Instructions: 1. LABEL these notes Relative Pronouns & Clauses 2. Be sure to DATE these notes.

  You may see and/or use these words everyday. The following are the complete list of relative pronouns: that, when, which, whichever, whichsoever, who, whoever, whosoever, whom, whomever, whomsoever, whose, whosesoever, whatever, whatsoever  The five relative pronouns that will be emphasized in this lesson are: who, whom, which, whose, and that.  Check your SAM sheet for those listed ! Relative Pronouns & Clauses

  A relative pronoun BEGINS a relative clause and connects it to another idea in the same sentence.  A relative clause does NOT express a complete thought, so it cannot stand alone as a sentence.  To avoid writing a fragment, you MUST connect each relative clause to an independent clause. Relative Pronouns & Clauses

 Independent Clause Relative Clause Here is the watch that Kim bought. Example

 Your choice of relative pronoun is determined by whether it refers to a person or a thing.  Who and Whom refer to people.  Which refers to things.  That refers to people **.  Whose refers to people or things and is used to show possession. **Note: Avoid using that when referring to people, especially in formal writing.

 Category EXAMPLE People who The boy who rang the bell fell over the recycle bin. (who refers to boy) whom The boy whom you met is originally from Chicago, IL. (whom refers to boy) whose The boy whose bike was stolen is a member of the baseball team. (bike belongs to boy) Things which The candle which melted burned very fast. (which refers to candle) which The candle which you made sold for $10. (which refers to candle) whose The candle whose wick had snapped was expensive. (wick belongs to candle) People or Things that The dog that bit the postman is always barking. (that refers to dog) that The dog that the postman hates loves to intimidate neighbors. (that refers to dog) whose The dog whose bark sounds like a cough is mixed. (bark belongs to dog)

  Punctuating relative clauses can be tricky. For each sentence, you will have to decide if the relative clause is essential or nonessential, and then use commas accordingly.  Essential clauses do not require commas. A relative clause is essential when you need the information it provides.  Nonessential clauses require commas. A relative clause is nonessential when you do not need the information it provides. Punctuation

 EXAMPLE: The children who skateboard in the street are especially noisy in the early evening.  Children is not specific; no specific names of children are mentioned.  To know which children we are talking about, we must have the information in the relative clause. Thus, the relative clause is essential and requires no commas. Look at this example:

 However, if we eliminate children and choose more specific nouns instead, the relative clause becomes nonessential and DOES require commas to separate it from the rest of the sentence. Punctuation

 Matthew and his sister, Loretta, who skateboard in the street, are especially noisy in the early evening.  Names of people (children— Matthew and his sister, Loretta ) are specifically mentioned making the relative clause nonessential. Commas are around the relative clause to separate it from the rest of the sentence! Look at this example:

 Directions (1) With a partner, look at the independent clauses below. (2) Fill in the blank with the most appropriate relative pronoun. who, whose, whom, that, which EX: Dave bought a car which needs to be fixed. Which refers to ____________________ Guided Practice

 EX: Dave bought a car which needs to be fixed. Which refers to car. Additional direction: (3) Underline the word in which the relative pronoun refers to. Guided Practice

 1. This is the book _____________ everyone is raving about. 2. She is a painter ___________ loves to also cook. 3. I have a friend ____________ bicycle is all black with green wheels. 4. Snoopy chased the annoying cat _____________ digs in the trash around the corner. 5. He is the one, ___________ loaned me a pencil during math class. 6. The boy, ___________ father is a professor, forgot his homework. Guided Practice

 1. This is the book that everyone is raving about. 2. She is a painter who loves to also cook. 3. I have a friend whose bicycle is all black with green wheels. 4. Snoopy chased the annoying cat that digs in the trash around the corner. 5. He is the one, who loaned me a pencil during math class. 6. The boy, whose father is a professor, forgot his homework. Guided Practice