Study the sentences given below.

• The Wikipedia is a free reference site. It is accessed by millions across the world.

We can connect these two sentences using a relative pronoun.

The Wikipedia, which is a free reference site, is accessed by millions across the world.

Here the relative pronoun which not only connects the two clauses but also serves as the subject of the relative clause ‘which is a free reference site’.

Although relative pronouns are relatively easy to use, students often confuse them. In this lesson, we will give you some tips to avoid common mistakes in the use of relative pronouns.

Who, whom and whose

The relative pronouns who, whom are only used to refer to people. They cannot be used to refer to animals or other objects.

• The farmer killed the dog which bit the boy. (NOT The farmer killed the dog who bit the boy.)

Note that whom and whose are the object and possessive forms of who.

The relative pronoun whose can refer to people or things.

• It was a movie whose plot I didn’t understand.

Here the relative pronoun whose refers back to the inanimate object movie.

• I saw a girl whose beauty enchanted me.

Here the relative pronoun whose refers back to a person (girl)

Which

The relative pronoun which can only refer to animals or things. It cannot be used to refer to people.

1. The girl ……………………… scored the highest mark is my cousin.

a) who

b) whom

c) which

2. I praised the boy ………………………….. won the prize.

a) who

b) whom

c) which

3. I know the girl ……………………….. you met at the railway station yesterday.

a) who

b) whom

c) which

4. The girl ……………………………. my sister has adopted is mute and deaf.

a) who

b) whom

c) whose

5. The boy …………………………. father died last week has been absent since then.

a) who

b) whose

c) whom

6. This is the boy …………………………. father is a diplomat.

a) whose

b) who

c) that

7. This is the road ………………………… leads to the railway station.

a) whose

b) that

c) either could be used here

8. The laptop ……………………….. I purchased last week is very expensive.

a) that

b) which

c) either could be used here

9. The farmer killed the dog ………………………… bit the boy.

a) who

b) that

c) whose

10. This is the best book ……………………… is recommended by the teachers.

a) which

b) that

c) either could be used here

Answers

1. The girl who scored the highest mark is my cousin.

2. I praised the boy who won the prize.

3. I know the girl whom you met at the railway station yesterday.

4. The girl whom my sister has adopted is mute and deaf.

5. The boy whose father died last week has been absent since then.

6. This is the boy whose father is a diplomat.

7. This is the road that leads to the railway station.

8. The laptop that / which I purchased last week is very expensive.

9. The farmer killed the dog that bit the boy.

10. This is the best book that is recommended by the teachers. (After a superlative form, that is used instead of which.)

1. If I ………………………….. his phone number, I could call him.

a) know

b) knew

c) had known

2. The positive degree of ‘Raju is the most brilliant boy in the class’ is

a) Raju is a brilliant boy.

b) No other boy in the class is as brilliant as Raju.

c) Raju is more brilliant than any other boy in the class.

3. ‘We seldom see them these days’. Begin the sentence with seldom.

a) Seldom we see them these days.

b) Seldom do we see them these days.

c) Seldom we don’t see them these days.

4. The passive form of ‘He kept me waiting’ is

a) I was being kept waiting by him.

b) I was kept waiting by him.

c) I was kept awaited by him.

d) I was waited by him.

5. The meeting has been ………………………… until next week.

a) put on

b) put out

c) put off

d) none

6. Violation of something holy and sacred is ……………………………

a) pollution

b) pilferage

c) sacrilege

d) pittance

7. The higher you climb …………………………. you feel.

a) the most cold

b) colder

c) the colder

d) cold

8. Nocturnal relates to ………………………….

a) night time

b) day time

c) evening

d) afternoon

9. I love playing with my children. The gerund in this sentence is …………………….

a) love

b) playing

c) children

10. The poet and orator ……………………… dead.

a) is

b) are

c) has

Answers

1. If I knew his phone number, I could call him.

2. No other boy in the class is as brilliant as Raju.

3. Seldom do we see them these days.

4. I was kept waiting by him.

5. Put off

6. Sacrilege

7. The higher you climb, the colder you feel.

8. Night time

9. Playing

10. Is

1. After his father’s death, he took over the …………………………… of the company.

a) reigns

b) reins

c) rains

2. Trespassing is ……………………………

a) prohibited

b) prosecuted

c) persecuted

3. He filed a civil ……………………….. against his neighbor.

a) suite

b) suit

c) pursuit

4. The traffic cop told the driver that he should not …………………………. the speed limit.

a) accede

b) exceed

c) exude

5. ……………………….. living and high thinking should be our motto.

a) plain

b) plane

c) lane

6. Millions of people in poor countries still do not have ………………………… to electricity or safe drinking water.

a) access

b) excess

c) accent

7. He was the ………………………….. to the throne.

a) hair

b) heir

c) owner

8. Her rapid …………………………. In the world entertainment surprised her critics and delighted her fans.

a) accent

b) ascent

c) ascend

9. We watched as the plane ……………………………

a) ascended

b) ascented

c) assented

10. The manager ……………………….. that competition had affected profits.

a) conceded

b) convinced

c) acceded

Answers

1. After his father’s death he took over the reins of the company.

2. Trespassing is prohibited.

3. He filed a civil suit against his neighbor.

4. The traffic cop told the driver that he must not exceed the speed limit.

5. Plain living and high thinking should be our motto.

6. Millions of people in poor countries still do not have access to electricity or safe drinking water.

7. He was the heir to the throne.

8. Her rapid ascent in the world of entertainment surprised her critics and delighted her fans.

9. We watched as the plane ascended.

10. The manager conceded that competition affected profits.

Blue rinse

A blue rinse is a preparation used on gray or white hair, intended to make it look silver. This expression can also be used to relate to elderly or conservative women.

Greenmail

This expression is used to refer to the practice of buying a large number of shares in a firm with the objective of threatening a takeover.

Brown study

The state when a person is deeply absorbed in thought. Lack of company will soon lead a man into a brown study.

Purple passage

A brilliant passage in an otherwise uninspiring work. This expression is also used to refer to a piece of writing marked by ornate style.

Pink collar

This expression is used to refer to the type of jobs traditionally held by women.

Purple prose

An overly ornate piece of writing written with the sole objective of drawing excessive attention to it.

White-shoe

This expression is used to refer to a law firm or another business typically run by conservative, rich or elite people.

It is a well-known fact that she hails from a white-shoe background.

Blue streak

A seemingly endless stream of words. To talk a blue streak is to talk much and very rapidly.

1. The word most closely associated with HOSPITALITY is:

a) Hospital

b) Doctor

c) Nurse

d) Host

2. A person who helps others by donating money to charitable institutions is called a:

a) Socialist

b) Puritan

c) Philanthropist

d) Proletarian

3. A person who is out to subvert a government is a / an

a) Convalescent

b) Anarchist

c) Mercenary

d) Autocrat

4. Industrious means

a) Reserved

b) Sophisticated

c) Hard working

d) Intelligent

5. An extrovert is a person ………………………

a) Who is ex-communicated

b) Who goes to extremes

c) Who is excommunicated

d) Who is mainly interested in the world external to himself

6. The Old Testament gives the ………………………….. of Jews made with God.

a) Covenant

b) Covennant

c) Covenent

d) Covanant

7. The masculine gender of countess is ……………………

a) Earl

b) Viceroy

c) Viscount

d) Vicerine

8. Which of the following adjectives is used to refer to a person who does not make mistakes?

a) Incredible

b) Infallible

c) Gullible

d) Invincible

9. One who loves books can be called a …………………

a) Bilingual

b) Bibliophile

c) Volunteer

d) Misanthrope

10. A person who doubts the existence of God

a) Theist

b) Agnostic

c) Pagan

d) Misanthrope

Answers

1. Host

2. Philanthropist

3. Anarchist

4. Hard working

5. Who is mainly interested in the world external to him

6. Covenant

7. Earl

8. Infallible

9. Bibliophile

10. Agnostic

1. He only earns a small salary that he finds it difficult to ……………………………….

a) make both ends meet

b) make ends meet

c) meet both ends

2. My doctor advised me to …………………….. smoking.

a) give in

b) give up

c) give off

3. My father has always told me not to ……………………………….

a) discuss about politics with strangers

b) discuss politics to strangers

c) discuss politics with strangers

4. Thousand dollars ……………………………….

a) is a huge amount to lose

b) are a huge amount to lose

c) is a huge amount to loose

5. She is so weak ………………………….

a) to walk

b) that she can barely walk

c) that she could barely walk

6. He was ……………………………. that he could not sit in that chair.

a) a so big man

b) so big man

c) so big a man

7. The doctor gave him an injection to …………………………….. the temperature.

a) take down

b) bring down

c) pull down

8. Unless he worked hard …………………………………

a) he wouldn’t have passed the test

b) he wouldn’t pass the test

c) he will not pass the test

Answers

1. He only earns a small salary that he finds it difficult to make both ends meet.

2. My doctor advised me to give up smoking.

3. My father has always told me not to discuss politics with strangers.

4. Thousand dollars is a huge amount to lose.

5. She is so weak that she can barely walk.

6. He was so big a man that he could not sit in that chair.

7. The doctor gave him an injection to bring down the temperature.

8. Unless he worked hard, he wouldn’t pass the test.

Panacea: This expression is used to refer to a remedy that would cure all diseases

Paraphernalia: Accessories or equipment associated with a trade or hobby. This term is also used to refer to a person’s belongings.

Quack: A quack is an incompetent or fake doctor.

Red-letter day: A red-letter day is a very special day.

Red tape: Time-consuming official processes.

Scapegoat: A scapegoat is an individual singled out for blame.

Sea change: Big, significant change

Sour grapes: This expression is used when somebody pretends not to care for something after they have discovered that they cannot achieve it.

Spinster: An unmarried woman. This term is also used to refer to a person whose occupation is spinning.

Square the circle: To square the circle is to attempt to do something impossible.

Stereotype: Fixed image or representation of something. Note that this representation may or may not actually reflect reality.

Stigma: A generally held distasteful opinion associated with something.

Sycophant: A creepy person who tries to win the favor of his superiors through flattery

Teetotaler: A person who abstains from drinking

Thunderbolt: Imaginary strike from above or a massive surprise

Tomboy: A girl who behaves or dresses like a boy

Utopia: An ideal society with the perfect social, political and legal system

Vandalism: Deliberate damage to property

Complete the following sentences using an appropriate clause.

1. If I have time, …………………………………

a) I will visit the museum

b) I would visit the museum

c) I would have visited the museum

d) I will have visited the museum.

2. You are not supposed to admit anyone …………………………..

a) that has not ticket

b) who does not have a ticket

c) who had no ticket

d) which has not a ticket

3. If you do not tell the truth, ……………………………………

a) you would face the consequences

b) you will face the consequences

c) you face the consequences

d) you might face the consequences

4. When I reached the station, …………………………….

a) the train just left

b) the train had already left

c) the train has just left

d) the train will have left

5. Although he is poor …………………………………..

a) but he is very honest

b) yet he is very honest

c) nevertheless, he is very honest

d) he is very honest

Answers

1. If I have time I will visit the museum.

2. You are not supposed to admit anyone who does not have a ticket.

3. If you do not tell the truth, you will face the consequences.

4. When I reached the station the train had already left.

5. Although he is poor, he is very honest.

1. The opposite of ‘vociferous’ is?

a) faint

b) clamor

c) noisy

d) rumpus

2. The word ‘lunar’ is an ……………………….

a) noun

b) adjective

c) adverb

d) preposition

3. If a case is ……………………….., we cannot discuss it publicly.

a) locus standi

b) subjudice

c) intoto

d) notabene

4. A person who hates women can be called a ……………………….

a) misogamist

b) monogamist

c) misanthrope

d) misogynist

5. His speech failed to ……………………. the audience.

a) rouses

b) arise

c) rouse

d) rise

6. The farmer asked his sons to bring a …………………….. of sticks.

a) bundle

b) bunch

c) cluster

d) group

7. He has …………………… a wrong inference.

a) drawn

b) macre

c) derived

d) concluded

8. When they became rich, they began to …………………………….. their cousins.

b) look down after

b) look down upon

c) look upon

d) show off

9. Creative people have their own …………………….. and fancies.

a) preferences

b) follies

c) whims

d) likes

10. This cloth is inferior ……………………… that.

a) than

b) then

c) to

d) too

Answers

1. faint

2. adjective

3. Subjudice

4. misogynist

5. rouse

6. bundle

7. drawn

8. look down upon

9. whims

10. to