Relative Pronouns
For People:
- who(m)
- who(m)ever
For everything else:
- that
- which
Who(m) / Who(m)ever
Rule: When a pronoun is the subject - or is referring to it – use who/whoever. Otherwise, use whom/whomever.
- It was she who chose the lucky numbers that won the lottery.
- (The pronoun refers to the subject of the sentence, ‘she.’). A more common – and simpler – way to write it would be:
- She chose the lucky numbers that won the lottery.
- The McDonald’s hiring manager was willing to settle for whomever she could get.
- (The pronoun is the object of the preposition ‘for.’) A more common – and simpler – way to write it would be:
- The McDonald’s hiring manager was willing to settle for anyone she could get.
That / Which
“That” is used more often than “which”. “Which” should only be used in clauses that are separated by commas.
- The guard dog that I encountered in front of the factory looked ready to rip my throat out.
- The guard dog, which I encountered in front of the factory, looked ready to rip my throat out.
Exercise
Open the exercise to begin the activity. Follow the instructions in the document.