【9th Grade English】 The Magic Glue for Connecting Words! Let’s Master Relative Pronouns
Hello everyone! Welcome to one of the biggest milestones in 9th-grade English: learning about "Relative Pronouns."
Many people feel like "the sentences get so long and difficult," but they are actually incredibly useful tools. Once you can use them, you’ll be able to express your thoughts in much more detail and with a cooler, more sophisticated flair. It might feel tricky at first, but if you take it one step at a time, you will definitely master it. Let’s work on this together!
1. What are Relative Pronouns?
In a nutshell, a relative pronoun is "a word that acts like glue to connect two sentences into one."
For example, if you have two pieces of information: "There is a girl over there" and "She is playing the piano," you can use a relative pronoun to combine them into one sentence: "There is a girl over there who is playing the piano."
【Visualize It!】
Think of a relative pronoun as a "reserved seat" that you stick right behind a "noun (a person or thing)" to provide a detailed explanation about that specific noun.
2. Describing People with "who" (Subjective Case)
First, let’s look at how to use who when you want to provide details about a "person."
Steps to build the sentence:
1. I have a friend.
2. He lives in Osaka.
When you connect these two sentences with who...
I have a friend who lives in Osaka.
【Pro Tip!】
The word immediately before the relative pronoun (in this case, friend) is called the "antecedent." After who, the rest of the sentence describes the person, acting in place of the subject (He) from the second sentence.
★Common Mistake:
I have a friend who he lives in Osaka. (×)
Since who is already doing the job of he, you must not keep he in the sentence!
3. Describing Things and Animals with "which" (Subjective Case)
Use which when the object you want to describe is a "thing" or an "animal."
Example:
This is a book. It is very interesting.
↓
This is a book which is very interesting.
【Fun Fact】
that is a superstar! It’s a "versatile player" that can act as both who and which. If you’re ever unsure, you can use that, but keep in mind that tests might specifically ask for who or which, so make sure you learn how to use them properly!
4. Relative Pronouns for "the object of a verb" (Objective Case)
Now, let’s level up! This is for cases like "the movie that I watched," where you are describing the object (the thing receiving the action) of a verb.
Steps to build the sentence:
1. This is the movie.
2. I watched it yesterday.
Connecting these with which...
This is the movie which I watched yesterday.
【Here's the Key!】
In this case, which is followed by "Subject + Verb" (I watched). Notice that it from the original sentence disappears. This is because which has "stolen" the role of it and moved to the front!
★Step-Up Point:
This "objective" relative pronoun (who/which/that) is often omitted (left out) in casual conversation.
This is the movie I watched yesterday. is also perfectly correct!
5. Summary Points and Tips
Remember this "3-point checklist" to conquer relative pronouns:
① Check the Antecedent (the word right before)!
→ If it's a "person," use who. If it's a "thing/animal," use which.
② Check what follows!
→ If it’s followed by a verb, it’s the subjective case ("who/which does..."). If it’s followed by a subject + verb, it’s the objective case ("who/which I did...").
③ Try splitting the sentence into two!
→ If you get confused, try turning it back into two short sentences. It will make it much clearer which relative pronoun you should use.
【Key Takeaway】
A relative pronoun is a word used to "describe a noun from behind." In Japanese, we explain things from the front (e.g., "playing the piano" → "girl"), but the most important feature of English is that you explain from behind, like: "girl (noun) + who is playing the piano (explanation)."
Closing
"Relative pronouns" are a magic wand that will drastically expand your ability to express yourself in English. It might feel like solving a puzzle at first, but by reading the examples aloud repeatedly, you will naturally pick up the "rhythm of explaining from behind" that is unique to English.
"Start by mastering the difference between who and which!"
Don’t rush—take it one step at a time. I'm rooting for you!