Relative Pronouns Quiz with Answers: Master the Rules

Introduction to Relative Pronouns Quiz with Answers

Connecting ideas seamlessly is one of the most critical steps in mastering English grammar. Whether you are drafting a policy memo, writing an academic essay, or preparing for an English language exam, knowing how to link clauses correctly makes your writing coherent and polished. At the heart of this skill are relative pronouns: words like who, whom, whose, which, and that.

If you want to evaluate your knowledge, taking a relative pronouns quiz with answers is the fastest way to spot your weak areas and master the mechanics of complex sentences. In this comprehensive guide, we will break down the grammatical rules governing relative pronouns, highlight common pitfalls across global dialects, provide over 85 practical examples, and test your retention with an interactive practice test and answer key.

What Is a Relative Pronoun? Definition and Rules

A relative pronoun connects a dependent (or relative) clause to an independent clause. Its primary purpose is to provide additional information about a preceding noun (the antecedent) without having to start a completely new sentence.

Independent idea: I met a journalist.
Dependent idea: The journalist covered the international summit.
Combined with a relative pronoun: I met the journalist WHO covered the international summit.

The Core Relative Pronouns

Defining vs. Non-Defining Relative Clauses

To choose the correct relative pronoun, you must determine whether the information being added is essential or non-essential.

1. Defining (Restrictive) Clauses

• Purpose: Provides essential information necessary to identify the noun.
• Punctuation: No commas are used.
• Pronoun Choice: Use that or who (in US and UK English, that is strongly preferred for objects/things).
• Example: The bill that limits fossil fuel subsidies passed the Senate.
  (Removing “that limits fossil fuel subsidies” alters the identity of the bill being discussed.)

2. Non-Defining (Non-Restrictive) Clauses

• Purpose: Adds extra, non-essential background information. If removed, the core sentence remains clear.
• Punctuation: Must be set off with commas (or parentheses/dashes).
• Pronoun Choice: Use which (for things) or who (for people). You cannot use that.
• Example: The climate accord, which was signed in 2015, faces renewed scrutiny.
  (The sentence still makes complete sense if you say: “The climate accord faces renewed scrutiny.”)

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Pick the Right Relative Pronoun

Follow this four-step decision tree whenever you are unsure which pronoun to insert:

[Look at the Antecedent]
       │
       ├─► Is it a Person?
       │        ├─► Possessive? ─────────────────────────► Use WHOSE
       │        ├─► Subject (performs action)? ──────────► Use WHO
       │        └─► Object (receives action)? ───────────► Use WHOM (formal) or WHO (informal)
       │
       └─► Is it a Thing or Animal?
                ├─► Possessive? ─────────────────────────► Use WHOSE or OF WHICH
                ├─► Essential clause (no commas)? ───────► Use THAT (preferred) or WHICH
                └─► Non-essential clause (with commas)? ─► Use WHICH

85+ Categorized Examples of Relative Pronouns

1. Basic Examples (Foundational Sentences)

1. This is the student who scored the highest mark.
2. I found the keys that were missing from my desk.
3. The car, which was red, belonged to my uncle.
4. The musician whose song went viral lives in Melbourne.
5. The doctor who treated me was remarkably patient.
6. Here is the computer that crashed yesterday afternoon.
7. The dog that barked all night belongs to our neighbour.
8. The apartment, which has two balconies, is now rented.
9. She spoke to the clerk who processed her passport application.
10. The parcel that arrived this morning was damaged.

2. Intermediate Examples (Mixed Clauses & Objects)

11. The envoy whom the president appointed will travel to Geneva.
12. The historical site, which attracts thousands of tourists, requires urgent renovation.
13. A writer whose books challenge societal norms will speak tonight.
14. The bridge that connects the two islands was closed due to high winds.
15. He returned the toolkit that he borrowed last weekend.
16. The analyst whom the network consulted predicted an interest rate cut.
17. Our regional director, who rarely visits this branch, arrived at dawn.
18. The factory that produced these semiconductors closed last winter.
19. A woman whose luggage was lost filed an official complaint.
20. The proposal, which we submitted last Friday, has been accepted.

3. Advanced Examples (Prepositions and Quantifiers)

21. The committee reviewed the framework upon which the policy was built.
22. There were fifty delegates present, many of whom opposed the resolution.
23. The organization purchased three regional carriers, two of which were bankrupt.
24. The ambassador, to whom the letter was addressed, declined an interview.
25. We examined the methodology by which the figures had been calculated.
26. He worked with several civil engineers, all of whom endorsed the blueprints.
27. The laboratory acquired modern centrifuges, none of which were operational.
28. She outlined the principles on which constitutional democracy relies.
29. The witness, through whose testimony the case was solved, entered protection.
30. The panel interviewed twelve applicants, the youngest of whom was twenty-four.

4. Daily Conversation Examples

31. Is that the barista who makes the incredible flat white?
32. I can’t locate the remote that controls the television.
33. That guy whose car broke down is blocking the entire driveway.
34. The cafe, which is usually packed on Saturdays, was completely empty.
35. The neighbour who lives upstairs plays the drums every evening.
36. Did you watch the documentary that I recommended last week?
37. That’s the colleague whom everyone keeps talking about.
38. My phone, which is barely a year old, already has battery issues.
39. The girl who sits next to me in class is moving to Auckland.
40. Here is the recipe that my grandmother gave me.

5. Academic & Current Affairs Writing Examples

41. The legislation, which passed with bipartisan support, tackles inflation directly.
42. Economists who study fiscal policy warn against abrupt tax hikes.
43. The treaty that settled the border dispute was renegotiated in London.
44. Academics whose studies rely on public grants face budget reductions.
45. The electoral commission, which oversees polling stations, deployed observers.
46. Developing countries that rely on raw commodities face price volatility.
47. The justice to whom the appeal was directed denied the preliminary injunction.
48. A climate study that surveyed Arctic ice sheets yielded alarming data.
49. The prime minister, whose leadership was challenged, called an election.
50. Theories which fail empirical replication are eventually discarded.

6. Business & Professional Examples

51. The vendor that supplies our office paper increased its rates.
52. The consultant whom we hired to review logistics finalized her audit.
53. Enterprise software that lacks two-factor authentication violates policy.
54. The firm, which expanded into Canada last year, posted strong profits.
55. An investor whose portfolio emphasizes green energy bought 10,000 shares.
56. The auditor who inspected our accounts verified all quarterly balances.
57. We selected an agency whose previous marketing campaigns stood out.
58. The contractor who renovated the boardroom finished ahead of deadline.
59. Our subsidiary, which manages digital payments, launched a new app.
60. The executive whom the board dismissed contested his severance terms.

7. Workplace Email Examples

61. “Please find attached the revision that you requested earlier today.”
62. “I am copying Sarah, who leads our human resources department.”
63. “Could you update the spreadsheet which lists vendor contact details?”
64. “We welcome any candidate whose background matches our profile.”
65. “The meeting, which was originally planned for 2 PM, is moved to 4 PM.”
66. “Thank you to all team members who assisted during the product rollout.”
67. “Please reach out to the project lead whom I introduced in yesterday’s email.”
68. “I am reviewing the contract that your legal counsel delivered.”
69. “Colleagues whose expense reports are pending must submit them by Friday.”
70. “The office printer, which jammed twice this morning, requires a technician.”

8. ESL & Student-Centric Examples

71. The teacher who explains grammar clearly is my favourite.
72. I read a book that had three hundred pages.
73. The student whose notebook I borrowed was absent today.
74. That is the dictionary that helped me pass my IELTS test.
75. The university, which was founded in 1850, has a beautiful library.
76. The boy who won the spelling contest received a medal.
77. I watched a foreign film that had English subtitles.
78. The school principal, who retired yesterday, gave a moving speech.
79. The pencil that is on the desk belongs to the instructor.
80. A person who speaks multiple languages is called a polyglot.

9. Common Mistakes: Incorrect vs. Correct

Quick Reference Rules to Avoid Common Errors

1. The “He/Him” Trick for Who vs. Whom

To determine whether to use who or whom, substitute the pronoun with he or him (or she/her):

• If he fits: Use who (Subject: Who wrote this? He wrote this.)
• If him fits: Use whom (Object: Whom did you invite? I invited him.)
• Preposition rule: If a preposition immediately precedes the pronoun (to, from, with, by), always use whom (To whom it may concern, with whom I spoke).

2. The Comma Check for Which vs. That

• If you can drop the clause without losing the fundamental point of the sentence, enclose it in commas and use which.
• If removing the clause destroys the specific meaning of the sentence, omit commas and use that.

Practice Exercises (Fill in the Blanks)

Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, which, or that). Answers are provided directly below.

1. The scientist _______ discovered the vaccine was awarded the Nobel Prize.
2. The skyscraper, _______ was completed in 2021, is the tallest in the city.
3. Is that the executive _______ company merged with ours?
4. The file _______ you uploaded to the server was corrupted.
5. The attorney with _______ I consulted advised settling out of court.

Answers:

1. who (subject referring to a person)
2. which (non-defining clause marked by commas)
3. whose (possessive form indicating ownership)
4. that (or which; defining clause specifying the file)
5. whom (object of the preposition “with”)

Relative Pronouns Quiz with Answers

Put your grammar skills to the test with this five-question challenge. Choose the best option for each question, then check your answers below.

Question 1

The diplomat, _______ passport had expired, was temporarily detained at the border.
A) who
B) whom
C) whose
D) which

Question 2

The historical monument _______ stands in the city square was built in 1888.
A) that
B) whom
C) who
D) whose

Question 3

The delegate _______ the assembly elected to chair the committee will serve for two years.
A) which
B) whose
C) whom
D) what

Question 4

Our company headquarters, _______ are located in Dublin, will undergo extensive renovations.
A) that
B) which
C) what
D) whom

Question 5

She spoke to the analyst with _______ she had exchanged several urgent emails.
A) who
B) which
C) that
D) whom

Quiz Answer Key & Explanations

1. Correct Answer: C) whose
   Explanation: The sentence requires a possessive relative pronoun to indicate that the passport belongs to the diplomat. Whose is the only possessive relative pronoun in English.
2. Correct Answer: A) that
   Explanation: The clause “that stands in the city square” is a defining (restrictive) relative clause identifying which monument is meant. Since there are no commas, that is the correct and preferred choice for an inanimate object.
3. Correct Answer: C) whom
   Explanation: In formal English, whom serves as the object of the relative clause (the assembly elected him). Who is common colloquially, but whom is grammatically standard in formal writing.
4. Correct Answer: B) which
   Explanation: The clause is set off by commas, indicating a non-defining (non-restrictive) clause providing non-essential details. In standard English, that cannot be used in a non-defining clause; which must be used.
5. Correct Answer: D) whom
   Explanation: The relative pronoun is the object of the preposition with (with whom). In standard grammatical conventions, a preposition must be followed by the objective pronoun whom, never who or that.

Study Sheet (Quick Review Summary)

Keep this quick reference card saved on your phone or printed for your desk:

=============================================================
               RELATIVE PRONOUNS CHEAT SHEET
=============================================================
* WHO      -> People (Subject pronoun: replaces he/she/they)
* WHOM     -> People (Object pronoun: follows prepositions; replaces him/her/them)
* WHOSE    -> People/Things (Possessive pronoun: replaces his/her/their/its)
* WHICH    -> Things/Animals (Used in non-defining clauses WITH COMMAS)
* THAT     -> Things/Animals/People (Used in defining clauses WITHOUT COMMAS)
=============================================================

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can “whose” be used for non-human objects?

Yes. English does not have a dedicated inanimate possessive relative pronoun, so whose is widely accepted for objects and places to avoid clumsy constructions like of which. For example: “The company whose shares dropped” is preferred over “The company the shares of which dropped.”

2. Is it ever acceptable to use “that” for people?

In casual conversation, many native speakers use that to refer to people (“the girl that lives next door”). However, in academic, business, and formal publications across the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, style guides uniformly recommend using who or whom when referring to humans.

3. When can I omit the relative pronoun entirely?

You can omit the relative pronoun when it functions as the object of a defining relative clause. For example: “The book [that] I bought” can simply be “The book I bought.” However, if the pronoun is the subject of the clause (“The author who wrote the book”), it cannot be dropped.

4. Why does British English sometimes use “which” without commas?

In UK and Commonwealth English, the distinction between that and which in restrictive clauses is slightly more flexible than in US English. While US style manuals (such as Chicago and APA) strictly enforce that for restrictive clauses without commas, British publications occasionally use which without commas. However, using that for restrictive clauses is universally accepted in all standard dialects.

5. What is the difference between “who” and “whom” after a preposition?

When a preposition (such as to, for, with, about, or from) immediately precedes the pronoun, whom is mandatory: “the official to whom we wrote”. If the preposition moves to the end of the clause in informal speech, who is often heard: “the official who we wrote to”.

Conclusion

Mastering relative pronouns ensures that your spoken and written English remains clear, exact, and grammatically correct. By memorizing the distinction between defining and non-defining clauses and applying the simple he/him substitution trick for who and whom, you can avoid the most frequent errors found in modern professional and academic writing.

Bookmark this page, revisit the rules whenever you draft important documents, and share this guide with colleagues or students preparing for English proficiency exams.

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Disclaimer

This educational article adheres to standard international English conventions (encompassing US, UK, Canadian, and Australian editorial standards). Variations may occur depending on specific corporate or university style guides (e.g., AP, Chicago, Oxford).

Also Read: Reflexive Pronouns Worksheet with Answers: Rules, Usage, and Practice

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