Who whom whose use in English. Interrogative relative pronouns Who, What, Which, That, Whose in English

They all correspond to the Russian word “which”, so English learners often have a question: which pronoun to choose? In this article we will find the answer.

When to use who, which, that, whom

Who, which, that And whom are used after the noun they refer to. These pronouns give additional information about a person or thing.

• We use who when we talk about people. Also we can use who in relation to animals, if they are our pets or the pets of friends we know.
  

  The man who I saw the other day was very tall. – Man who I saw the other day, very tall.

  My lovely kitten who I picked up at the street likes playing with stuffed toys. - My dear kitty, whom I picked up on the street, loves to play with soft toys.

• Which shows us that we are talking about an object, phenomenon or animal. Usually this refers to an unfamiliar object, phenomenon, as well as a wild or unfamiliar animal.
  

  The Polar lights which I managed to see in Norway were amazing. – Northern lights, was amazing.

  Take an apple which I put on the table. - Take it apple which I put on the table.

  Watch out for the bears which lives in the forest. – Beware bears who live in the forest.

  If we want to highlight not a single noun, but a whole sentence, we come to the rescue again which.

  She canceled our meeting this evening, which is great. I have plans for today. – She canceled our meeting in the evening which is just wonderful. I have plans for today.

  Ben never liked football. But he agreed to watch the match with us which was quite surprising. – Ben never liked football. But he agreed to watch the match with us which was very unexpected.

• That applies to both people and objects. This is a universal pronoun that we can use to replace who And which. That is considered a colloquial word, in writing it is better to use who And which.
  

  The man that I saw the other day was very tall. – Man who I saw the other day, very tall.

  Take an apple that I put on the table. - Take it apple which I put on the table.

  The Polar lights that I managed to see in Norway were amazing. – Northern lights which I managed to see in Norway, was amazing.

• Whom is a form of a pronoun who, which is used mainly in formal and written speech. It is translated into Russian with the words “to whom,” “with whom,” “for which.” Often whom accompanied by a preposition.
  

  I met a colleague who is writing a report colleague who writes the report.

  I met a colleague with whom I am writing a report in the lift. - I met you in the elevator colleague with whom I am writing a report.

Now let's watch a video about who, which, that from the teacher Rebecca.

What are the types of sentences with who, which and that in English?

In English, there are two types of relative pronoun sentences:

• Limiting ( restrictive clause) – those who report important information. Such sentences provide clarification about a person or object, distinguishing it from other similar ones.
  

  My friend who is a mechanic who works as a mechanic, helped me fix my car. (I have many friends, and it was the mechanic who helped me)

  The milk which I bought yesterday has spoiled. - Milk, which I bought yesterday, spoiled. (there is also milk that was bought another day, but it was the one bought yesterday that has spoiled)

• Non-restrictive ( non-restrictive clause) – those who report unimportant information. These sentences provide additional information that we can easily omit, and the meaning of the sentence will not change; they are always separated by a comma.
  

  My friend , who is a mechanic, helped me to repair my car. - My friend, who works as a mechanic, helped me fix my car. (we are simply adding information about our friend; if we omit the who is a mechanic part, the meaning will remain the same)

  The milk , which I bought yesterday, has spoiled. - Milk, which I bought yesterday, spoiled. (we are reporting that the milk has spoiled; the fact that it was bought yesterday is additional information)

  • Read more about these proposals in the article "".

Offers with that can only be limiting; they always distinguish a person or object from similar ones.

My friend that is a mechanic helped me to repair my car. - My friend, who works as a mechanic, helped me fix my car. (it was a mechanic friend who helped, not a doctor friend or an economist friend)

The milk that I bought yesterday has spoiled. - Milk, which I bought yesterday, spoiled. (it was the milk that we bought yesterday that spoiled, not the day before yesterday, not three days ago)

Who or that

According to the rules of classical grammar that refers only to objects and phenomena; with people we use who. On the topic of whether it is applicable that to people, there have been debates for a long time.

In everyday life, native speakers often use that instead of who. Despite the fact that colloquial speech can be far from the canon, its features cannot be neglected, because in life we ​​talk with people, and not with grammar textbooks. However, if you are going to take an English exam, it is better to stick to the standard rules.

He is a person who (that) I can rely on. - He is a human, who I can rely on.

The girl who (that) entered the room was pretty. - Young woman, who entered the room, was pretty.

Please note: with collective nouns (denoting a group of people) we only use that, but not who.

The family that is the largest in the neighborhood went on their vacation. - Family, which is the largest in the area, went on vacation.

Which or that

Relatively which And that There are also some caveats. According to standard grammar rules which can enter both important and unimportant information. But with such a statement, some Americans may look at you in bewilderment, because in American English, using which we report only unimportant information, and with the help that– only important ones.

The pen that I hold in my hand won't write. - Pen, which I hold in my hand, doesn't want to write. (the one I'm holding, not the one in my pocket)

The pen which you are looking for is in the kitchen. - Pen, which you are searching, in the kitchen. (exactly the one you are looking for)

The pen , which is on the table, is green. - Pen, which lies on the table, green. (there is only one green pen; the fact that it is on the table is additional information)

Watch a video about the difference between which And that with a teacher Alex.

To prevent you from getting confused about pronouns, we have compiled a table. It specifies the criteria by which to choose a pronoun for a sentence.

Relative pronouns

So, what kind of pronouns are called relative? These are the pronouns that introduce definitive subordinate clauses and into Russian are usually translated by words which, -th, -oe, -s. They always refer to a specific, defined word (usually a noun, object pronoun) in the main clause. This group includes, among others, who, which, whose, whose, and that.

PronounWHO

Let's look at each of these pronouns in more detail.

The peculiarity of the pronoun who (which, whose) is that it is used only in relation to persons and performs the function of the subject in a subordinate clause:

E.g.I see a boywho is drawing.

I see boy which draws.(Fig. 3)

The girlwho gave me the book has gone.

Girl,which gave me the book and left.

There was somebodywho wanted you.

There was someone hereWho I was looking for you.

I know (don't know)who did it.

I know (I don't know)Who did this.

Rice. 1. Illustration for example ()

PronounWHOSE

The pronoun whose (which, whose, whose) is very similar in appearance to who. This pronoun is used in relation to persons.

E. g. That’ sthe man whose carhasbeenstolen.

That's the man, the car whom stolen.

Do you know the man whose house we saw yesterday?

Do you know the person, house whom did we see yesterday?

Do you know whose book it is?

You know, whose this is a book?

I wonder whose house that is.

Interesting, whose this is home. (Fig. 4)

Rice. 2. Illustration for example ()

PronounWHICH

Now we will look at the pronoun which (which, which, what). Unlike the previous pronouns, which is used in relation to inanimate objects and animals. In addition, it is considered bookish and in a conversational style is usually replaced by the pronoun that.

E.g.He ordered coffee which(that) was promptly brought.

He ordered coffee, which They brought it right away.(Fig. 5)

I'm looking for jeans, which(that) are less expensive.

I'm looking for jeans which would be cheaper (less expensive).

Rice. 3. Illustration for example ()

I don't know which book to choose.

I don't know, which one choose a book.

Tell me which way we'll do it.

Tell me, what way (manner) we will do this.

Sometimes in colloquial speech which (that) may be omitted.

The pen which(that) you took is mine.

Pen, which you took it - mine.

He returned the book ( which, that) he had borrowed.

He returned the book which took.

This is the picture ( which, that) I bought yesterday.

This is a picture, which I bought it yesterday.

PronounTHAT

And finally, we are left with the pronoun that (which, whose). As a definition, a pronoun that often replaces pronouns whoAndwhich in ordinary colloquial speech. Can be used in relation to persons, but is more often used in relation to inanimate objects:

E.g. They could not find anybody that(who) knew the town.

They couldn't find anyone Who I wish I knew the city.

Did you see the letter that had come today?

Have you seen the letter which did it come today?(Fig. 6)

The news that(which) he brought upset us all.

News, which he brought it, upset us all.

Rice. 4. Illustration for example ()

In colloquial speech pronouns that(as well as which), introducing attributive clauses, are usually omitted altogether:

E.g. It is the end of the letter (that, which) she sent me.

This is the end of the letter which she sent it to me.

The woman (that) I love most of all is my mother.

Woman, which I love most of all - my mother.

Addition in English

As in Russian, in English there are direct (always without a preposition) and indirect (without a preposition and with a preposition - prepositional) objects.

Transitive verbs (which express an action that passes to a person or object) require after themselves a direct object denoting a person or object and answering the question what? or who?

For example, He gave a book.

He gave the book. (Fig. 5)

Rice. 5. Illustration for example ()

The direct object itself is used without a preposition, but many verbs form stable combinations with prepositions that express a single concept ( for example: look for - search, listen to - listen, take off - shoot, pick up - lift, etc.). In this case, the preposition (adverb) forms a single whole with the verb, and the direct object that follows it is (as expected) without a preposition.

For exampleI'm looking for the book.

I'm looking for a book.

As for indirect additions, they provide various additional information that answers different questions: to whom?, with whom?, for whom?, about what? etc.

A non-prepositional indirect object occurs in a sentence when some of the transitive verbs, in addition to the direct object, also have a second - indirect object, answering the question to whom? and denoting the person to whom the action is addressed. An indirect object placed before a direct object is used without a preposition.

For example,Hegave the boy abook.

He gave the boy a book.(Fig. 6)

Rice. 6. Illustration for example ()

A prepositional indirect object is an indirect object that comes after a direct object. It is used with a preposition and answers various questions: about whom?, about what?, with whom?, with what?, for whom? etc.

For example, He gave a book for my father.

He gave the book to my father.

ENDorFINISH

The words end and finish have fairly similar meanings, but there are a number of differences. Let's look at them.

When we are talking about approaching the completion of some action, the construction finish + addition (“to complete something”) is used.

E.g. You should try to finish all the work before 6 p.m.

You should try complete all work until 6 p.m.

I have already finishedreading that book.

I have already finishedreading that book.

If we use the construction “end + addition”, we get the meaning “to stop, stop something.” The meaning will be similar to the verb “to stop”:

E.g. We must end this war!

We have to stop this war!

They decided to end their relationships.

They decided end your relationship. (Fig. 7)

Rice. 7. Illustration for example ()

When talking about the “physical/material” end of something (rather than a temporary end), it is better to use “end”:

E.g. This street ends a mile away from here.

This street ends one mile from here.

In all other cases, as a rule, there is either no difference between these words or it is not significant. Eg:

Whattimedoyour classes end / finish ?

At what time your classes are ending?

After nouns qualified by superlative adjectives, ordinal numbers, and all, only only the pronoun is used that(but not which):

E.g. This is the second book that I read last summer.

This is the second book I read last summer.(Fig. 8)

I"ve read all the books that you gave me.

I've read all the books which you gave it to me.

This is the best dictionary that I have ever seen.

This is the best dictionary which I've ever seen.

The only thing that I can do is to take his advice.

The only thing, What What I can do is listen to his advice.

Rice. 8. Illustration for example ()

Limericks

English limericks are poems that are one of the components of English humor and culture.

A limerick is a short, funny poem consisting of five lines. In addition, a distinctive feature of the limerick is its special, uniform poetic form. Usually begins with the words “There was a...”.

Here are some interesting limericks.

There was an Old Man of Peru,

Who dreamed he was eating his shoe.

He wakes up in the night

In a terrible fright

And found it was perfectly true!

One day I saw an eccentric

In a dream that he eats his shoe

He instantly woke up

And I was convinced

That this is really true.

There was an Old Man, who when little,

Fell casually into a kettle;

But growing too stout

He could never get out

So he passed all his life in that kettle.

One clumsy kid

Fell into the pot, you tomboy.

He wanted to get out quickly

But I got so fat

That the little guy remained there.

Self-test tasks

And now let’s do some exercises to understand the use of who, which, whose and that better.

Now let's do some exercises to better understand the use of the pronouns who, which, whose, that.

Look at the sentences and fill the gaps with the necessary relative pronoun - who, whose, which.

1. Do you know ___ cup of tea it is? → whose

2. She is looking at the aquarium ___ we bought last week. → which

3. I don’t know the girl ___ is speaking with my brother. → who

4. Where is the pie ___ our mother made yesterday? → which

5. Do you know ___ dog is in our garden? → whose

6. We know ___ broke your vase. → who

7. I don’t see the boy ___ won the competition. → who

8. Have you found the dog ___ bit you? → which

9. I wonder ___ car it is. → whose

10. The apple ___ I bought is worm-eaten. → which

Bibliography

1. Afanasyeva O. V. Series “New English course for Russian schools.” 5th grade. - M: Bustard, 2008.
2. Fomina I. N., Fomina L. V. English in algorithms. - Dnepropetrovsk, 2007.
3. Dubrovin M.I. Illustrated guide to English grammar. - M: “Nachala-Press”, 1992.
4. Pakhotin A. Everything about modal verbs and the subjunctive mood in English. - M: Karev Publisher, 2005.

1. Educational Internet resources - English language ().
   
2. Rapidsteps.com ().
3. CorrectEnglish.ru ().

Homework

Insert the pronouns who, whose or which.

1. He didn’t know ___ sheet of paper it was. 2. We are talking about the book ___ we bought yesterday. 3. I don’t know the man ___ is looking at me. 4. Where is the pizza ___ she cooked yesterday? 5. Do you know ___ cat it is? 6. I know ___ broke your smartphone. 7. We are discussing the boy ___ won the competition. 8. Do you see the elephant ___ has a big red bow? 9. He wonders ___ house it is. 10. The apple-pie ___ I bought is in the refrigerator.

Divide the pronouns who, which, whose, that into two columns depending on whether they are used with animate and inanimate objects. Come up with one example to support your choice.

Interrogative-Relative Pronouns in English.

Interrogative relative pronouns include who- Who, whose- whose, what- what, which, which- which. Adjacent to this group is the relative pronoun that– what, which.

Pronoun Who

Pronoun who refers to persons and is used without a subsequent noun or pronoun. When consumed who as an interrogative pronoun in the function of a subject, the predicate, as a rule, has a singular form:
Who helps are you in your work? - Who helps you in your work?
Exceptions are those cases when the questioner knows that the answer to his question will be a plural noun:
Who were playing chess at thesecondtable? - Whoplayed chess at the second table?

If who as an interrogative pronoun, it is the nominal part of the predicate, the linking verb agrees in person with the subject:
Who are they? - Who are they?
Whois thisgirl? - Who's that girl?

Who has the form of the oblique case whom, which is used as a question word in the complement function, especially in formal style. In an informal style, these functions are performed by who in the general case. Compare:

When consumed who as a relative pronoun “who”, “which” in the function of the subject in a subordinate clause, the predicate can be in both singular and plural:
The girl who was Barely 20 hadalready worked 5 years. - Young woman, which Just turned 20, already worked for 5 years.
Theyheardthemovementsofthose w ho were on the bank.- They heard movements those who was on the shore.

Who can be used as a relative pronoun in emphatic expression itis (was) ...who to highlight a subject denoting a person:
It was I who told the police. - It's me told the police.

Pronoun usage whom as a relative pronoun is relatively rare:
This is Mr Perkins whom you metat the sales conference.
- This is Mr. Perkins, with which you met at a sales conference.
The people with whom he worked he is regarded as eccentric.
- People with which he worked, they considered him eccentric.

In an informal style whom or is replaced by that, or omitted altogether:
There's the man ( that) we met in thepublastnight.
- That man over there whom we saw it in the pub yesterday.

Pronouns What, Which And That

What And which– unchangeable pronouns that can be used both with nouns and personal pronouns, and independently.
When used without a noun or pronoun, what And which can only refer to inanimate objects:
Which would you like – steak orplace? - What Will you have steak or flounder?
What would you like to drink? - What will you drink?

Wherein which implies limited, and what– wider choice.
What may apply to persons if their profession or occupation is ascertained. For example:
What are you? - By whom you are working?
What's your brother? - Who your brother?

what in the function of the subject it is used in the singular:
What has happened? - What's happened?
Verb-predicate with a pronoun what in the function of the nominal part of the predicate agrees in person and number with the subject:
What is your opinion on this question?- What's it like yours opinion about this question?
What are his daughters like? - Which him daughters?
(Question whatis/are...like? corresponds to the Russian “what”, “what”).

Pronoun what in the function of addition in combination with prepositions corresponds to the Russian “what” in indirect cases with and without prepositions. Preposition relating to what as an interrogative or relative pronoun, usually takes place after a verb:
What is he going to talk about? - About what is he going to talk?

Combined with a noun which And what can refer to both inanimate and animate nouns. The semantic difference between which And what and the same:

Pronoun what as a relative does not coincide in meaning with the Russian “what”. Relative pronoun what either attaches an indirect question (subordinate explanatory clause), or corresponds to the complex Russian conjunction “such as”, “that that”.
He asked me what I intended to do? - He asked me, What I intend to do.
Heaskedmewhat colorI'd like.- He asked me, Which the color I would prefer.
The life in the country is notwhat it used to be.- Life in the village is not like this, How was earlier.
Igaveherjustwhat sheneeded.- I gave it to her just what she need.
Do you want to hear what hesaid?- Do you want to hear That, What He said?

In the latter case what has a general meaning - “all that” If such a meaning is somehow specified, instead what used that:
Do you want to hear the words that he said?- You want to hear those words kotory He said?

Relative pronoun that refers to words thewords and corresponds to the Russian “which”. If we need the relative pronoun to refer to the entire sentence, instead of what or that used which:
Sally went out with George, which Made Paul very angry.- Sally left with George, What made Paul very angry.

Which as a relative pronoun, "which" can also refer to one of the members of the main clause denoting an inanimate object. In such cases, a comma before which not put:
Theyreturnedtotheircanoewhich they had left in the stream.- They returned to their canoe, kotoswarm left on the river.

Relative pronoun that often used instead who(about people) and which(about objects) in subordinate clauses sentences in cases where the subordinate clause contains information that is absolutely necessary for understanding who or what is being discussed in the main clause. Compare:
Thewomanthat/ who usuallycuts my hair has moved toanother hairdresser's.
- Woman, which She usually cuts my hair, she moved to work at another hairdresser.
Dorothy,who cutsmyhairhasmovedtoanotherhair-dresser's.
- Dorothy, Who She usually cuts my hair, she moved to work at another hairdresser.

If we omit the subordinate clause in the second sentence, it will not lose its meaning: it will remain quite clear who we are talking about - Dorothy. The very first sentence without an attributive clause loses its meaning. In such sentences it is used that:
Where'sthegirlthat sellsthe- Where is that girl? which sells bi-
tickets? = ... who sells… years?
I've lost the bananas that I've- I lost my bananas which bought
bought this morning. this morning.

That especially often used after superlative degrees of comparison and words all, every(thing), some(thing), any(thing), no(thing), none, little, few, much, only:
It's the best film that ever's been made on this subject. - This best movie, which has ever been filmed on this topic.
Is this all that's left?- This All, What left?
Haveyougotanything that belongs to me?
- Do you have anything that belongs to me?
The only thing that matters is to find our way home.
- The only thing, What What matters is finding the way home.

If that is the object of the predicate clause, it is often omitted, especially in spoken English:
Heisamanpeoplelikeatfirstsight.- He's one of those Who I like it at first sight.

Pronoun Whose
Invariable pronoun whose– whose usually used in relation to persons. In a sentence whose usually serves as a modifier and comes immediately before the noun it refers to. The noun in this case is used without an article:
Whose books arethese? - Whose This books?

Whose as a relative pronoun it means “whose”, “whose”:
This is Henry whose wife works for my brother.- This is Henry, whose wife/wife whom works for my brother.

Sometimes whose can be used as a relative pronoun in relation to inanimate nouns:
Itwasameeting whose importance I didn’t realize at the time.- That was meeting, importance which I didn't understand at the time.
However, it is preferable to use a prepositional construction with which:
It was a meeting the importance of which I didn’t realize at the time.

In today's article we offer a mini-lesson on the use of English pronouns who, whom and whose, which cause serious difficulties even for those who have been studying English for several months.

Personal, objective and possessive pronouns.
To understand how to use who, whom, and whose correctly, you first need to understand the difference between subject, object, and possessive.

The subject expressed by the pronoun performs the action:
She loves knitting.
They admire Pre-Raphaelites.
I am afraid of spiders.

The action is aimed at the complement expressed by the pronoun:
He describes him.
They told her the truth.
We let her in.

Possessive pronouns tell us that something belongs to a person:
Her piano is out of tune.
They had to cancel their tour.
The committee has rejected his offer.

• Who is a personal pronoun.

Who can also be called a subject pronoun because it acts as the subject. It can also be an interrogative pronoun, which is used to find out who has performed an action or is in some state:
Who is ready to speak?
Who is paying at the bar tonight?
Who is fit enough to climb that tree?

• Whom is the object case of the personal pronoun.

Whom is an object personal pronoun in the same group as him, her and us. such as “him”, “her”, “us”. We use the interrogative whom to find out who the action is directed at:
Whom are you planning to call?
Whom did you step on?
Whom did he love in his early twenties?

• Whose is a possessive pronoun.

Whose belongs to the group of possessive pronouns along with her, his and our. We use whose in a question to find out who owns something:
Whose purse is left on the table unattended?
Whose car alarm has just gone off?
Whose swimsuit is hung up to dry outside?

Who, whom, whose in indirect questions.
The sentence below contains an example of an indirect question:
I don’t care whom he called yesterday.

Such sentences usually begin with phrases like "She is not sure", "I don"t know" or "They don"t care." Ignore the first part of the prepositional question and look carefully at the indirect question to decide whether it is better to insert who, whom or whose. Ask yourself whether the question is asking for a subject, an object, or a possessive pronoun.
She doesn't know who the headmaster is. (subject)
I don’t care whom you were friends with in the past. (addition)
She is not sure whose credit card she is using. (possessive pronoun)

Who, whom, whose in subordinate clauses.
The following sentence is an example of a complex sentence with a attributive clause:
They were acquainted with the jockey who had won the race.

Subordinate clauses characterize or describe the noun in the main clause. When deciding whether to use who, whom, or whose, pay attention to the structure of the clause itself and the function of the noun it refers to:
The singer who performed tonight is world renowned.
They try to arrange a meeting with the actor whom they are going to interview next week.
She looked up to the colleague whose supervision she was under.

Whom is becoming increasingly rare.
The form whom is rapidly losing popularity in modern English. Many English speakers generally think that "whom" sounds old-fashioned and pompous, and this tendency is especially common in the United States. Especially in combination with prepositions, many people prefer to use "who" instead of "whom", and for most native speakers the examples below will sound quite familiar:
Who did you get the money from?
That is the man who I had a fight with.
I don't care who she gave her heart to.

How to use the pronouns what, who, whom, which, whose;
√ Interrogative pronouns.
√ Syntactic function of relative pronouns ( what, who, whom, which, whose ).
√ Consumption that instead of the relative pronouns what, who, whom, which, whose in the subordinate clause.
√Using Whose.
√ Use of that, which, who in informal speech.
√ Preposition with a relative pronoun.
√ Use which.
√ Exercises.

Interrogative pronouns.
1. Interrogative pronouns are relative pronouns ( what, who, whom, which, whose ), are only used in a complex declarative sentence to connect the main clause with a subordinate clause.

Syntactic function of relative pronouns (what, who, whom, which, whose).
At the same time, within a subordinate clause, these pronouns perform an independent syntactic function (subject, object, determiner).
The woman, who is from London, speaks Irish.
That woman, who is from London, speaks Irish (subject).
Doesn't always say what he thinks.
He always says what he thinks (addition).
That is the doll which I bought for my daughter.
This is a doll that I bought for my daughter (extra).

Using that instead of the relative pronouns what, who, whom, which, whose in a subordinate clause.
Instead of the relative pronouns what, who, whom, which, whose, a relative pronoun can be used in a subordinate clause that- which, which in relation to both animate and inanimate objects (But: after commas and prepositions that is not used)
These are the tables which they bought 2 weeks ago.
These are the tables that they bought 2 weeks ago.
These are the tables they bought two weeks ago.

Use Whose.
2. Whose as a relative pronoun is used with both inanimate and animate objects and stands directly before the noun to which the pronoun refers.
Do they happen to call the young women whose names are Jill and Jim Peterson?
Did you happen to call any young women named Gil and Jim Peterson?
The mountains whose tops were covered with snow looked magnificent.
The mountains, whose peaks (whose peaks) were covered with snow, looked majestic.

Using that, which, who in informal speech.
3. In informal speech that, which, who how relative pronouns can be omitted, except when the pronoun functions as the subject of a subordinate clause.
I saw some people I knew personally.
I saw people I knew personally.
The boy, who (subject) has broken the chair is her son.
The boy who broke that chair is her son.


Preposition with a relative pronoun.
4. The preposition (with a relative pronoun, when omitted, remains) in a sentence is placed after the verb and after the object (if present).
That's the hotel in where (which) we stayed.
That's the hotel they stayed in.
This is the motel we stayed at.

Use which.
5. Relative pronoun which can introduce a subordinate clause, which refers not to a single word, but to the entire main sentence and is separated from it by a comma. In this case it corresponds to the Russian pronoun that.
Not informed me about it in time, which helped me very much.
He informed me about it on time, which helped me a lot.

Exercises:
Choose the correct answer
1. The coach, which / who was appointed just last week, made no comment on the situation.
2. Isn’t that the street which / where the accident happened last night?
3. The human brain, which / what weighs about 1400 grammes, is ten times the size of a baboon’s.
4. There are several reasons where / why I don’t want to talk to Mike.
5. This is the university which / where I work.
6. The new guy in our group who’s / whose name is Alex, seems really nice.
7. All the friends to who / whom the e-mail was sent replied.
8. February 14th where / when we express our love to each other, is known as St.Valentine’s Day.
9. A very popular breed of dog is the German Shepherd what / which is often used as a guard dog.
10. The unsinkable Titanic sank on her maiden voyage, what / which shocked the whole world.
Keys:
1-who
2-where
3-which
4-why
5-where
6-whose
7-whom
8-when
9-which
10-what

Exercise
Select the correct answer"
1. There were none of my biscuits left when I had a cup of tea, ... was really annoying.
1) what 3) which
2) why 4) who

2. We have just bought a new webcamera... takes clear pictures.
1) who 3) where
2) which 4) what

3. The Godfather was made by Francis Ford Copolla, ... daughter is also
a film director.
1) whose 3) who’s
2) whose's 4) who's's

4. Do you know any reason ... Sally should be angry with me?
1) which 3)why
2) where 4) when

5. Here is a photo of the hotel ... we stayed when we were in Sydney.
1) which 3) when
2) what 4) where

6. How do you think the first man ... went into space felt?
1)what 3)whom
2) whose 4) who

7. This is the first occasion on ... the directors of these well-known companies have met.
1) which 3) when
2) what 4) where

8. She is a person for ... very few people feel much sympathy.
1) who 3) which
2) whom 4) why

9. The moment... the heroine suddenly appears at the ball is the most exciting moment in the whole film.
1) which 3) when
2) what 4) where

10. We met a woman... had a dog with only three legs.
1) whose 3) which
2) whom 4) who

11. Our new flat, ... we moved in about a month ago, seems like quite a cozy place.
1) which 3) when
2) what 4) where

12. Microsoft has a lot of power in the world of computers, ... annoys some people.
1) who 3) where
2) which 4) what

13. “1984” was written by George Orwell ... real name was Eric Blair.
1) whose 3) which
2) whom 4) who

14. Parts of Buckingham Palace, ... the queen lives, are open to the public.
1) who 3) where
2) which 4) what

15. I will arrange an interview with someone ... can help you.
1) whose 3) which
2) whom 4) who