Grammar practice worksheet focusing on relative pronouns.
Multiple-choice grammar exercise asking to choose the most suitable word to complete sentences, featuring 16 questions with options like "that," "who," "whose," and "which."
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Relative Pronouns ESL Grammar Exercise Worksheet
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Relative Pronouns ESL Grammar Exercise Worksheet
Explanation:
We need to choose the correct relative pronoun for each sentence. Let’s go one by one and remember these rules:
- who → used for people (subject or object)
- whom → used for people, but only when it’s the *object* of a verb or preposition (formal; often replaced by “who” in spoken English)
- whose → shows possession (for people or things)
- that → used for people or things, especially in defining/restrictive clauses; not used after prepositions
- which → used for things (not people); can follow prepositions
- when → used for times/dates
- where → used for places (not in this list, but good to know)
- why → used for reasons (often after “the reason”)
Now let’s solve each item:
1. *My friend, Jack, (that, who, whose) parents live in Glasgow…*
→ “parents” is possessed by Jack → we need whose.
✔ whose
2. *Here’s the computer program (that, whom, whose) I told you about.*
→ “program” is a thing; “I told you about ___” — the blank is the object of the preposition “about”, so we need a relative pronoun that can be object for a thing. that or which are possible, but “whom” is only for people → eliminate whom. Between that/which: in informal English, “that” is common here. But note: after a preposition like “about”, we usually use which (e.g., “the program about which I told you”), but in everyday speech, many say “that I told you about”. However, since “that” is allowed in the options and the clause is restrictive (“the computer program [that] I told you about”), that is acceptable and commonly chosen in such exercises. BUT — careful: the phrase is “I told you about ___”, and the blank is the object of “about”, so technically, if we want formal correctness, it should be which, but which is not an option here! Options are: (that, whom, whose). So only that works.
✔ that
3. *I don’t believe the story (that, who, whom) she told us.*
→ “story” is a thing; “she told us ___” — blank is object of “told”. So that (or which, but only that is offered).
✔ that
4. *Peter comes from Witney, (that, who, which) is near Oxford.*
→ “Witney” is a place (a town), so we treat it as a *thing*. After a comma (non-restrictive clause), we usually use which, but again, options are (that, who, which). So which is correct.
✔ which
5. *This is the gun with (that, whom, which) the murder was committed.*
→ “gun” is a thing; “with ___” → preposition + relative pronoun. Only which can follow a preposition for things. “that” cannot come after a preposition. So which.
✔ which
6. *Is this the person (who, which, whose) you asked me about?*
→ “person” = person; object of “asked me about” → we need object form. Options: who (subject/object in informal), which (no, not for people), whose (possession, no). In modern usage, who is accepted even as object (e.g., “the person who you asked…”). “Whom” is not listed, so who is the best choice among given options.
✔ who
7. *Have you received the parcel (whom, whose, which) we sent you?*
→ “parcel” = thing; object of “sent you” → which (or that, but “which” is in options). “whom” and “whose” are for people. So which.
✔ which
8. *That’s the girl (that, who, whose) brother sits next to me.*
→ “brother” belongs to the girl → possession → whose.
✔ whose
9. *The meal, (that, which, whose) wasn’t very tasty, was expensive.*
→ “meal” is a thing; non-restrictive clause (commas), so which is standard. “that” is not used in non-restrictive clauses. So which.
✔ which
10. *We didn’t enjoy the play (that, who, whose) we went to see.*
→ “play” = thing; “we went to see ___” — object of “see”. Again, that is acceptable in restrictive clause (no commas), and it’s in options. “who” and “whose” wrong.
✔ that
11. *She gives her children everything (that, what, who) they want.*
→ “everything” is the antecedent; after “everything”, we use that (not “what” — “what” is not a relative pronoun; it’s a conjunction/introducer, but in relative clauses, “that” is used after words like everything, anything, nothing). So that.
✔ that
12. *Tell me (what, that, which) you want and I’ll have you.*
→ This is not a relative clause! It’s a宾语从句 (object clause). “Tell me ___ you want” — here, we need a connector meaning “the thing(s) that”. In informal English, what is used: “Tell me what you want”. “that” would give “Tell me that you want…” which changes meaning (reports a fact). So what is correct.
✔ what
13. *The reason (why, that, what) I phoned him was to invite him to party.*
→ After “the reason”, we can use why (most natural), or “that” (e.g., “the reason that I phoned…”). Both are grammatical, but why is preferred when the clause explains the reason. Since “why” is an option, choose why.
✔ why
14. *I don’t like people (who, whom, whose) never stops talking.*
→ “people” = people; subject of “never stops talking” → need subject pronoun → who. (Note: “whom” is object, “whose” is possession.)
✔ who
15. *The day (which, that, when) they arrived was Sunday.*
→ “day” = time; we refer to time with when. “which”/“that” could work in restrictive clauses, but “when” is most natural and is offered. So when.
✔ when
16. *Ann, (whose, who, whom) children are at school all day is trying to get a job.*
→ “children” belong to Ann → possession. So whose.
✔ whose
Now compile all answers:
1. whose
2. that
3. that
4. which
5. which
6. who
7. which
8. whose
9. which
10. that
11. that
12. what
13. why
14. who
15. when
16. whose
Final Answer:
1. whose
2. that
3. that
4. which
5. which
6. who
7. which
8. whose
9. which
10. that
11. that
12. what
13. why
14. who
15. when
16. whose
We need to choose the correct relative pronoun for each sentence. Let’s go one by one and remember these rules:
- who → used for people (subject or object)
- whom → used for people, but only when it’s the *object* of a verb or preposition (formal; often replaced by “who” in spoken English)
- whose → shows possession (for people or things)
- that → used for people or things, especially in defining/restrictive clauses; not used after prepositions
- which → used for things (not people); can follow prepositions
- when → used for times/dates
- where → used for places (not in this list, but good to know)
- why → used for reasons (often after “the reason”)
Now let’s solve each item:
1. *My friend, Jack, (that, who, whose) parents live in Glasgow…*
→ “parents” is possessed by Jack → we need whose.
✔ whose
2. *Here’s the computer program (that, whom, whose) I told you about.*
→ “program” is a thing; “I told you about ___” — the blank is the object of the preposition “about”, so we need a relative pronoun that can be object for a thing. that or which are possible, but “whom” is only for people → eliminate whom. Between that/which: in informal English, “that” is common here. But note: after a preposition like “about”, we usually use which (e.g., “the program about which I told you”), but in everyday speech, many say “that I told you about”. However, since “that” is allowed in the options and the clause is restrictive (“the computer program [that] I told you about”), that is acceptable and commonly chosen in such exercises. BUT — careful: the phrase is “I told you about ___”, and the blank is the object of “about”, so technically, if we want formal correctness, it should be which, but which is not an option here! Options are: (that, whom, whose). So only that works.
✔ that
3. *I don’t believe the story (that, who, whom) she told us.*
→ “story” is a thing; “she told us ___” — blank is object of “told”. So that (or which, but only that is offered).
✔ that
4. *Peter comes from Witney, (that, who, which) is near Oxford.*
→ “Witney” is a place (a town), so we treat it as a *thing*. After a comma (non-restrictive clause), we usually use which, but again, options are (that, who, which). So which is correct.
✔ which
5. *This is the gun with (that, whom, which) the murder was committed.*
→ “gun” is a thing; “with ___” → preposition + relative pronoun. Only which can follow a preposition for things. “that” cannot come after a preposition. So which.
✔ which
6. *Is this the person (who, which, whose) you asked me about?*
→ “person” = person; object of “asked me about” → we need object form. Options: who (subject/object in informal), which (no, not for people), whose (possession, no). In modern usage, who is accepted even as object (e.g., “the person who you asked…”). “Whom” is not listed, so who is the best choice among given options.
✔ who
7. *Have you received the parcel (whom, whose, which) we sent you?*
→ “parcel” = thing; object of “sent you” → which (or that, but “which” is in options). “whom” and “whose” are for people. So which.
✔ which
8. *That’s the girl (that, who, whose) brother sits next to me.*
→ “brother” belongs to the girl → possession → whose.
✔ whose
9. *The meal, (that, which, whose) wasn’t very tasty, was expensive.*
→ “meal” is a thing; non-restrictive clause (commas), so which is standard. “that” is not used in non-restrictive clauses. So which.
✔ which
10. *We didn’t enjoy the play (that, who, whose) we went to see.*
→ “play” = thing; “we went to see ___” — object of “see”. Again, that is acceptable in restrictive clause (no commas), and it’s in options. “who” and “whose” wrong.
✔ that
11. *She gives her children everything (that, what, who) they want.*
→ “everything” is the antecedent; after “everything”, we use that (not “what” — “what” is not a relative pronoun; it’s a conjunction/introducer, but in relative clauses, “that” is used after words like everything, anything, nothing). So that.
✔ that
12. *Tell me (what, that, which) you want and I’ll have you.*
→ This is not a relative clause! It’s a宾语从句 (object clause). “Tell me ___ you want” — here, we need a connector meaning “the thing(s) that”. In informal English, what is used: “Tell me what you want”. “that” would give “Tell me that you want…” which changes meaning (reports a fact). So what is correct.
✔ what
13. *The reason (why, that, what) I phoned him was to invite him to party.*
→ After “the reason”, we can use why (most natural), or “that” (e.g., “the reason that I phoned…”). Both are grammatical, but why is preferred when the clause explains the reason. Since “why” is an option, choose why.
✔ why
14. *I don’t like people (who, whom, whose) never stops talking.*
→ “people” = people; subject of “never stops talking” → need subject pronoun → who. (Note: “whom” is object, “whose” is possession.)
✔ who
15. *The day (which, that, when) they arrived was Sunday.*
→ “day” = time; we refer to time with when. “which”/“that” could work in restrictive clauses, but “when” is most natural and is offered. So when.
✔ when
16. *Ann, (whose, who, whom) children are at school all day is trying to get a job.*
→ “children” belong to Ann → possession. So whose.
✔ whose
Now compile all answers:
1. whose
2. that
3. that
4. which
5. which
6. who
7. which
8. whose
9. which
10. that
11. that
12. what
13. why
14. who
15. when
16. whose
Final Answer:
1. whose
2. that
3. that
4. which
5. which
6. who
7. which
8. whose
9. which
10. that
11. that
12. what
13. why
14. who
15. when
16. whose
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of who whom worksheet.
