • Are these the only colours that are available?
• Can you show me any designs that are ready?
• All that you can do is forget the accident.

c. That is used after two nouns or antecedents when the first indicates a person and the second indicates an object or an animal.

Example:

• The master and his loins that won the prize were also the national context.

d. "That" is used after "what" and "who" 

Examples:

• What is it that he was looking for?
• What is the reason that he looks so dull?
• Who are the people that will meet me at the function?

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