Relative Pronouns and Relative Adverbs

For an overview of relative clauses, refer to the resource titled “Relative Clauses.”

A relative clause can be introduced by either a relative pronoun or a relative adverb. An essential
relative clause provides necessary, defining information about the noun. On the other hand, non‐
essential relative clauses provide additional, non‐necessary information about the noun. Think of non‐
essential relative clauses as adjectives describing the noun; you can remove adjectives without changing
the meaning of the sentence.

Relative pronouns connect nouns/pronouns to relative clauses, which can be

essential or non‐ essential (restrictive or nonrestrictive).
Relative pronoun Use Example

which refers to animals and things Did you see the dog which is
playing on the lawn? (essential
relative clause)

that refers to people, animals, and things in She likes the painting that is in
restrictive relative clauses (who/whom is the living room. (essential
often used as well) relative clause)

who refers to people (that is often used as well) The person who called last night
was my grandmother. (essential
relative clause)

whom object pronoun for people, especially in non‐ Josh Lee, whom the manager
restrictive relative clauses (who is often used traded, later became a
instead of whom) successful baseball star. (non‐
essential relative clause)

whose possession for people, animals, and things The girl whose notes I borrowed
always pays attention in class.
(essential relative clause)
When to Omit Relative Pronouns
• If the clause is essential (i.e., if the clause is essential to the meaning of the sentence) and
the relative pronoun is the object of the clause, the relative pronoun can be omitted.
• “The king gave up his throne for the women (whom) he loved.”
• Whom is the object of the essential relative clause; therefore, whom
can be omitted, e.g. “The king gave up his throne for the women he
loved.”
● The relative pronoun that always introduces essential information and can be omitted if it is
the object of the clause.
• “Sally chose the dress that she liked best.”
• That is the object of the restrictive relative clause; therefore, that
can be omitted, e.g. “Sally chose the dress she liked best)
• You could also use the relative pronoun who/whom to indicate you are
referring to a person
● Relative pronouns CANNOT be omitted when they are the subject of the clause; subjects
are essential information in a sentence and cannot be removed.
• “The cell phone that rang in class belonged to the teacher.
• That is introducing essential information of the subject and cannot be omitted.
● Only relative pronouns that provide essential information can be omitted.
• “Robin White, whom I met at college, called me last week”
• Whom is a part of a nonessential clause and cannot be omitted.

Relative Adverbs connect nouns/pronouns to relative clauses, which can be

essential or non‐ essential (restrictive or nonrestrictive).
Relative adverb Meaning Use Example

when in/on which refers to time the day when we met her

where in/at which refers to place the place where we met her

why for which refers to people the reason why met her

● Relative adverbs provide an alternative to more formal structures containing a preposition and
which. For example:
○ That’s the restaurant in which we met. = That’s the restaurant where we met.
○ I remember the day on which we first met. = I remember the day when we met.
○ Tell me the reason for which you came home later. = Tell me (the reason) why you
came home late.