English Language Arts
Grade 5
15 min
Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, and that
Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, and that
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, that) in sentences.
Explain the function of relative pronouns in connecting clauses and adding detail.
Correctly use 'who' and 'whom' to refer to people based on their role in the clause.
Correctly use 'whose' to show possession for people, animals, or things.
Correctly use 'which' and 'that' to refer to things or animals.
Combine simple sentences into more complex sentences using appropriate relative pronouns.
Differentiate between the appropriate uses of 'which' (non-essential) and 'that' (essential).
Ever wonder how to make your sentences flow better and sound more grown-up? 🧐 Relative pronouns are like sentence superheroes that...
2
Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
PronounA word that takes the place of a noun (a person, place, thing, or idea).Instead of 'The boy ran,' we can say 'He ran.' 'He' is a pronoun.
Relative PronounA special pronoun that introduces a dependent clause and connects it to a noun or pronoun (called the antecedent) in the main part of the sentence.The girl *who* won the race smiled. ('who' connects to 'girl')
AntecedentThe noun or pronoun that a relative pronoun refers back to and describes.In 'The dog *that* barked was friendly,' 'dog' is the antecedent for 'that'.
ClauseA group of words that contains a subject (who or what is doing the action) and a verb (the action).She ran fast. (Subject: She, Verb: ran)
Dependent Clause (Rel...
3
Key Rules & Conventions
Who vs. Whom: Subject vs. Object
Use 'who' when it is the subject of the relative clause (performing the action). Use 'whom' when it is the object of the relative clause (receiving the action).
Think of 'who' like 'he' or 'she' (subjects) and 'whom' like 'him' or 'her' (objects). If you can replace the relative pronoun with 'he' or 'she' in the clause, use 'who'. If you can replace it with 'him' or 'her', use 'whom'.
Whose for Possession
Use 'whose' to show possession or ownership, meaning 'belonging to whom' or 'of which'.
'Whose' can refer to people, animals, or things. It always indicates that s...
5 more steps in this tutorial
Sign up free to access the complete tutorial with worked examples and practice.
Sign Up Free to ContinueSample Practice Questions
Challenging
Which sentence contains an error where the relative pronoun does not clearly refer to its antecedent?
A.I read the book that you recommended.
B.The boy's dog, which was wagging its tail, ran towards me.
C.She pointed to the car of the man that was red and shiny.
D.The teacher who gave the best lessons won an award.
Challenging
Which sentence correctly uses a non-essential clause with 'which' and commas?
A.The story which I am writing is a fantasy adventure.
B.The sun which is a star, provides light and heat.
C.Our car, which is a blue sedan, needs to be washed.
D.The homework, that is due tomorrow is very difficult.
Challenging
In the sentence, 'The Amazon River, which flows through South America, is the largest river by volume,' what specific information does the relative clause add?
A.It proves that the river is the largest.
B.It explains why the river is important.
C.It identifies the geographical location of the river.
D.It compares the river to other rivers.
Want to practice and check your answers?
Sign up to access all questions with instant feedback, explanations, and progress tracking.
Start Practicing Free