General English | Relative pronouns (which, who, that...)

Hello Super Writers! Let's Learn About Connector Words!

Hi everyone! Have you ever wanted to make your sentences more exciting and full of cool details? Today, we're going to learn about some special "connector words" that help us do just that! They are like magic glue that lets us stick an extra idea onto a person, place, or thing in our sentences. Learning this will make your writing super interesting for everyone who reads it!

Don't worry if this seems tricky at first, we'll go step-by-step and have fun along the way!

What are Relative Pronouns?

These special connector words have a proper name: Relative Pronouns. That sounds a bit grown-up, but it's simple! They are called "relative" because they relate (or connect) extra information to a noun in your sentence. A noun is just a word for a person, place, animal, or thing.

The main relative pronouns we will learn about are:

• who
• which
• that
• whose
• where

Talking About People: Using "who"

When you want to add extra information about a person, you use the word who.

Memory Aid!

Here's a super easy way to remember: WHO is for HUmans!

Let's see it in action!

Imagine you have two simple sentences:
The girl is my sister. The girl has curly hair.

We can use who to join them into one, super sentence!
The girl who has curly hair is my sister.

See? We used who to connect the detail "has curly hair" to "the girl".

More Examples:

• The boy who is wearing a blue shirt is my friend.
• Mr. Chan is the teacher who helps us with our art projects.

Quick Review Box

Rule: Use who to add more information about a person.
Example: I know the man who lives in that house.

Key Takeaway

When you are writing about a person and want to add a detail about them, who is the word for you!

Talking About Things and Animals: Using "which"

When you want to add extra information about an animal or a thing (like a toy or a book), you use the word which.

Memory Aid!

Just ask yourself, "WHICH thing?" or "WHICH animal?"

Let's see it in action!

Here are two simple sentences:
I have a dog. The dog loves to play fetch.

Let's connect them with which:
I have a dog which loves to play fetch.

More Examples:

• This is the cake which my mum baked.
• I lost the pencil which had a cat eraser on it.

Watch Out! Common Mistake

It's easy to get mixed up! Remember to use who for people and which for animals and things.
Incorrect: The dog who barked.
Correct: The dog which barked.

Key Takeaway

When you're describing an animal or a thing, use which to add extra information.

The Super Flexible Word: Using "that"

Now for a really useful word! The word that is like a multi-tool. You can often use it for people, animals, AND things. It can often take the place of who or which.

Let's see it in action!

You can say:
• The girl who has curly hair is my sister.
OR
• The girl that has curly hair is my sister.

You can say:
• This is the cake which my mum baked.
OR
• This is the cake that my mum baked.

Both are correct! Using that is a great option, but it's still super important to know when to use who and which properly.

Key Takeaway

That is a flexible word you can use to add information about people, animals, or things. It can often replace who or which.

Showing Who Owns Something: Using "whose"

When you want to show that something belongs to a person or animal, you use the word whose. It's all about possession (what they own)!

Memory Aid!

When you ask, "WHOSE bag is this?", you are asking who owns it. The word works the same way in a sentence.

Let's see it in action!

Two simple sentences:
That is the boy. His bicycle is red.

Let's connect them to show the bike belongs to the boy:
That is the boy whose bicycle is red.

More Examples:

• She is the student whose drawing won first prize.
• I saw a cat whose fur was as white as snow.

Watch Out! Common Mistake

Don't mix up whose and who's! They sound the same but are very different.
• Whose is for things that someone owns.
• Who's is a short way of writing "who is". (Example: Who's coming to the party?)

Key Takeaway

Use whose to connect a person or animal to something that belongs to them.

Talking About Places: Using "where"

When you want to add extra information about a place, you use the word where.

Memory Aid!

This one is easy! The word WHERE is in the question "WHERE are we?". It's always about a location!

Let's see it in action!

Two simple sentences:
That is the school playground. We eat our lunch there.

Let's connect them with where:
That is the school playground where we eat our lunch.

More Examples:

• The library is a quiet place where people can read books.
• Hong Kong is the city where we live.

Key Takeaway

When you are describing a place and want to say what happens there, use where to connect your ideas.

Let's Put It All Together!

Wow, you've learned so much! Using these connector words, or Relative Pronouns, will make your writing sound much more grown-up and interesting. Keep practising!

Super Summary!

• Use who for people.
- The chef who made the pizza.

• Use which for animals and things.
- The bus which goes to the beach.

• Use that for people, animals, or things.
- The story that made me laugh.

• Use whose to show something belongs to someone.
- The friend whose house I visited.

• Use where for places.
- The classroom where we have our lessons.

You've done an amazing job! Keep up the great work, and soon you'll be a Relative Pronoun expert!