Relative Pronouns

Who, whom, which, that, where, when

who / whom / whose

• Used for people

which

• Used for things and animals

when where• time • place

that• Can replace who(m)/which

who/which/that

Make clear which person or thing

• The woman who/that discovered radium.

• She held out the hand which/that was hurt.

Tell us more about a person or thing (can leave it out)

• Mr Thomspon, who is 76, has just retired.

• We had fish and chips, which is my favourite meal.

who/which/that or nothing

Who/which/that is the subject.

• She is the girl who/that sits next to me.

Who/which/that is not the subclause

• It reminded him of the house (which/that) he used to rent in Oxford.

Subject = onderwerp

who / whom

Difference in formal languageNowadays not used.

If you want to know:Who is used when it is the subject of the sentence. Who is used when it is the object (voorwerp) of the sentence or following a preposition (voorzetsel).

He is the guy who is in my class. [who is the subject of the sentence]He is the guy whom I like. [whom is the object of support]He is the guy to whom I’d like to speak. [whom is following the preposition to]

whose

• Possession

• This is George, whose brother went to school with me.