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Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns connect clauses to nouns, helping us describe people or things clearly.

B1Pronouns & Reference

Rule

A relative pronoun is a word that connects a clause to a noun, helping us describe which person or thing we are talking about.

    • who - for people
    • which - for things
    • that - for people or things
    • whose - to show possession

Usage

    • We use relative pronouns to give more information about a person or thing.
    • They help us avoid repeating the same noun in a sentence.
    • Relative pronouns make our sentences clearer and more interesting.

Examples

  • The book that I'm reading is very interesting.
  • The person who called me is my friend.
  • The city which I visited was beautiful.
  • The dog whose toy is broken is sleeping.
  • The teacher gave us a homework that was easy to do.
  • The company which employs my friend is very successful.

Common Mistakes

  • Wrong: The book which I'm reading is very interesting. Correct: The book that I'm reading is very interesting.
  • Wrong: The person that called me is my friend. Correct: The person who called me is my friend.
  • Wrong: The city whose I visited was beautiful. Correct: The city which I visited was beautiful.

Tip

Try replacing the relative pronoun with 'he' or 'it' in your sentence; if it still makes sense, you're probably using the right one!

Quick check
Which of the following sentences uses a relative pronoun correctly?

Where this matters in your exam

Relative pronouns are assessed in IELTS Writing Task 2 for sentence structure variety.

  • Writing Task 2

    Use relative pronouns to link ideas in a complex sentence.