English Language Arts
Grade 7
15 min
Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, and that
Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, and that
What you'll learn
- Identify relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, that) within sentences with 80% accuracy on a worksheet.
- Apply the correct relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, which, that) to complete 8 out of 10 sentences correctly, demonstrating understanding of their proper usage.
- Explain the difference between 'who' and 'whom' in terms of grammatical function (subject vs. object) with clear and concise definitions and examples.
- Revise 3 paragraphs to improve the use of relative pronouns to ensure clarity and grammatical correctness.
Tutorial Preview
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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.
Differentiate between the appropriate uses of 'who' and 'whom' based on grammatical function.
Correctly use 'whose' to show possession for both people and things.
Distinguish between 'which' and 'that' for restrictive and non-restrictive clauses.
Construct complex sentences using relative pronouns to enhance clarity and add descriptive information.
Revise sentences to improve flow and sophistication by incorporating relative clauses.
Ever wonder how skilled writers pack so much information into one sentence without it sounding clunky? 🤔 Relative pron...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Relative PronounA word (like who, whom, whose, which, that) that introduces a dependent clause (called a relative clause) and connects it to an independent clause. It also acts as a pronoun within its own clause.The student *who* won the award smiled.
AntecedentThe noun or pronoun that a relative pronoun refers back to and modifies.The *student* who won the award smiled. ('Student' is the antecedent of 'who'.)
Relative Clause (Adjective Clause)A dependent clause that begins with a relative pronoun and describes a noun or pronoun (the antecedent). It functions like an adjective.The student *who won the award* smiled.
Restrictive ClauseA relative clause that is essential to the meaning of the sentence; it cannot be removed without changing the sente...
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Key Rules & Conventions
Rule 1: Who vs. Whom
'Who' is a subject pronoun (performs the action); 'whom' is an object pronoun (receives the action or is the object of a preposition).
To decide between 'who' and 'whom,' try substituting 'he/she' for 'who' and 'him/her' for 'whom.' If 'he/she' fits, use 'who.' If 'him/her' fits, use 'whom.' This applies within the relative clause itself.
Rule 2: Whose for Possession
Use 'whose' to show possession or ownership, for both people and things.
'Whose' indicates that something belongs to or is associated with the antecedent. It is not a contraction of 'who is' or 'who has' (which is 'who's...
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Challenging
A student is revising a research paper and wants to combine these two facts into one complex sentence: 'Marie Curie was a pioneering scientist. She is the only person to win the Nobel Prize in two different scientific fields.' Which revision most effectively uses a relative clause to enhance clarity and flow?
A.Marie Curie was a pioneering scientist, and she is the only person to win the Nobel Prize in two different scientific fields.
B.Marie Curie, who is the only person to win the Nobel Prize in two different scientific fields, was a pioneering scientist.
C.Marie Curie was a pioneering scientist that is the only person to win the Nobel Prize in two different scientific fields.
D.Marie Curie, whose Nobel Prizes were in two fields, was a pioneering scientist.
Challenging
Analyze the following sentence: 'The old map, which the explorers had used to find the treasure and whose edges were frayed from years of handling, was the most valuable item in the collection.' Which statement accurately deconstructs this sentence?
A.The sentence contains one restrictive clause and one non-restrictive clause.
B.The sentence contains a compound relative clause with two different relative pronouns ('which' and 'whose') referring to the same antecedent ('map').
C.The relative pronoun 'which' is used incorrectly because the clause is essential to the meaning of the sentence.
D.The antecedent for 'whose' is 'explorers', not 'map'.
Challenging
A novelist wrote: 'The detective, for ____ the case had become a personal obsession, refused to give up.' Which pronoun and reasoning correctly fills the blank?
A.who; because the detective is a person and the subject of the clause.
B.which; because the case is a thing and the focus of the obsession.
C.whom; because the pronoun is the object of the preposition 'for'.
D.whose; because the obsession belongs to the detective.
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Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, and that is a Grade 7 English Language Arts lesson on ExcelOS.
What will I learn in Use relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, and that?
You'll be able to: Identify relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, that) within sentences with 80% accuracy on a worksheet; Apply the correct relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, which, that) to complete 8 out of 10 sentences correctly….
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This lesson includes 25 practice questions across multiple difficulty levels, each with instant feedback and explanations.