How To Solve Relative Pronoun Quickly

There are several relative pronouns which we generally confuse between. Let’s read some of them and clear out our confusion.

When V/S Where

Sometime WHEN and WHERE can also be used as relative pronoun.

When is used to introduce a noun that describes the time of occurrence

Where is used to introduce a noun with respect to a place, and where refers to a place.

For Example:

My mother remembers the time when she was the best athlete in her town
My father couldn’t recall where he had kept his glasses

Who V/S That

The most common confusin is between Who and That. These two words are generally misplaced and used in alternate senses.

Who is placed in a sentence which describes the person as a relative pronoun,

That is used to describe an object or non-human things.

We adore the children who obey their parents
I am afraid of the dogs who are large in size and scary to look at

Which V/S That

Another most common error occurs while placing that and which in a sentence.

We use Which to describe objects and non-living things that introduces a dependent clause and relates with the non-restictive clause. This non-restrictive clause is non-essential to the defining/dependent clause. 

We use That on the other hand to provide additional information but this information is a restrictive clause and is essential to give information about the noun.

For Example:

The goat, which is quite old, went inside the shed

The goat that has only one hon went inside the shed.

Whose and Whom

Whose is used to replace Who when possession of the noun is in reference.

Whom is used in a sentence as the object of the verb or preposition.

For Example:

This is Riya, Whose purse has gone missing.

This is Riya whom you met in the party yesterday