English Language Arts
Grade 7
15 min
Identify relative pronouns
Identify relative pronouns
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define what a relative pronoun is and explain its function.
List the most common relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, that).
Accurately identify relative pronouns within various sentence structures.
Locate the antecedent to which a relative pronoun refers.
Explain how relative pronouns introduce and connect relative clauses to main clauses.
Distinguish relative pronouns from other types of pronouns, such as interrogative pronouns.
Ever wonder how writers smoothly connect two ideas without starting a whole new sentence? 🤔
In this lesson, you'll learn about relative pronouns, powerful words that link parts of a sentence, making your writing clearer and more sophisticated. Understanding them will help you write more complex and coherent sentenc...
2
Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
PronounA word that takes the place of a noun or another pronoun.Instead of 'Sarah went to the store,' we can say 'She went to the store.' ('She' is the pronoun).
Relative PronounA pronoun that introduces a dependent clause (called a relative clause) and connects it to a noun or pronoun in the main part of the sentence. It acts as both a pronoun and a conjunction.The student *who* answered the question received extra credit. ('who' connects 'who answered the question' to 'student').
AntecedentThe noun or pronoun that a relative pronoun refers back to or replaces.In 'The book *that* I read was exciting,' 'book' is the antecedent of 'that'.
Relative Clause (or Adjective Clause)A de...
3
Key Rules & Conventions
The Connector Rule
Relative pronouns always introduce a relative (dependent) clause and connect it to an independent clause.
Think of relative pronouns as bridges between two parts of a sentence. They make the sentence flow better by adding descriptive information without creating a choppy series of short sentences.
The Antecedent Agreement Rule
A relative pronoun must refer clearly to a specific antecedent (noun or pronoun) in the sentence.
The relative pronoun usually appears immediately after its antecedent. This helps avoid confusion about what the relative clause is describing. For example, 'who' and 'whom' refer to people, 'which' refers to things, and 'that' can refer to both.
The Case Rule (Who vs. Whom)
'Who' i...
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
Analyze the sentence: 'The author, whose book won an award that was very prestigious, is the person whom I admire most.' How many relative pronouns are present?
A.One: whose
B.Two: whose, that
C.Three: whose, that, whom
D.Four: whose, that, whom, who
Challenging
Which of the following sentences contains an error in the use of 'who' or 'whom'?
A.The student whom, I believe, is the top candidate should get the scholarship.
B.To whom should I address this letter?
C.She is the teacher who always gives us helpful feedback.
D.We hired the programmer whom our competitor recommended.
Challenging
Original sentence: 'The team captain gave the trophy to the player that scored the winning goal.' This sentence is grammatically acceptable, but which revision uses a more precise relative pronoun to avoid any potential vagueness?
A.The team captain gave the trophy to the player which scored the winning goal.
B.The team captain gave the trophy to the player who scored thewinning goal.
C.The team captain, that scored the winning goal, gave the trophy to the player.
D.The team captain gave the trophy, which was shiny, to the player.
Want to practice and check your answers?
Sign up to access all questions with instant feedback, explanations, and progress tracking.
Start Practicing Free