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Using who, whom, whose, which and that in relative clauses.
Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses and connect them to a noun or pronoun.
The main relative pronouns are who, whom, whose, which and that.
Who refers to people and usually functions as the subject of a relative clause.
Example: The woman who called you is my aunt.
Whom refers to people and functions as the object of a relative clause.
Whom is mainly used in formal English and is often replaced by who in everyday speech.
Whose expresses possession and may refer to both people and things.
Example: The company whose products we use has expanded rapidly.
Which normally refers to animals and things.
It may also refer to an entire clause or idea.
That may replace who or which in many defining relative clauses.
It is not normally used in non-defining relative clauses.
Object relative pronouns may often be omitted.
Example: The book (that) I bought yesterday is excellent.
Relative pronouns may follow prepositions, especially in formal English.
Compare the person to whom I spoke with the person who I spoke to.
Which may refer to an entire preceding clause rather than a single noun.
Example: He missed the train, which surprised everyone.
Both who and that may refer to people in defining clauses, although who is generally preferred in formal English.
The choice depends on style, register and context.
Relative pronoun usage varies according to the level of formality.
Formal English favors whom and preposition-fronting, while informal English often omits object pronouns and strands prepositions.
Choose the correct relative pronoun according to its antecedent and grammatical function.
Common mistakes include confusing who and which, overusing that, misusing whom and omitting required relative pronouns.