Relative pronouns are words like who, which, whom and that. They serve two purposes. They connect two clauses. They also serve as the subject or object of the verb in the relative clause.
Test your understanding of relative pronouns with this interactive grammar exercise.
Complete the following sentences using appropriate relative pronouns.
1Mary had a little lamb ............... fleece was as white as snow.
Wrong!
Use "whose" to show that the fleece belonged to the lamb.
2He tells a tale ............... sounds true.
Wrong!
Use "that" for a thing when it is the subject of the relative clause.
3They never fail ............... die for a great cause.
Wrong!
Use "who" for people when they are the subject of the relative clause.
4He ............... laughs last laughs best.
Wrong!
Use "who" after "he" when it means "any person who."
5The dog ............... barks does not bite.
Wrong!
Use "that" for an animal when it is the subject of the relative clause.
6There I met a girl ............... eyes were black.
Wrong!
Use "whose" to show that the eyes belonged to the girl.
7The boy ............... sits near me is my cousin.
Wrong!
Use "who" for a person when he is the subject of the relative clause.
8He has lost the book ............... he borrowed from you.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Both "that" and "which" can refer to the book as the object of the relative clause.
9This is the place ............... our forefathers landed.
Wrong!
Use "where" to refer to the place of an action.
Exercise complete
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correct answers
Answers
- Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was as white as snow.
- He tells a tale that sounds true.
- They never fail who die for a great cause.
- He who laughs last laughs best.
- The dog that barks does not bite.
- There I met a girl whose eyes were black.
- The boy who sits near me is my cousin.
- He has lost the book that / which he borrowed from you.
- This is the place where our forefathers landed.