Chapter 17: Relative Pronouns

Subordinate Clauses

• Also known as dependent clauses.

• Can’t stand alone in a sentence.

• Do not express a complete thought.

• Attached to main/independent clauses.

• Contain subject and predicate, but sound incomplete when they stand alone.

Relative Pronouns

• In English, the relative pronouns are that, which, whichever, who, whoever, whom, whose, whosoever, whomever.

• Ex: The boy whom I love is named Jim.– Main clause: The boy is named Jim.– Subordinate clause: whom I love

Relative Pronouns

• Refer back to an antecedent in the main clause.

• An antecedent is the noun or noun phrase to which a pronoun refers.

• Ex: The boy whom I love is named Jim.– Pronoun: whom– Antecedent: boy

Relative Pronoun

• Relative clause provides extra information about the antecedent that is not necessary for comprehension of the main clause.

• Ex: The boy whom I love is named Jim.– Without the relative clause:

The boy is named Jim.

Relative Pronoun

• Since it refers back to the antecedent, they agree in gender and number.

• The relative pronoun gets its case from its function in the relative clause.

• Ex: The boy whom I love is named Jim.– Gender: masculine (refers back to the boy)– Number: singular (there’s only one boy)– Case: accusative (direct object of verb ‘love’

in the relative clause)

Relative Pronouns

Singular Plural

M F N M F N

Nom qui quae quod qui quae quae

Gen cuius cuius cuius quorum quarum quorum

Dat cui cui cui quibus quibus quibus

Acc quem quam quod quos quas quae

Abl quō quā quō quibus quibus quibus

Relative Clauses

• Usually, they begin with the relative pronoun and end with the verb of the subordinate clause.

• Ex: Puella cui librum dat est fortunata.

Relative Clauses

Relative pronouns can also be used in conjunction with prepositions.

Viros ad civitatem in quā eras misit.

If you use the preposition cum, it gets attached to the end of the relative.

Nauta quōcum navigavisti te laudavit.