What is a Relative Pronoun?

If any of the wh-family words (whom, who, which, whose) or that is used in the middle of a sentence to refrer to some already metioned noun, it is called a relative pronoun.

Examples:

  • The student, who came late, was punished by the Headmaster.
  • The Old Man and the Sea which is a famous novel is my favourite.
  • Nainital which is a famous hill station is visited by people in large numbers.
  • Henry, whom I invited for dinner, is my neighbour.
  • This is the boy whose parents are missing.

In the above examples, the higlighted wh-family words and that relate to some noun/noun phrases appearing before them. Therefore, they are relative pronouns.

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