Whose use in a sentence for each word

What Is the Difference Between Whose and Who’s?

Whose vs. who’s is one of the easiest mix-ups in English. Even though both words contain «who,» they have different meanings and are different parts of speech. This difference means that the two words can’t be used interchangeably.

Image showing the definition of homophones

In short, the difference can be summed up like this:

  • Whose is a possessive pronoun indicating who owns something
  • Who’s is a contraction that is short for «who is» or «who has.»

To better understand the difference between whose vs. who’s, we need to dive deep into the definitions of each word, as well as their grammar functions. Let’s get started!

Whose and who’s are tricky homophones. These words sound alike, but they don’t have the same meaning at all.

Keep reading to learn more about the difference between whose and who’s.

What Does Whose Mean?

Whose is used to indicate that something belongs to or is associated with a person or thing that has previously been mentioned.

  • The dog, whose paw prints were all over the carpet, looked guilty.

Here, whose means that the dog is associated with the paw prints—he left them on the carpet.

Because whose doesn’t give us enough information on its own to work out who someone is talking about, it is used after you have already mentioned a specific thing or person, or in a question when you don’t know who you are talking about.

This gets easier with examples:

  • The man, whose hair was bright orange, stood out from the crowd.

In this sentence, whose shows that the hair being talked about belongs to the man. Without referencing the man first, we wouldn’t know what subject whose was referring to.

But if we want to know who something belongs to, we can use whose in a question, like this:

  • Whose paw prints are these?

What Kind of Word Is Whose?

Okay, now we’re going to get a bit more grammatical.

Whose is technically always a possessive pronoun. That means that it shows possession or ownership. For example, in the question «Whose phone is this?» you’re asking who owns the phone.

However, whose is also often used as a possessive adjective. What does this mean? It takes a few steps to explain.

A pronoun (like he, she, it) is a word that replaces a noun (a thing, person, or idea), especially a proper noun (a name).

Whose is a possessive pronoun, which means it shows possession or ownership. It replaces the person or thing to whom something belongs in a sentence.

Look at the following example.

  • The girl whose eyes shine like diamonds

In this example, whose is showing that the eyes belong to the girl. But it’s also doing something else. At the same time, it is telling us which girl we are talking about by describing her.

Because of this dual function, this possessive pronoun is also functioning like a possessive adjective. It’s a stand-in for the girl, like a pronoun, but it is describing ownership of the eyes, like an adjective.

When whose comes before a noun in this way, it functions like a possessive adjective. When there is no following noun, it functions solely as a possessive pronoun.

An example of this would be asking:

  • Whose is it?

Whose is replacing a specific noun, and we would need more context to know what object is being referenced.

Whew. That’s a lot of definitions.

In short, whose is a possessive pronoun that indicates ownership or belonging.

Image showing the meaning of whose

How Do You Use Whose in a Sentence?

Let’s look at some examples of how to use whose in your writing.

  • Do you know whose birthday is is?
  • I had no idea whose dog it was.
  • Don’t get caught up in whose fault it was.
  • «Whose are these?» Mom asked, holding up a pair of socks.
  • Whose cell phone has signal here?
  • Let me know whose proposal you choose.
  • Whose idea was the best?
  • Can you tell me whose project was better?

Notice that each of these sentences references a noun or pronoun in the possessive form. It’s talking about possession, which is why we are using whose.

What Does Who’s Mean?

Who’s, on the other hand, is a contraction. Who’s can mean both «who is» or «who has.»

Image showing the meaning of who's

A contraction is a way to combine and shorten words, usually two words or more. We speak in contractions often, so it’s important to use them in informal or conversational writing.

Who’s is a combination of «who» plus the verb «is» or «has.»

Who is also pronoun but it isn’t the possessive form like whose. Instead, it is a questioning or interrogative pronoun (which means it is used to ask a question).

The apostrophe in who’s replaces part of the verbs is or has in the phrases who is and who has.

To determine whether the contraction means who is or who has, the context of the rest of the sentence or conversation is crucial.

When who’s means who is, it’s dealing with the present tense. The word «who» is followed by either a verb, adverb, or adjective, like in the examples below.

  • Who’s going? / Who is going?
  • Who’s here? / Who is here?
  • Who’s knowledgeable about computers? / Who is knowledgeable about computers?

When who’s means who has, it can have two functions: the third-person singular form of the present perfect tense or the third-person singular form of the present perfect progressive tense.

Image showing the tenses of who's

Present perfect is a tense that references something that occurred in the past at an unspecified time or began in the past. When this is the function of who’s, it precedes a verb.

  • Who’s written a novel before? = Who has written a novel before?
  • Who’s visited Spain? = Who has visited Spain?

Who’s as present perfect can go one step further and be part of present perfect progressive. Don’t worry too much about these terms—present perfect progressive just means something that started in the past and continues in the present. In this case, who’s will precede «been.»

For example, «Who’s been a writer for more than five years?» We know this sentence contains the contraction for «who has» because it’s asking about someone who started being a writer in the past and is now still a writer in the present.

ProWritingAid

How Do I Use Who’s in a Sentence?

Now let’s look at some examples of how to use who’s in a sentence. Since who’s can be a contraction for two words—»is» and «has»—we need examples of both.

We’ll divide these up between «who is» and «who has» to really help you understand how who’s is used.

Here are some examples where who’s is a contraction of «who is.»

  • Who’s a good dog?
  • Have you heard who’s speaking at the convention?
  • Sally told me who’s going to the beach this summer.
  • Who’s hungry for pizza?
  • Do you know who’s behind all the murders?
  • Who’s your professor for political science?
  • We need to know who’s attending the wedding by June 4th.
  • Everyone who’s anyone is at this party tonight.

Image showing whose vs who's in a sentence

If you read all of the examples above and replace who’s with «who is,» they’ll still make sense. But what about the other use of who’s?

If a sentence uses the present perfect or present perfect progressive tense, who’s is a contraction for «who has.» Here are a few examples.

  • Who’s attended Comic-Con before?
  • She wants to know who’s been at the company the longest.
  • Who’s got a calculator?
  • Ask who’s seen all the Marvel movies.
  • Who’s been to this restaurant before?
  • Who’s received their tax return?
  • I wonder who’s gotten their college acceptance letters.
  • Who’s been your biggest influence in your career?

While replacing who’s with «who is» doesn’t make sense, «who has» does. That’s how we know to use_ who’s_ in each of these sentences.

How Can I Remember the Difference Between Whose vs Who’s?

Image showing tips to remember the difference between whose and who's

Those were some pretty technical definitions of whose and who’s. When you’re in the flow of writing, you might not think about the intricacies of grammar, like parts of speech and verb tenses.

So what’s an easier way to remember the difference between whose vs. who’s_ in the moment?

If you’re looking at your writing and can’t decide whether to use whose or who’s, read the sentence out loud and replace the word in question with «who is» and «who has.»

If it makes sense with one of those, you’ll use who’s. If it doesn’t make sense, use whose.

Typos are embarrassing. If you’re worried about using the wrong word, use ProWritingAid to highlight confused words as you write.

Screenshot of ProWritingAid correcting whose vs. who's

Download the free browser extension to catch this and 1000s of other errors wherever you write.

Whose vs. Who’s Test

Are you ready to test your knowledge in the great battle between whose vs. who’s? Take a look at these example sentences and decide whether to use who’s or whose.

  1. Whose/Who’s going to be at the party?
  2. Whose/Who’s fingerprints are those?
  3. We don’t know whose/who’s involved in the scandal.
  4. Ask them whose/who’s been married the longest.
  5. Everyone loves a person whose/who’s smile lights up a room.

ANSWERS:

  • 1,3, and 4: «who’s»
  • 2 and 5: «whose»

How did you do?

That’s everything you need to know about these tricky homophones. We hope you have a greater understanding of the difference between whose vs. who’s.


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Unit 94- Part A

Unit 94- Part B


galka.jpgWhom
Whom is possible instead of who when it is the object of the verb in the relative clause (like the sentences in Unit 93B):
    •   The woman whom I wanted to see was away.  (I wanted to see her)

You can also use whom with a preposition
(to whom / from whom / with whom etc.):
    •   The people with whom I work are very nice.  (I work with them)

But we do not often use whom in spoken English. We usually prefer who or that, or nothing
(see Unit 93). So we usually say:
    •   The woman I wanted to see …    or   The woman who/that I wanted to see …
    •   The people I work with …   
or   The people who/that I work with …

Unit 94- Part C

galka.jpgWhere94.2.jpg
    •   I recently went back to the town where I grew up.
        (or … the town I grew up in  or … the town that I grew up in)
    •   I would like to live in a place where there is plenty of sunshine.

Unit 94- Part D

galka.jpg94.3.jpg
   •    Do you remember the day (that) we went to the zoo?
   •    The last time (that) I saw her, she looked fine.
   •    I haven’t seen them since the year (that) they got married.

Unit 94- Part E

Exercises

{slide=1 Complete the sentences using who or whose.}

{/slide} {slide=2 Read the situations and complete the sentences using where.}flag.jpgRead the situations and complete the sentences using where.
{tooltip}Key.{end-link}2    where I can buy some postcards
3    where I work
4    where Sue is staying
5    where I/we play football{end-tooltip}

1    You grew up in a small town. You went back there recently. You tell someone this.
      I recently went back to the small town    where I grew up   
2    You want to buy some postcards. You ask a friend where you can do this.
      Is there a shop near here ___________________?
3    You work in a factory. The factory is going to close down next month. You tell a friend:
      The factory ___________________ is going to close down next month.
4    Sue is staying at a hotel. You want to know the name of the hotel. You ask a friend:
      Do you know the name of the hotel ___________________?
5    You play football in a park on Sundays. You show a friend the park. You say:
      This is the park ___________________ on Sundays.

{/slide} {slide=3 Complete each sentence using who/whom/whose/where.}flag.jpgComplete each sentence using who/whom/whose/where.
{tooltip}Key.{end-link}2    where
3    who
4    whose
5    whom
6    where
7    whose
8    whom{end-tooltip}

1    What’s the name of the man     whose     car you borrowed?
2    A cemetery is a place ____________ people are buried.  
3    A pacifist is a person ____________ believes that all wars are wrong.   
4    An orphan is a child ____________ parents are dead.
5    What was the name of the person to ____________ you spoke on the phone?
6    The place ____________ we spent our holidays was really beautiful.
7    This school is only for children ____________ first language is not English.
8    The woman with ____________ he fell in love left him after a month.

{/slide} {slide=4 Use your own ideas to complete these sentences.}flag.jpgUse your own ideas to complete these sentences. They are like the examples in Sections D and E.
{tooltip}Key.{end-link}Example answers:
2    … time we got stuck in a lift.
3    The reason I didn’t write to you was …
4    … evening you phoned.
5    The reason they don’t have a car is …
6    1996 was the year Amanda got married.{end-tooltip}

    1    I’ll always remember the day    I first met you    .
2    I’ll never forget the time _________________.
3    The reason _________________ was that I didn’t know your address.
4    Unfortunately I wasn’t at home the evening _________________.
5    The reason _________________ is that they don’t need one.
6     _________________ was the year _________________.

{/slide}

female-2067462_960_720

Who’s and whose both come from the pronoun who. While both words sound the same, they have very different meanings. These homophones can be tricky for even the most seasoned writers.

In this article, we’ll discuss whose vs who’s, explain when to use whose or who’s, and give you tricks for remembering proper usage.

To start, let’s define whose and who’s.

Whose is a possessive pronoun that you should use when you’re asking or telling whom something belongs to.

Who’s is a contraction made up of the words “who” and “is” or “who” and “has”.

The Roots of Whose vs Who’s: Who and Whom

The key to using “whose” vs “who’s” correctly is to understand the word at the root of each. When you learn the pronoun that forms the basis for “whose” and “who’s,” you’ll also develop a better understanding of how each word functions in a sentence.

“Who” is one pronoun at the root of the difference between “whose” and “who’s.” “Who” is used as the subject of a sentence or clause.

You’ll use “who” when asking a question about which person did something or when you’re describing a person.

For example:

  • Who put the pizza here?
  • Who owns that dog?
  • Hayley, who owns a cat, often has cat hair all over her clothes.

“Whom” is the other word at the center of the “whose or who’s” conundrum. «Whom» is an object pronoun.

An object pronoun is a word like “him,” “her,” or “them”. An object pronoun is a type of pronoun that’s used as a grammatical object, such as object of a verb or the object of a preposition.

For example:

  • Whom does she love?
  • To whom was the teacher talking?
  • With whom was she walking?

In these examples, “whom” is the object, not the subject.

Whose or Who’s?

Now we know that whose and who’s come from whom and who. But when do you use each version?

Who’s

«Who’s» is a contraction made up of either “who+is” or “who+has”.

The apostrophe in “who’s” stands in for the missing letters of “who+is” or “who+has.” You use “who’s” when you would otherwise be saying “who is” or “who has”.

For instance, “Who is going to the party?” can become “Who’s going to the party?”

Here are other examples of when you’d use “who’s”:

  • Who’s coming to dinner tonight?
  • Who’s got a better idea?
  • Who’s excited for the new Avengers movie?

Whose

While “who’s” comes from “who”, “whose” is related to “whom.”

Whose is a possessive pronoun that you used in questions where you’re asking about who owns something. For instance, “Whose puppy is this?” is another way of saying, “To whom does this puppy belong?”

Here are some examples of when you’d use “whose”:

  • Whose car alarm is going off?
  • Whose house are we going to?
  • Whose shoes are these?

correcting-1351629_960_720

Tricks For Remembering Whose vs Who’s

It might seem simple to remember the difference between whose or who’s when reading this article, but how will you remember when you’re off on your own? These tricks can help.

#1: Say “Who Is” or “Who Has”

One way to figure out whether you should use “who’s” or “whose” is to say “who is” out loud to yourself as you read or write. If that makes sense in the sentence, you should use who’s. If it doesn’t, you should use whose.

#2: Look at What Follows

Remember, whose is possessive. That means that whose is normally followed by a noun. If the sentence has a noun immediately after the whose or who’s, you should use whose. If there’s no noun or an article, use who’s.

#3: Am I Using a Contraction?

“Who’s” is a contraction while “whose” is not. All contractions use apostrophes to replace the missing letters formed by joining together words. If the word you’re writing is a contraction, it’s “who’s.” If the word isn’t a contraction, it’s “whose.”

Whose or Who’s Examples

Let’s take a look at some examples of when to use whose or who’s.

Correct Usage of “Whose” in a Sentence

  • Do you know whose car that is?
  • Whose backpack is this?
  • Whose line is it anyway?

Correct Usage of “Who’s” in a Sentence

  • Who’s excited for the holiday season?
  • Do you know who’s going to the game?
  • Who’s got the takeout menu?

Key Takeaways: Whose vs. Who’s

Who’s is a contraction of “who + is” or “who + has”.

Whose is another way of saying “belonging to whom”.

What’s Next?

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About the Author

Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley’s students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack’s Guide to History’s Fiercest Females.

English Level: Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate

Language Focus: An explanation of how to use the relative pronouns where, when, and whose. Includes several exercises.

Worksheet Download: adjective-clause-worksheet-esl.docx (scroll down to study the exercises online)n

Jump to: Relative Pronouns Where/When, Relative Pronoun Whose, Final Exercises


Note: An adjective clause and relative clause are the same. We will use the word adjective clause.

This is the second lesson on adjective clauses. There are three lessons in this unit:

  1. Lesson 1: Making adjective clauses with subject and object relative pronouns
  2. Lesson 2: Using the relative pronouns where, when, and which
  3. Lesson 3: Punctuating adjective clauses (with commas)

In our previous lesson, we learned how to use the relative pronouns ‘who/whom/that/which‘ in adjective clauses. This lesson will focus on where, when, and whose.

Before we go further, let’s review the relative pronouns.

who subject and object pronoun for people only. (*whom can be used as an object relative pronoun.)

E.g. The man who(m) I saw was old.

that subject and object pronoun for people and things.

E.g. The book that I saw was red.

which subject and object pronoun for things only.

E.g. The book, which I saw, was red.

whose used for possessions.

E.g. The man whose house was for sale was old.

where used for places.

E.g. The restaurant where we met was downtown.

when used for times.

E.g. The day when we met was cloudy.

Adjective Clauses: Using When as a Relative Pronoun

‘Where’ is used for places, of course. But sometimes places can be things. This can be confusing. Let’s look at two examples.

John lives in a town. The town is near the ocean.

Now, the first step in making an adjective clause is finding a word in each sentence that refers to the same thing.

John lives in a town. The town is near the ocean.

The next step is replacing the second word (‘The town’) with a relative pronoun (who/whom/that/which/where/when/whose).

Which relative pronoun are we going to use?  Well, ‘The town’ is a place, but in the sentence, The town is near the ocean, the words ‘The town’ are the subject. This means we should use a subject relative pronoun, which are who/that/which. Because ‘The town‘ is the subject and a thing, we’ll use that or which.

John lives in a town. [that/which] is near the ocean.

Next, we would move the {adjective clause} behind the noun it modifies (a town), but it is already in the right place. So the full sentence looks like this:

John lives in a town {which is near the ocean}.

So When Do We Use the Relative Pronouns Where (and When)?

We only use where or when to replace words that are not the subjects of a sentence. Here’s an example:

John lives in a town. He works in the town.

If we look at the second sentence, He works in the town, we can see that the subject is ‘He’. The word town is not the subject and it is not the object of a verb either. It is an adverb of place.

Rule: When the place or time is not the subject or object, then you can use the relative pronouns where and when.

Let’s continue following our steps.

Step 2: Replace the second word with a relative pronoun.

John lives in a town. He works in the town WHERE.

Step 3: Move the relative pronoun to the beginning of the second sentence/clause.

John lives in a town. WHERE He works in the town.

Step 4: Move the {adjective clause} behind the noun it modifies.

John lives in a town {where he works}.

A seaside town, where we practice adjective clauses

John lives in a town where he works. Maybe he is a fisherman. 


That’s it. You might have noticed that if the noun (e.g. ‘town’) has prepositions or articles (e.g. ‘in the’) that belong to it, then we remove the prepositions or articles too.

Let’s do another example with a time.

I love spring. The birds sing songs in spring.

Step 1: Find two words that refer to the same thing in each sentence.

I love spring. The birds sing songs in spring.

So, let’s look at the sentence, The birds sing songs in spring.

  • Is spring the subject? (No — ‘The birds’ is the subject)
  • Is spring the object of a verb (No — the noun ‘songs’ is the object of the verb ‘sing’)

Okay, so then we can use the relative pronoun ‘when’.

Step 2: Replace the noun with the relative pronoun.

I love spring. The birds sing songs in spring WHEN.

Step 3: Move the noun to the beginning of the clause.

I love springWHEN the birds sing songs in spring .

Step 4: Move the {adjective clause} behind the noun it modifies

I love spring {when the birds sing songs}.

To summarize, we do not use when and where to replace subjects or objects. We use them to replace adverbs (of time or place).

Quickly, let’s look at two sentences that refer to the same ‘house’. How would we combine them?

I live in a house. The house has a swimming pool. (‘House’ is a subject in the second sentence).

= I live in a house {that/which has a swimming pool}.

I live in a house. I bought the house. (‘house’ is the object of the verb bought in the second sentence).

= I live in a house {that/which/(nothing) I bought}.

I live in a house. My wife also lives in the house. (‘house’ is not a subject or an object here (it is an adverb).)

= I live in a house {where my wife also lives}.

The rules are the same for when.

Note: We can also replace adverbs like ‘here’ or ‘then’ with relative pronouns. For example.

I can meet you tomorrow. I’ll be free then.

What does ‘then’ refer to? Tomorrow. So, we can replace it with the relative pronoun ‘when’, and make a complex sentence with an adjective clause:

I can meet you tomorrow {when I’ll be free}.

Let’s practice.

Exercise #1 — Making Adjective Clauses with Where and When

Change the second sentence into an adjective clause, and then add it to the first sentence.

1. There are a lot of shopping malls downtown. I want to live downtown.
Show Answer

2. My best friend lives in the town. + I was born there.

Show Answer

3. On Friday it was raining. We met on Friday.

Show Answer

4. Let’s meet early next week. I will have more time then.

Show Answer

5. The Internet is huge. You can find anything you want on the Internet.

Show Answer

Note: You may have noticed that sometimes I have put commas in the answers. You can learn about how to use commas in adjective clauses in the next lesson on defining and non-defining adjective clauses.

Exercise #2 — Choose the Correct Relative Pronoun

In the next exercise, you will select a correct relative pronoun. Scroll up and re-read the table if you need to review which pronouns are used for subjects, objects, or other (adverbs).

For example:

October is a month ___ is in autumn.

If we look at ” ___ is in autumn”, we can see that it is missing a subject, so we need a subject relative pronoun (that/which).

October is a month ___ I love.

If we look at “___ I love”, we can see that there is already a subject (“I”). Also, October is what you love (it is the object of the verb). So we use an object relative pronoun (that/which/(nothing)).

October is the month __ I met Jill.

If we look at «___ I met Jill», we can see that there is already a subject («I») and already an object (Jill is the object of met). So, we can use a pronoun for an adverb (when/where)

Give it a try!

  1. The house  I want to buy is too expensive.
  2. The house  I was born is in a small town.
  3. The house  burned down was on Main Street.
  4. That was a time  I needed to be patient.
  5. That was a time  I will always remember.
  6. That was a time  was difficult to forget.
  1. 1998 was the year  I got married.
  2. Friday is the day  I love the most.
  3. I hid the food  the dog couldn’t find it.
  4. I heard the news in the morning  I was brushing my teeth.
  5. The Nile is the river  flows through twelve African countries.
  6. We saw the island  Napoleon had lived.

Let’s learn one more thing before we do more exercises.

Adjective Clauses: Whose as a Relative Pronoun

Whose is another relative pronoun that is not used for objects or subjects. It is used for possessions. For example:

The boy stood up. The teacher had called his name.

Step 1: What is the same here in these two sentences? Well, none of the words are. However, ‘his’ refers to the ‘boy’, which is the first sentence, so we can make an adjective clause.

The boy stood up. The teacher had called his name.

Step 2: Replace the second word with the correct relative pronoun — here will use ‘whose‘ because the name belongs to the boy (it’s his possession).

The boy stood up. The teacher had called hisWHOSE name.

Step 3: Move the relative pronoun (whose) and the noun it modifies to the beginning of the clause.

The boy stood up {WHOSE name the teacher had called}.

Step 4: Move the {adjective clause} behind the noun it describes (the boy)

The boy {whose name the teacher had called} stood up.

That’s it. It’s the same basically, except you move the relative pronoun whose and the noun it modifies. Let’s do some exercises.

Exercise #4 — Making Adjective Clauses with the Pronoun Whose

1. That’s the actress. Her husband was in the movie.

Show Answer

2. There were students at the party. I didn’t know their names.

Show Answer

3. She works at a bank. Its head office is on Queen St.

Show Answer

4. Susie is my friend. You met her parents last night.

Show Answer

5. I met two people from Japan yesterday. Their names were Mai and Yuko.

Show Answer

Now, it’s time for our final exercises. Let’s bring it all together.


Exercise #5 — Places, Times, and Possessives in Adjective Clause

Change the second sentence into adjective clauses. Use subject relative pronouns (who/that/which), object relative pronouns (whom/that/which), as well as use when/where/whose.

Don’t worry about commas now if you haven’t studied them yet.

1. I study at a college. It has many courses.

Show Answer

2. I was born in 1978. My best friend Jay was born in 1978.

Show Answer

3. The people were very welcoming. We visited their house.

Show Answer

4. Cheryl’s family goes camping every August. She loves August.

Show Answer

5. 11:30 is the time. My flight departs then.

Show Answer

6. September is busy at the college. It is the beginning of the fall semester.

Show Answer

7. The man yelled at me. I hit his car with my car.

Show Answer

8. The company sells baked goods. I applied to work there once.

Show Answer

Exercise #6 — Select the Correct Relative Pronoun

  1. My wife,  name is Margaret, likes to travel.
  2. We went on a trip last summer,  I wasn’t working.
  3. We visited a park  had a beautiful garden.
  4. We sat in the garden  we could also see birds.
  5. I saw a beautiful bird  feathers were purple and red.
  6. On that day, we met a nice Swedish couple  English was quite good.
  7. They invited us to visit them in the Swedish countryside  they had a big house.
  8. I told them that maybe we could visit them next year  we should have free time.

I hope you now understand how to use the relative pronouns where, when, and whose. It’s not easy. If you were confused, please review the first lesson on subject and object relative pronouns.

If you have any questions or if you find a mistake, please leave a comment below.

— Matthew Barton (copyright) / Creator of Englishcurrent.com

Related Pages:

  • Adjective Clauses: Subject and Object Pronouns
  • Adjective Clauses: Commas
  • More Grammar Lessons

Whose is the possessive form of the relative pronoun who. Which and that, the relative pronouns used for animals and objects, lack a possessive form, so whose can be used for their possessive forms as well, as in «the movie, whose name I can’t remember.» Whose is appropriate for inanimate objects in all cases except when it might appear at the beginning of a question: while «Whose book is this?» is fine if the answer to the question is a living being, «Whose pages are torn?» doesn’t really make sense. Instead, a question about a book with torn pages might be «Which book has torn pages?»

English is a pretty impressive language, but sometimes it just doesn’t have the word you’re looking for. Writing handbooks will tell you that the relative pronoun that is used for animals, things, and sometimes collective or anonymous people («the book that won,» «infants that walk»); which is used for animals and things («the river which flows south»); and who is used for people and for animals, especially those treated like humans («the dog, who goes everywhere with its owner»). In addition, whose is the possessive form of who («she asked whose car it was»).

According to the rules, whose then only applies to people and animals, so what is the equivalent possessive for inanimate objects? Truth be told, English doesn’t have one, and writers from the medieval times onward have resorted to borrowing whose in such cases. The list of authors who have used whose for inanimate objects over the centuries includes such last-name notables as Shakespeare, Milton, Austen, and Fitzgerald.

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The mannequin, whose judgmental pose seems to imply disapproval, doesn’t really care which word you use.

I could a tale unfold whose lightest word / Would harrow up thy soul …
— William Shakespeare, Hamlet, 1601

… the fruit / Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste / Brought death into the World …
— John Milton, Paradise Lost, 1667

On reaching the house, they were shown through the hall into the saloon, whose northern aspect rendered it delightful for summer.
— Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1813

I walked out the back way … and ran for a huge black knotted tree whose massed leaves made a fabric against the rain.
— F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, 1925

It wasn’t until the 18th-century that the sticklers of grammar took notice of this centuries-long peccadillo, emphatically declaring whose to be the possessive only of the relative pronoun who while whispering their acknowledgment that English lacks an equivalent possessive for which and that. Their recommendation has been to use the construction of which for inanimate objects. This might work in some cases, but for the most part, it ends up sounding clumsy or stilted.

For example, compare the following pairs of sentences using whose and then of which.

He was watching the movie whose title I couldn’t remember earlier.
He was watching the movie, the title of which I couldn’t remember earlier.

The car whose windshield is cracked is his.
The car, the windshield of which is cracked, is his.

Of note is how whose creates a smooth flowing sentence compared to of which. It is no wonder writers have chosen not to listen to the sticklers and to use whose in such cases.

Another recommendation for when the possessive for an inanimate object might be called for is simply to construct the sentence without the possessive.

He was watching the movie with the title that I couldn’t remember earlier.

The car with the cracked windshield is his.

The avoidance of whose certainly works, but the fact is it is easier to borrow whose to convey possession for an inanimate object than to work around it.

The persistent borrowing has resulted in filling the gap in modern English grammar, making the notion that you can’t use whose for lifeless things outmoded, like the rules against splitting an infinitive and ending a sentence with a preposition. If you want to use whose in reference to an inanimate object, go ahead; if you choose to rewrite a sentence to avoid using whose, feel free to do that too. In regard to of which: it seems a good choice when a formal or literary tone is desired.

Before closing, the one instance in which whose cannot be used for an inanimate object should be mentioned—and that is in the interrogative case. When whose appears in the beginning of a question, such as «Whose keys are these?,» it can only function as a pronoun for a person or animal.

If you are asking which container a lid belonged to, you would not say, «Whose lid is this?,» because whose in such instances can only refer to a living being. Rather, you would say something like «Which container does this lid belong to?»

You should also pause to ask yourself the important question, «Why am I speaking to containers in the first place?»

Relative pronouns are pronouns that give us more information about a noun in a sentence. They also help us combine two sentences into one. We know that a pronoun takes the place of a noun. Relative pronouns, however, are a little different. Instead of replacing a noun, they “relate” to it by giving us more information about it. Like any pronoun, relative pronouns can be used with subjects, objects, or to show possession. In this posting I talk about how to use relative pronouns. I include many example sentences. The download at the end will give you additional practice combining sentences and getting more information using relative pronouns.

There are 5 relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, that, and which. Let is look at each one.

Relative pronouns that we use with people

  1. who–This relative pronoun is always used along with the subject of a sentence. Look at these sentences:

My mother speaks 3 languages. My mother was born in Europe. 

The word mother is the subject of both sentences. Each sentence gives us a different piece of information about my mother. We can use who to give more information about my mother and combine the two sentences into one:

My mother, who was born in Europe, speaks 3 languages. 

My mother, who speaks 3 languages, was born in Europe.   The word who relates to my mother, the subject. The meaning of both combined sentences is essentially the same.

2. whom–This relative pronoun relates to an object. Look at these sentences:

I received a car as a present from my uncle. My uncle is a doctor. 

The word car is the direct object of the sentence. If we combine the two, this is what we have:

My uncle, from whom I received a car as a present, is a doctor.   Note that in the first single sentence, the word uncle is the object of a preposition. In the combined sentence, uncle becomes the subject and car becomes the object of a preposition. Whom relates to my uncle.

Look at these sentences:

This is Sarah. You met her at my party last week. 

When we combine them, this is what we have:

This is Sarah, whom you met at my party last week. 

Note that many native English speaker confuse who and whom. Many simply don’t use whom, and use who for everything. Unless you are writing something for an academic journal or delivering a lecture to a university class, most Americans will not care if you use who for everything, even though it is technically incorrect.

Relative pronouns to use with things

  1. that–The relative pronoun that can relate to either a subject or an object.

Here is an example of that relating to a subject:

I read a mystery novel. It was very exciting. Note that the word novel is a direct object in the first sentence. When we combine the sentences, novel will become the subject, and that will relate to it.

 The mystery novel that I read was very exciting. 

Here is an example of that relating to an object:

Joseph built a new house. The house is beautifully decorated.   Note that house is the object. It will also be the object when the sentence is combined.

Joseph built a new house that is beautifully decorated. 

We can also turn this sentence around so that house becomes the subject. We can still use that.

The house that Joseph build is beautifully decorated. 

2. which–The relative pronoun which can also be used with both a subject and an object. Which has the same meaning as that.

Here is an example of which used with a subject.

I bought a used car. It caused me trouble.   The word car is direct object of the first sentence. When we combine the sentences, however, it will become the subject.

The used car which I bought caused me trouble. 

Below is an example of which relating to an object.

They used money to buy their new washing machine. The money came from their savings account. 

The money, with which they bought their new washing machine, came from their savings account.   Note that in the combined sentence, the word money becomes the object of a preposition.

If we go back to the car, we can use which to relate to an object as well. 

I bought a used car which caused me trouble. 

A relative pronoun to use with people and things

The relative pronoun whose shows possession. We can use it to show possession for both people and things. Look at the following sentences. The show whose relating to people.

My cousin is living in a hotel. His house burned down last week. In this case, we are focusing on two words, cousin and house. The house belongs to my cousin. Mu cousin possesses the house.

My cousin, whose house burned down last week, is living in a hotel.

Here is another example.

Bob Smith is a terrible tennis player. His father plays tennis professionally. 

Bob Smith, whose father plays tennis professionally, is a terrible tennis player. 

Here is an example of whose as it relates to showing possession for a thing.

My car is in the shop. Its brakes failed.

My car, whose brakes failed, is in the shop.

You now know that there are 5 relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, that, and which. They can be used as subjects, objects, or to show possession. They give us more information about the subject or object of the sentence. We also use them to combine two sentences into one. The download will give you more practice combining sentences using relative pronouns.

You can download the practice sheet now!

Idioms of the day

  1. a song and dance–This means to tell someone a long, complicated story that probably isn’t true, and is meant to mislead or distract the listener. I asked my boss why I didn’t get a raise, and he wouldn’t answer me. Instead he gave me a song and dance about how hard his life was.
  2. shake a leg–This means to hurry up. We’re running late, so please shake a leg and get ready.

Proper use

which that who when used

In the English language there are words and related rules that are used in speech so often that we stop noticing them. One such case is the use of «That».

As we all know, the word That can perform various functions as part of a sentence — not only its translation into Russian depends on this, but also what part of speech it belongs to. In this article we will consider and analyze all known use cases. That.

Defining word or determine

So, That can perform the function defining word or determine in English. In this case That translated into Russian as this, this, this, that, that and that.

As a rule, the word is placed at the beginning of a sentence and indicates an object that is far from the speaker. It is important to remember that plural from ThatThose.

In addition, quite often the word «that» or «those» is used in a sentence in conjunction with there.

For example:

That is my boss Jason over there. — This is my leader is over there.

Those photos are by Annie Leibovitz. — These photographs taken by Annie Leibovitz.

That is Daniel’s car in the end of the street. — This is Daniel’s car at the end of the street.

Relative pronoun or aboutpronoun

That It can also be used as a relative pronoun to connect two simple sentences in a complex or to indicate an object. Being a pronoun, That пis translated into Russian as this, this who or which the. In some sentences That can be replaced with who or which.

For example:

That task looks difficult. — This the task seems daunting.

What is That in the box? — What it in the box?

Kate bought the car That her neighbor was selling. — Kate bought a car, that sold her neighbor (in this case, that can be replaced by which).

Jason knows the guy That was attending the conference. — Jason knows the guy который attended a conference (in this case that can be replaced with who).

As a pronoun That can also be used in a number of set expressions. Among them:

  1. Thatsit — exactly, right, that’s all.For example: You have to send the application form directly to the embassy. Thatsit. — You must send the questionnaire directly to the embassy. That’s it.
  2. ThatsThat — at this point, for example: I will never sign this agreement and

Частьsubordinate clauseпредложенияorin a clause as an object or a compliment

We often use That as a combination of the main and subordinate clauses. In such cases, the word can act as an object in relation to a verb or an addition to a noun or adjective.

For example:

Kate knew That she would be nervous during her speech. — Kate knew that will be worried during the performance.

Olga hinted That they were going to buy a new house. — Olga hinted, that they are going to buy a new home.

Denis thought That his decision was right. — Denis believed that his decision was correct.

At the beginning of a sentence or assubjectofasentence

That can be used at the beginning of a sentence. However, it is worth remembering that such constructions are more natural in formal communication, they are rarely found in everyday speech.

For example:

That Jessica expects us to do everything for her is crazy. — Thatthat Jessica expects us to do everything for her is silly.

That

Source: https://www.wallstreetenglish.ru/blog/pravilnoye-ispolzovaniye-that-v-angliyskom/

When that, which, who (whom and whose) is used: relative pronoun rules, example use — SPEAK ENGLISH

which that who when used

In English, you can find a number of pronouns that can not only replace nouns, but serve to combine two sentences into one — the main and and the subordinate clause. First of all, we mean the English pronouns who, which and that. These pronouns are usually called connective or relative. Often this group includes whom.

We will consider each word, give general recommendations on the use of one or another English pronoun in accordance with the rules of grammar and analyze their use in practice.

To begin with, it should be understood that Relative Pronouns and Conjunctive Pronouns are different groups.

  • Relative pronouns define «which one»:
  • I have a friend who can draw well. — I have a friend who draws great./ That is, we find out what kind of friend this is — a good drawing.

  • Connective pronouns will combine parts of subordinate clauses:
  • Do you know, who wrote this book? — Do you know who wrote this book?/ Here the pronoun combines two sentences and does not define anyone.

    Although they can be expressed with the same words and even have the same translation into Russian, these pronouns serve different functions in a sentence. The main purpose of our article is to help you in choosing the right word, and not to give a classification of pronouns. Based on this, we will tell you about the features of each word, regardless of their group.

    Each of the presented pronouns can be translated from English “what”, “which”. Pronouns are NOT interchangeable. We will talk about the reasons further.

    English pronoun Who

    This pronoun can only be used in relation to a person. Remember, in English it is not enough to be an animate noun like a cat or a horse. Many grammatical rules related to pronouns divide nouns into the category “person” — “not human”.

    This is a song about a man who sold the world. — This is a song about a man who sold the world.

    Let’s find out who killed who. — Let’s find out who killed whom.

    Since the word performing the function of the subject presupposes exactly a person, a person, we use the pronoun ‘who’.

    This pronoun has a case form ‘whom‘- “which”, “which”. This word in an English sentence expresses an addition in the subordinate clause:

    Do you remember whom did you tell about it? — Do you remember who you told about it?

    However, many linguists and philologists regard this form as bookish. In colloquial speech, it is most often replaced by ‘that’.

    English pronoun Which

    The pronoun ‘which’ is also translated “which”, “which”, but unlike the previous word, it can only be used in relation to inanimate objects and animals, that is, to “not people”.

    Sally dodn’t remember which way to go. Sally didn’t remember which road to take.

    It is generally accepted that the pronoun ‘which’ is a more bookish version of ‘that’, which can be found more often in colloquial speech. However, these words may not always substitute for each other. ‘That’ will never be used as a subject in a subordinate clause:

    Tell me, which car is yours? — Tell me, which car is yours?

    This is an important point to pay attention to. The pronoun ‘that’, which will be discussed now, very often replaces ‘who’ or ‘which’ in speech, if they are relative.

    BUT ‘that’ is never used as a connecting pronoun.

    English pronoun That

    So, we have decided that this English pronoun is relative. Its beauty lies in the fact that it can replace almost any relative pronoun, regardless of which noun it is assigned to — animate or inanimate, be it a person or an animal:

    When are which, that and who are used

    In this article, we will look at the cases when it is used which, and when — That, what is the difference in use. We will also touch on the use of who in relative clauses in English.

    Sometimes which and that are used interchangeably:

    What’s the name of the river which / that goes through the town? — What is the name of the river that flows through the city?

    The same goes for that and who (when it comes to people):

    What’s the name of the man who / that lives next door? — What is the name of the man who lives next door?

    Who и which used in more formal situations.

    But the use also depends on the type of the subordinate clause. If you don’t know what it is, the next paragraph will refresh your memory a bit.

    What is a relative clause

    In simple words, subordinate clauses add information to the main one. In Russian, they are usually separated from the main sentence by a comma. They can often be discarded without losing their meaning.

    When we deal with relative pronouns that, which и who, here it is necessary to consider the relative clauses.

    Defining / identifying clause

    Also called restrictive.

    Such proposals clarify who or what exactly we are talking about. Throwing them out will affect the meaning of the whole sentence.

    In definitive sentences, it is more common to use THAT (but which can also be used). If we are talking about people, it is also used who.

    The woman who / that visited me in the hospital was very kind. “The woman who visited me in the hospital was very kind. (If you leave «the woman was very kind» — it is not clear who we are talking about).

    The umbrella that / which I bought last week is already broken. — The umbrella I bought last week is already broken. (Without a clause, it turns out «The umbrella has already broken» — which umbrella?)

    As you may have noticed, in such cases, we do not use commas.

    Non-defining clause

    Also called non-restrictive.

    Such sentences add information that can be thrown out of the sentence without losing substance. That is, they provide information that is not required to be mentioned.

    Such sentences use WHICH… When referring to people, it is used who.

    Elephants, which are the largest land mammals, live in herds of 10 or more adults. — Elephants, the largest terrestrial mammals, live in herds of 10 or more adults. (About the largest mammals — rather, an optional encyclopedic clarification).

    The author, who graduated from the same university I did, gave a wonderful presentation. — The author, who graduated from the same university as me, gave a wonderful presentation. (Here the speaker simply notes that the author studied at the same institution with him. You can also add «by the way»).

    Also, if we are talking about belonging, you can use the pronoun who (whose):

    The farmer, whose name was Fred, sold us 10 pounds of potatoes. “A farmer whose name was Fred (whose name was Fred) sold us 10 pounds of potatoes. (Again, the information about his name is not important, the point is that he sold us the potatoes).

    Non-definitive subordinate clauses are separated by commas.

    That in indefinite sentences NOT used by:

    The area, which has very high unemployment, is in the north of the country. 
    The area, which has very high unemployment, is in the north of the country.

    If the rule seemed a little vague and incomprehensible to you, let’s look at a couple more examples to compare the relative clauses after which и That.

    The car that he bought is very expensive. “The car he bought is very expensive. (The clause contains important information — we are talking specifically about the car he bought). 

    He bought a car, which is very expensive. — He bought a car, which is very expensive. (Here it is important for us to say that he bought a car. Information that it is expensive is not so important.) 

    I hope you now understand how which differs from that and how to use them correctly in a sentence. If you have any questions, ask them in the comments.

    Finally, I suggest you do the exercises as a quiz to help you practice the lesson.

    Rule of using who which

    Who (or Whom) is a pronoun, and is used by the speaker as a subject or object of a verb to indicate which person is being discussed, or to enter any additional information about the person just mentioned. This pronoun can only be used in relation to animate persons.

    Which is a pronoun, and is used by the speaker as a subject or object of a verb to indicate what thing or things are being discussed, or to enter any additional information about the thing just mentioned. This pronoun can only be used in relation to inanimate objects.

    That is a pronoun, and is used by the speaker as a subject or object of a verb to indicate which person or thing is being discussed, or to enter any additional information about the person or thing just mentioned. This pronoun can be used in relation to both animate persons and inanimate ones.

    All of these pronouns can be omitted in some cases (see relative pronouns for details).

    For example:
    the girl who was hungry.
    Girl, которая was hungry.

    the boy whom I talked to.
    Boy, s which I was talking.

    The dog That wagged its tail.
    Dog, который wagged his tail.

    The softwareThat) I wrote.
    Software, which I wrote.

    the company, which / That hired me.
    Company, которая hired me.

    Interrogative pronouns.
    1. Interrogative pronouns are relative pronouns ( what, who, whom, which, who ), are only used in a complex declarative clause to connect a main clause with a clause.

    Syntactic function of relative pronouns (what, who, whom, which, whose). At the same time, within the subordinate clause, these pronouns perform an independent syntactic function (subject, addition, definition).

    The woman, who is from London, speaks Irish.

    The woman who is from London speaks Irish (subject).

    Doesn’t always say what he thinks.

    He always says what he thinks (addition).

    That is the doll which I bought for my daughter.

    This is a doll that I bought for my daughter (added).

    Using that instead of the relative pronouns what, who, whom, which, whose in the subordinate clause.

    Instead of the relative pronouns what, who, whom, which, whose in the relative clause, a relative pronoun can be used That — which, in relation to both an animate and an inanimate object (But: after the comma and the prepositions that are not used) These are the tables which they bought 2 weeks ago.

    These are the tables they bought two weeks ago.

    Consuming Whose. 2. Whose, as a relative pronoun, is used with both inanimate and animate objects and stands directly before the nouns to which the pronoun refers.

    Do they happen to call the young women who names are Jill and Jim Peterson?

    Have you ever called the young women named Jill and the Jim Petersons?

    The mountains who

    Source: https://ekaterina-alexeeva.ru/nachinayushhim/kogda-ispolzuetsya-that-which-who-whom-i-whose-pravilo-upotrebleniya-otnositelnyh-mestoimenij-primer-ispolzovaniya.html

    Clauses and relative pronouns

    which that who when used

    In this article we will talk about the types of subordinate clauses, as well as learn what relative pronouns are in English and how to use them when constructing complex sentences.

    In English, as in Russian, sentences can be simple or complex. Complex sentences are divided into compound sentences and complex sentences.

    All parts of compound sentences are equal to each other, and compound sentences consist of a principal clause and one or more subordinate clauses.

    In this article we will talk about the different types of subordinate clauses, as well as about relative pronouns, which are necessary to link subordinate clauses with the main one.

    The main clause and the subordinate clause are unequal — the subordinate clause always depends on the main clause and cannot exist independently. Subordinate clauses do not have a specific place in a sentence — they can come before, after or in the middle of the main sentence:

    Do you know the man who offered us a discount? — You know the man who offered us a discount?
    When I come home, I will call you. — When I will come home, I’ll call you.
    dress, which you asked me for, is dirty. — The dress, which you asked me, dirty.

    The relative clauses in English perform the function of one of the members of the sentence:

    • subject clauses
    • predicative clauses
    • object clauses
    • adverbial clauses
    • attributive clauses

    Now let’s talk about each of the types of subordinate clauses in more detail.

    Such clauses perform the function of a subject and answer the questions who? (who?) and what? (what?). Sentences are entered using the following words: that (what), whether (whether), if (whether), who (who, who), whom (whom, to whom), whose (whose), what (what, which), which (which), when (when), where (where), how (how), why (why).

    What i need is your full attention. — What I need Is your full attention.
    Whether he comes or not is not important anymore. — Will he come or not — it doesn’t matter anymore.

    2. Predicative clauses

    They stand in the place of the predicate after the verb to be (to be). They are connected to the main clause with the same words as the subordinate subjects: that (what), whether (whether), if (whether), who (who, who), whom (whom, to whom), whose (whose), what ( what, what, etc.). Unlike subordinate subjects, predicate clauses always appear in the second part of a complex sentence.

    Please note that the verb to be (to be), which acts as a linking verb between the main and subordinate clauses in Russian, is translated as «to consist in that (that)», «in that (that)».

    The problem was that we got lost and had nobody to ask for directions… — The problem was that we were lost and we had no one to ask for directions.
    The question is if he can get his car fixed by Monday… — The question is, will his car be repaired by monday.
    that is why I couldn’t tell you the truth… — Here why couldn’t I tell you the truth.

    3. Additional clauses

    They serve as a complement and answer the questions what? (what?), about what? (about what?), what for? (for what?) and other questions of indirect cases. The sentences are introduced with the same words as the subject and predicate clauses.

    I didn’t know where my husband was… — I did not know, where was my husband.
    He convinced me that it was a very bad idea… — He convinced me that it was a very bad idea.
    My colleagues hope that we will not have to go on strike… — My colleagues hope that we don’t have to go on strike.

    4. Subordinate clauses

    Such clauses act as circumstances and answer the questions when? (when?), why? (why?), where? (where?, where?) and how? (how?). This group of subordinate clauses is divided into subgroups by value. Let’s examine each of the subgroups in turn:

    • The adverbial clauses of time answer the questions when? (when?), since when? (since when?), how long? (how long?). The subordinate clause is introduced into the sentence with a union that is somehow related to the designation of time: when (when), while (while), as (when, while), after (after), before (before ), till / until (until, until), as soon as (once), since (since) or by the time (by the time).While you were at the hospital, your boss called three times. — While you were in the hospital, your boss called three times. He moved to Chicago when he was 25 years old… — He moved to Chicago, when he was 25 years oldPlease note that in the subordinate clause of time, if we are talking about a future action, you cannot use will. Instead, we use the present tense — Present Simple, Present Continuous or Present Perfect.As soon as I find a new job, I’ll pay you back. — As soon as I find a new job, I will return your money. Please, close the window before you leave for work… — Please close the window before, how will you leave for work.
    • The adverbial clauses of place answer the questions where? (where?, where?) and where from? (where?). The clause is joined to the main clause using the union where (where, where), wherever (wherever, wherever), anywhere (anywhere) or everywhere (everywhere). wherever you want… — You can go, wherever you want… Can you tell me where I can park my car? — Could you tell me, where can i park my car?
    • The adverbial clauses of reason answer the question why? (why?). The main clause and the subordinate clause are combined with the conjunction because (because), as (because), since (because), for (because) or seeing that (because). I didn’t climb the tree because I am afraid of height… — I did not climb a tree, because I’m afraid of height.Since she doesn’t want to help me, I will have to do everything myself. — Since she doesn’t want to help me, I will have to do everything myself.
    • Adverbial clauses of the investigation Adverbial clauses of the investigation (the adverbial clauses of result) — the main clause describes the reason, the clause indicates the effect, they are connected by the union so that (so that) or such that (such that) .It was such a hard day that I fell the asleep moment I got into bed… — It was such a hard day, that I fell asleep, as soon as I went to bed… He spoke so quietly that no one could hear him… — He said so quiet, that no one heard him.
    • The adverbial clauses of manner and comparison — the subordinate clause is attached to the main clause using the conjunction as if (as if), as though (as if), as (as ), than, as as (the same as) or so as (such as). as if you have been working a lot recently! — You seem, as if worked a lot lately! Today it is not as cold as it was yesterday… — Today not so cold, how was it yesterday.
    • The adverbial clauses of concession — although / though (although), no matter what (whatever), whatever (whatever), whoever (whoever), however (whatever), whatever (whatever), even though (whatever).whatever happens, I will be there for you. — Whatever happensyou can count on me.Though we live in different countries, we still remain close friends. — Although we live in different countries, we are still close friends.

    Source: https://englex.ru/subordinate-clauses/

    Who, which or that? Relative Clauses in english

    What are these sentences with the interrogative words who and which in the middle?
    Those parts of the sentence that start with question words are called “relative clauses”. Their function is to identify or provide additional information about nouns or pronouns that are mentioned in the main part of the sentence.

    The words who, which, where, whose, which we mistake for interrogative words, in this case have the role of pronouns and are called: relative pronouns;
    who (whom) refers to people;
    which refers to things, objects;
    whose we use when talking about belonging;

    Do you know the man who lives next door? — Do you know the person who lives in the next house? My friend Jane, whom I visited last year, lives in London. — My friend Jane, whom I visited last year, lives in London. Those who want to buy tickets should pay in advance. — Those who want to buy tickets must pay in advance. The new book by Stephen King, which I have just read, impressed me. — The new book by Stephen King that I just read impressed me.

    My sister, whose husband is British, speaks English very well. — My sister, who has a British husband (who is married to a British), speaks good English.

    At first glance, everything is simple, isn’t it? There are nouns and pronouns. There is more information about them.

    But let’s look at the examples again: why do some sentences in English have commas and others do not?

    To understand this and other issues related to the use of relative clauses, you need to know what two types of relative clauses are and understand the difference between them.

    Two types of Relative Clauses

    Top questions related to Relative Clauses:

    • How can you tell if a comma is being put?
    • How to choose the correct relative pronoun: who / which or that?
    • When can relative pronoun be omitted from a sentence?

    Let’s start with a comma. Why are there problems with her?

    The fact is that in Russian, Ukrainian and other languages, we always put a comma in front of the part of the sentence that begins with the words which, which, which and the like.

    And in English, before putting a comma, you need to figure out what function this part (relative clause) performs in the whole sentence.
    Unfortunately, not everyone understands and clearly explains the difference between the two types of relative clauses, which is why there are so many mistakes in written work and in speech.

    Let’s take a look at the differences and features of these types.

    1. Defining Relative Clauses (Identifying Relative Clauses)

    The meaning of the verb to define — to define, define, characterize; constitute a distinctive property. Defining Relative Clause — a part of a sentence that characterizes a noun or pronoun (subject or complement of the main sentence), gives important information, without which the essence will not be clear.
    For example:

    I met the woman who lives next door. — I met a woman who lives in a neighboring apartment.

    This is the watch which my father gave me for my Birthday. — This is the watch that my dad gave me for my birthday.

    If we remove the second part from these examples — everything after who and which, then the incomprehensible will remain:

    I met the woman.
    This is the watch.

    The definite article the indicates something definite, but at the same time there is no definition, and our interlocutor will certainly have questions: “What kind of woman? What clock? What are we talking about? » To make it clear what exactly you are talking about, you need Defining Relative Clauses, which provide the necessary information and define nouns.

    If we are dealing with Defining Relative Clauses, then who and which can be replaced with that, especially in informal speech:

    I met the woman who / that lives next door. — I met a woman who lives in a neighboring apartment.

    This is the watch which / that my father gave me for my Birthday. — This is the watch that my dad gave me for my birthday.

    Now about the reason for the absence of commas.
    We have found out that Defining Relative Clauses cannot be removed from a sentence without losing its meaning. Without this part, the proposal will be irrelevant and will raise additional clarifying questions. Defining relative clauses no need to separate with commas, because they — integral part of the offer.

    Another way to remember, which I suggest to my students, sounds like this: if there is that, no comma:

    Do you know the man who / that lives next door? — Do you know the person who lives in the next house?

    I movies which / that have a happy ending. — I love films that have a happy ending.

    In a speech, Defining Relative Clauses not highlighted by pauses.

    Non-defining Relative Clauses (Non-identifying Relative Clauses)

    Their main difference from Defining Relative Clauses is that they bring to the proposal not important, but additional information about the subject or object, which does not in any way affect the main meaning of the sentence, since the subject or object has already been identified:

    My friend Jane, who lives in London, got a new job. — My friend Jane, who lives in London, got a new job.

    The new book by Stephen King, which I have just read, impressed me. — The new book by Stephen King that I just read impressed me.

    In the first sentence, it was quite possible to do without specifying where the friend lives. In the second, there is no information that I have just read the book.

    We need commas in Non-defining Relative Clauses in order to show optional information in a sentence… The commas say: «You can throw this part out of the sentence, since without it the rest of the sentence has adequate meaning.»

    If desired, the speaker can present additional information in a separate simple sentence.

    However, Non-defining Relative Clauses serve to enhance fluency and beauty of speech, making sentences more complex, avoiding repetition, which is why we use them so often.

    Non-defining Relative Clauses generally do not use that:
    There is that, there are no commas. There are commas that cannot fit.

    This is Bill Gates, who is one of the richest people in the world. — This is Bill Gates, who is one of the richest people in the world.

    They bought this house in 1990, which was the most important purchase in their life. — They bought this house in 1990, which was the most important purchase of their life.

    In Non-defining Relative Clauses speech highlighted by pauses.

    When can you remove the relative pronoun from a sentence?

    If you pay attention to how sentences are constructed in English, then I think you have noticed that not all relative clauses have who, which, that. Sometimes the relative pronoun «drops out» of the sentence.

    In the case of Non-defining Relative Clauses, we can completely discard the entire part, but in Defining Relative Clauses there is an opportunity to miss only relative pronoun… And even then, not always. Let’s figure it out when possible.

    As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, Defining Relative Clauses can be subject or object:

    This is the man who lives next door. — This is the person who lives next door.

    This is the man who / whom I met on holiday. — This is the person I met on vacation.

    In the first case, who refers to the subject (subject relative pronoun), since we have one character in the sentence — the man.
    In the second case, there are two people in the sentence — I and the man. Who / whom is an object relative pronoun, as it refers to the complement of the man.

    The principle is similar here:

    There is the house that is the oldest house in the city. — This is the same house, which is the oldest house in the city.

    There is the house which / that I rented last year. “This is the same house that I rented last year.

    I know that many of you define “correctness” by ear. Try throwing out the relative pronoun in the examples above. Which of the sentences sounds better and «more correct»? Of course, the second in each pair.

    This is the man (who / whom) I met on holiday. — This is the person I met on vacation.

    There is the house (which / that) I rented last year. “This is the same house that I rented last year.

    The principle is this: if a sentence with Defining Relative Clause mentions two participants / subjects, one of which is the subject, and the other is the object, and Defining Relative Clause defines an add-on, then relative pronoun can be omitted from the sentence.

    A few more examples to solidify your understanding:

    The people (who / whom) we met on holiday were very friendly. — The people we met on vacation were very friendly.

    (who / whom refers to people, this is an object for met, so we can omit who / whom)

    Have you seen the newspaper (which / that) I read in the morning? — Have you seen the newspaper that I read this morning?

    (which / that refers to newspaper, this is an object for read, so we can omit which / that)

    I d the meal (which / that) you cooked yesterday. — I liked the dish you cooked yesterday.

    (which / that refers to meal, this is an object for cooked, so we can omit which / that)

    We will meet the girl (who / whom) my brother married. — We will meet the girl my brother married.

    (who / whom refers to girl, this is an object for married, so we can omit who / whom)

    Please note that the translations contain the words «which, which, which», despite the fact that in the English version we remove them.

    Let’s sum up.
    Here is a comparison of the two types of Relative Clauses, the main points that you will need to remember:

    Defining Non-defining

    Present the necessary, defining information about the subject or object Present additional information
    Cannot be removed from a sentence without losing meaning Can be removed from the proposal, because they carry additional information
    You can use who, which and that Only who and which can be used
    Not separated by commas Separated by commas
    Are not distinguished by pauses in speech Highlighted by pauses in speech
    You can «throw away» object relative pronoun Cannot be «thrown away» relative pronoun

    Who or whom?

    In the examples above, you noticed that I used not only who, but also whom.

    Whom is sometimes used as an object relative pronoun when there is an addition in the sentence:

    This is the man whom you met at our wedding. “This is the man you met at our wedding.

    This is Mary, with whom I studied. — This is Mary, with whom I studied.

    However, in modern English who is used more often, even as an adjunct:

    This is the man who you met at our wedding.
    This is Mary, who I studied with.

    Source: https://enginform.com/article/who-which-ili-relative-clauses-v-anglijskom

    When are which, that and who are used

    In this article, we will look at the cases when it is used which, and when — That, what is the difference in use. We will also touch on the use of who in relative clauses in English.

    First of all, you need to remember that That used when we talk about people, animals and things. Which — about animals and things.  Who — about people.

    Sometimes which and that are used interchangeably:

    What’s the name of the river which / that goes through the town? — What is the name of the river that flows through the city?

    The same goes for that and who (when it comes to people):

    What’s the name of the man who / that lives next door? — What is the name of the man who lives next door?

    Who и which used in more formal situations.

    But the use also depends on the type of the subordinate clause. If you don’t know what it is, the next paragraph will refresh your memory a bit.

    In Which or Where? / In Which versus Where

    In this article, we will look at the correct use of words. which и Where in sentences like This is the store at which I met my friend и This is the store where I met my friend.

    In both sentences which и Where act as relative pronouns that introduce subordinate clauses. They are used to describe scene of action… Difference in use which и Where It is as follows: which is used in a formal style, while Where — in the informal.

    Drinking Which

    If in a courtroom or in some other formal situation you need to tell about where you shopped, then the following sentence will do: The mall at which I did the shopping that day was My World.

    But which can be used not only in the official style. Often which with the preceding preposition is used to give clarity and definition to the sentence. For example, The house at which I saw you slightly different from The house in which I saw you. When consumed Where this, albeit a slight difference, is lost: The house where I saw you.

    Also which used to avoid using a preposition at the end of a sentence (a preposition at the end of a sentence makes it unofficial).

    For example, the sentence This is the desk in which the papers are stored more preferably in a formal situation, and the proposal This is the desk that the papers are stored in — in the informal.

    The pronoun is also suitable for informal style. Where (Instead of in which): This is the desk where the papers are stored.

    Using Where

    A shopping offer discussed above in an informal situation, such as talking to a friend, would sound like The mall where I did the shopping that day was My World… You can also dispense with both pronouns by saying I did the shopping that day at My World mall.
    Also Where

    Source: https://www.englishelp.ru/learn-english/articles-for-learners/259-which-versus-where.html

    What’s the difference between who, which and that?

    In English, you can find a number of pronouns that can not just replace nouns, but serve to combine two sentences into one — the main and and the subordinate. First of all, we mean the English pronouns who, which and that. These pronouns are usually called connective or relative. Often this group includes whom.

    We will consider each word, give general recommendations on the use of one or another English pronoun in accordance with the rules of grammar and analyze their use in practice.

    To begin with, it should be understood that Relative Pronouns and Conjunctive Pronouns are different groups.

  • Relative pronouns define «which one»:
  • I have a friend who can draw well. — I have a friend who draws great./ That is, we will find out what kind of friend this is — a good drawing.

  • Connective pronouns will combine parts of subordinate clauses:
  • Do you know, who wrote this book? — Do you know who wrote this book?/ Here the pronoun combines two sentences and does not define anyone.

    Although they can be expressed with the same words and even have the same translation into Russian, these pronouns serve different functions in a sentence. The main purpose of our article is to help you in choosing the right word, and not to give a classification of pronouns. Based on this, we will tell you about the features of each word, regardless of their group.

    Each of the presented pronouns can be translated from English “what”, “which”. Pronouns are NOT interchangeable. We will talk about the reasons further.

    5 main rules for using relative pronouns in English

    There is an important topic of relative pronouns that cannot be ignored when studying English. Their use in the context of subordinate clauses has a number of interesting nuances that will be useful for you to learn.

    What are the relative pronouns?

    The following relative pronouns exist in English: who, that, which, which, whom, whose, and whoever / whomever. Basically, relative pronouns are needed in order to introduce relative clauses.

    Usually, this kind of subordinate clauses refers to a word, phrase or meaning of the main sentence that acts as an antecedent (a noun or its equivalent, to which the subsequent pronoun refers).

    In the following examples, the relative pronouns whom and that affect the subject that is the antecedent:

    The neighbor, whom I saw this morning, crashed his car. — Neighbor, whom I saw this morning crashed my car.

    the cake That Jane cooked was nice and tasty. — Cake, который baked by Jane was beautiful and delicious.

    The use of one or another relative pronoun directly depends on the type of the relative clause. There are two types of relative clauses: restrictive (clarifying the meaning) and propaganda (supplementing new information). In both cases, the relative pronoun can be the subject, object, or possessive pronoun (whose).

    Relative pronouns in restrictive clauses

    Relative pronouns that introduce a subordinate clause are not separated by a comma from the main clause. In this case, the subordinate clause provides important information about the antecedent in the main clause.

    This information plays a key role in the correct understanding of the meaning of the main sentence, so it cannot be omitted. Simply put, without a restrictive clause, the main clause simply loses its meaning.

    Subject relative pronouns

    I was nicely surprised to meet guys who also arrived to support their favorite team. — I was pleasantly surprised to meet the guys, that also came to support their favorite team.

    It will be the party That everyone will remember. — It will be a party которая will be remembered by everyone.

    Object relative pronouns

    Relative object-related pronouns that define a person or an object can be omitted. However, official English requires the use of a relative pronoun.

    If a relative pronoun is a complement of a preposition, which should be used instead of that, for example: in which (in which), about which (about which), for which (for which). Let’s look at some examples:

    Official English: Dr. Smith was the person to whom I expressed my deep esteem and whose reputation was known to everyone. — Dr. Smith was a man to which I expressed my deepest respect and whose reputation was known to everyone. 

    Unofficial English: Dr. Smith was the person I expressed my deep esteem to and whose reputation was known to everyone.

    Official English: There was a wonderful landscape at the exhibition That Jane adored. — There was a wonderful landscape at the exhibition, который delighted Jane.

    Unofficial English: There was a wonderful landscape at the exhibition Jane adored.

    Official English: Tom achieved the cave about which he had heard so many tales. — Tom made it to the cave, about which heard so many legends.

    Unofficial English: Tom achieved the cave he had heard so many tales about.

    In American English, the relative pronoun whom is used quite rarely and is usually replaced by who, and in colloquial speech it is completely omitted:

    Official version: The man to whom you said hello in the morning is my uncle. — Human, which you said hello in the morning — my uncle.

    Spoken version: The man you said hello to in the morning is my uncle. (The man who you said hello to in the morning is my uncle.)

    However, if the relative pronoun whom appears after the preposition and is its complement, it cannot be omitted:

    The man for whom she was waiting so many years finally appeared. — Finally a man appeared, whom she has waited so many years.

    Relative pronouns as possessive pronouns

    In English, only whose is a possessive relative pronoun. Both persons and objects can act as its antecedent.

    the boy who toy engine broke yesterday was presented a new beautiful toy truck. — Boy, whose the car broke down yesterday, got a new first-class toy truck.

    The bag who owner got off the bus was delivered to the nearest lost-property office. — Bag, owner where got off the bus, was taken to the nearest lost and found office. 

    Relative pronouns in clauses

    Despite the similarity in usage, relative pronouns introducing clauses are separated from the main sentence by a comma. Usually which is a sign of a relative clause.

    As a rule, pronouncing clauses do not carry valuable information about the antecedent in the main clause. This information is not key in the correct understanding of the idea of ​​the main sentence and can be omitted without losing its meaning.

    In other words, the subordinate clause is a digression that provides additional information. Let’s find out in what qualities relative pronouns can be used in subordinate pronouns.

    Using That or Who / Which

    The relative pronoun that is used only in clauses. It can also be replaced with who (for persons) or which (for items). The word that is often used in colloquial speech, but who and which are more common in written English. For example:

    • Spoken English: Robert Burns is a Scottish poet That wrote a lot of wonderful poems and songs in the Scots language and standard English. — Robert Burns — Scottish poet, который wrote many wonderful poems and songs in Scottish dialect and literary English.
    • Written, Official English: Robert Burns is a Scottish poet who wrote a lot of wonderful poems and songs in the Scots language and standard English.

    Who or That

    When describing people, unofficial English allows for both who and that. But when it comes to the characteristics or abilities of a person / group of persons, then it is better to use the relative pronoun that (although the use of who is also allowed):

    • She is the kind of woman That always looks charming. — She is one of those women that always look adorable.

    If, in the official style, we are talking about a specific person, who is preferable to use:

    • The man who won the prize was a cook. — Man, который won a prize, was a cook. 

    That or Which

    There are several situations in English where that is more appropriate than which. After the pronouns many, few, all, little, much, every (thing) and any (thing), you should use exactly that:

    • There are many ways That may help him resolve this complex issue. — There are many ways in which he can solve this difficult issue.

    A superlative noun also requires the relative pronoun that:

    • This is the most beautiful car That he has ever seen. “This is the most beautiful car he has ever seen.

    Source: https://skyeng.ru/articles/5-glavnyh-pravil-upotrebleniya-otnositelnyh-mestoimenij-v-anglijskom

    In Russian about Relative Clause. Grammar, examples and exercises

    Elizaveta Morozova

    Heading: Grammar

    Hello my dear readers.

    When you hear the phrase «Relative Clause» — what do you think about? Russian people who do not like to litter their heads with all sorts of terms will not immediately find an answer. But if you hint at the words that, which or who, which are often found in the texts, they immediately understand what will be discussed.

    :

    1. What is this?
    2. An important rule
    3. Examples of using who, which, that
    4. Exercises

    Yes, subordinate clauses, or grammar relative clauses: — the topic of today’s conversation. I will try to tell you in the simplest way what is used, how and for what. We will also look at the translation and defining words that are used in this rule. At the end, we will definitely consolidate the knowledge gained with exercises.

    Let’s start?

    What is it and how to use it?

    Relative clause — or in Russian the attributive subordinate clause is part of a complex sentence that depends on the main one. It usually combines two small sentences into one, or just adds new interesting information to make it clearer, let’s see an example.

    I have a mother who works as a doctor. — I have a mother who works as a doctor.

    I missed the bus that was going to take me to church. — I missed the bus that was supposed to take me to church.

    What does the rule tell us?

    The rule states that in English, definitive subordinate clauses can be either identifying (restrictive) or non-identifying (propagative).

    Simply put, the former define something important in the sentence, the latter do not. Usually, non-identifying sentences can be separated by commas and, accordingly, thrown out of the sentence.

    For example:

    This is the new computer that I bought yesterday. — This is a new computer that I bought yesterday.

    Source: https://lizasenglish.ru/grammatika/o-relative-clause.html

    Who Which That: Terms of Use

    Translate into English: «This is the house that Jack built.»
    What word do you translate «which»? Which? Or that? Or who ?!

    It is easy to get lost in these words from habit. Dealing with them is even easier.

    Source: https://corp.lingualeo.com/ru/2017/10/12/who-which-that/

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