Fix the mistake: Relative Pronouns and Participles

Relative Pronouns ① who / which / that: Subject Case

A relative pronoun is used to make a sentence that modifies a noun from behind, such as “a person who does something” or “a thing that does something.” In junior high school, we learn the three pronouns who, which, and that.

Basic Rules

A relative pronoun connects “two sentences into one.” If the antecedent (the noun being modified) is a person, use who; if it is a thing or animal, use which; that can be used for either. A subject-case relative pronoun is a pattern in which the pronoun becomes the subject of the sentence that follows. In “The boy who lives next door is my friend.（The boy who lives next door is my friend）,” who serves as the subject of “lives next door.”
Form: Antecedent + who/which/that + verb + ...

Example Sentences
I have a friend who lives in Canada.（I have a friend who lives in Canada）← Antecedent: friend; the word after who is the verb lives
This is the book which made me cry.（This is the book that made me cry）← Antecedent: book; the word after which is the verb made
The dog that is barking is mine.（The barking dog is mine）← that = interchangeable with which
The man who teaches us English is from America.（The man who teaches us English is from America）

Points to Remember

① The verb after a subject-case relative pronoun must agree with the antecedent: “The boy who lives 〜” (boy is singular), “The boys who live 〜” (boys is plural).
② How to choose among who/which/that:
- Person → who (that is also possible)
- Thing or animal → which (that is also possible)
- When the antecedent is preceded by a superlative, the only, the very, all, etc. → that is preferred
③ Practice combining two sentences into one:
- I have a friend. + He lives in Canada. → I have a friend who lives in Canada.
- This is the book. + It made me cry. → This is the book which made me cry.
④ A subject-case relative pronoun cannot be omitted. “× The boy lives next door is my friend.” ← It is incorrect without who.

Key Points
  • Person → who; thing → which; either is okay → that
  • Subject case: relative pronoun + verb
  • The following verb agrees with the antecedent in number
  • A subject-case relative pronoun cannot be omitted
  • Build the sentence by imagining two sentences joined together

Practice

  1. Write “I have an older brother who lives in Tokyo” in English using the relative pronoun who.
  2. Write “This is a book that was read by many people” using the relative pronoun which.
  3. Combine the two sentences into one: I know a girl. + She can speak French.

English (Junior High): related lessons