🗺️ RELATIVE PRONOUNS GRAMMAR MAP

PEOPLE vs THINGS (Who, Which, That)

WHO for people | WHICH for things/animals | THAT for both (essential clauses).

(+) Positive the man who called • the car which I bought • the dog that barked

(-) Negative the man which called (incorrect)

(?) Question Is he the man who saved you?

POSSESSION & OBJECTS (Whose, Whom)

WHOSE shows possession (của ai) | WHOM for object position (formal).

(+) Positive the boy whose dog ran away • the woman whom I met

(-) Negative whose + verb (incorrect, requires noun)

(?) Question Is she the artist whose painting won?

1. Form & Structure

Relative Pronouns Choice & Functions

WHO (Subject/Object for People): The woman who lives next door is a doctor.
WHICH (Subject/Object for Things): The book which is on the table belongs to me.
THAT (People or Things - Restrictive): The movie that we watched was great.
WHOSE (Possession for People/Things): The student whose father is a pilot won the scholarship.
WHOM (Object for People - Formal): The person whom I interviewed was experienced.

Example / Question	Positive / Short Answer	Negative / Short Answer
People: Who vs Which	the girl who won the prize	Not: the girl which won
Things: Which vs Who	the car which crashed	Not: the car who crashed
Possession: Whose + Noun	the man whose car was stolen	Not: the man who car was stolen

2. Key Rules & Formation

Rule	Base / Standard Form	Applied Form
Whose Noun Requirement Rule	WHOSE must ALWAYS be followed immediately by a noun without articles!	the girl whose eyes are blue (NOT "whose the eyes")
Omission of Object Relative Pronoun Rule	You can OMIT who/which/that if it acts as an OBJECT in a restrictive clause!	The book (which) I read yesterday was great.
No "That" After Prepositions or Commas	Never use "that" directly after a preposition or in non-defining clauses with commas!	the house in which I live (NOT "in that I live")

3. Practical Usage & Examples

1. Combining sentences to avoid repetition

Join two simple sentences into one fluid sentence.

I met a girl. She speaks five languages. → I met a girl who speaks five languages.

2. Defining the exact person or object

Clarify precisely which person or thing you are talking about.

The keys that were on the kitchen counter have disappeared.

3. Expressing ownership relationships

Connect a person to an object or attribute they own using "whose".

I helped a tourist whose wallet was stolen.

4. Signal Words & Usage Context

whowhichthatwhosewhomrelative clause

Quick Matching:

Person → WHO
Thing → WHICH
Possession → WHOSE + Noun

💡 Common Mistakes & Memory Tips

Mistake 1: Using "which" to refer to people
❌ Incorrect: The teacher which taught me was nice.
✓ Correct: The teacher who taught me was nice.
Note: Use who or that for people.
Mistake 2: Repeating subject pronoun after relative pronoun
❌ Incorrect: The man who he called me yesterday is here.
✓ Correct: The man who called me yesterday is here.
Note: Drop "he" because "who" replaces the subject.
Mistake 3: Using "who's" instead of "whose" for possession
❌ Incorrect: The boy who's dog died is sad.
✓ Correct: The boy whose dog died is sad.
Note: Who's = who is / who has; Whose = possessive.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: When can we leave out who, which, or that?

You can omit the relative pronoun ONLY when it is followed by a Subject + Verb (acting as an Object). E.g., "The movie (that) I watched" → "I watched" has subject "I". You CANNOT omit it if followed directly by a verb ("The boy who won").

Q2: What is the difference between "who" and "whom"?

"Who" is used for subjects ("Who called?"). "Whom" is used for objects in formal English ("Whom did you see?"). In modern informal speech, "who" is used for both.

Q3: Can "that" replace "which" or "who" in all sentences?

"That" can replace who/which ONLY in defining relative clauses (no commas). "That" CANNOT be used after commas or prepositions.

1. Form & Structure

Relative Pronouns Choice & Functions

WHO (Subject/Object for People): The woman who lives next door is a doctor.

WHICH (Subject/Object for Things): The book which is on the table belongs to me.

THAT (People or Things - Restrictive): The movie that we watched was great.

WHOSE (Possession for People/Things): The student whose father is a pilot won the scholarship.

WHOM (Object for People - Formal): The person whom I interviewed was experienced.

Example / Question	Positive / Short Answer	Negative / Short Answer
People: Who vs Which	the girl who won the prize	Not: the girl which won
Things: Which vs Who	the car which crashed	Not: the car who crashed
Possession: Whose + Noun	the man whose car was stolen	Not: the man who car was stolen

2. Key Rules & Formation

Rule	Base / Standard Form	Applied Form
Whose Noun Requirement Rule	WHOSE must ALWAYS be followed immediately by a noun without articles!	the girl whose eyes are blue (NOT "whose the eyes")
Omission of Object Relative Pronoun Rule	You can OMIT who/which/that if it acts as an OBJECT in a restrictive clause!	The book (which) I read yesterday was great.
No "That" After Prepositions or Commas	Never use "that" directly after a preposition or in non-defining clauses with commas!	the house in which I live (NOT "in that I live")

3. Practical Usage & Examples

1. Combining sentences to avoid repetition

Join two simple sentences into one fluid sentence.

I met a girl. She speaks five languages. → I met a girl who speaks five languages.

2. Defining the exact person or object

Clarify precisely which person or thing you are talking about.

The keys that were on the kitchen counter have disappeared.

3. Expressing ownership relationships

Connect a person to an object or attribute they own using "whose".

I helped a tourist whose wallet was stolen.

💡 Common Mistakes & Memory Tips

Mistake 1: Using "which" to refer to people
❌ Incorrect: The teacher which taught me was nice.
✓ Correct: The teacher who taught me was nice.

Note: Use who or that for people.

Mistake 2: Repeating subject pronoun after relative pronoun
❌ Incorrect: The man who he called me yesterday is here.
✓ Correct: The man who called me yesterday is here.

Note: Drop "he" because "who" replaces the subject.

Mistake 3: Using "who's" instead of "whose" for possession
❌ Incorrect: The boy who's dog died is sad.
✓ Correct: The boy whose dog died is sad.

Note: Who's = who is / who has; Whose = possessive.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: When can we leave out who, which, or that?

Q2: What is the difference between "who" and "whom"?

"Who" is used for subjects ("Who called?"). "Whom" is used for objects in formal English ("Whom did you see?"). In modern informal speech, "who" is used for both.

Q3: Can "that" replace "which" or "who" in all sentences?

"That" can replace who/which ONLY in defining relative clauses (no commas). "That" CANNOT be used after commas or prepositions.

Relative Pronouns

1. Form & Structure

Relative Pronouns Choice & Functions

2. Key Rules & Formation

3. Practical Usage & Examples

1. Combining sentences to avoid repetition

2. Defining the exact person or object

3. Expressing ownership relationships

4. Signal Words & Usage Context

💡 Common Mistakes & Memory Tips

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: When can we leave out who, which, or that?

Q2: What is the difference between "who" and "whom"?

Q3: Can "that" replace "which" or "who" in all sentences?

Relative Pronouns

1. Form & Structure

Relative Pronouns Choice & Functions

2. Key Rules & Formation

3. Practical Usage & Examples

1. Combining sentences to avoid repetition

2. Defining the exact person or object

3. Expressing ownership relationships

4. Signal Words & Usage Context

💡 Common Mistakes & Memory Tips

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: When can we leave out who, which, or that?

Q2: What is the difference between "who" and "whom"?

Q3: Can "that" replace "which" or "who" in all sentences?

Other Pronouns lessons

Practice Exercises