LESSON 53. - RELATIVE PRONOUNS

The man who told me was present.

There is a class of pronouns used to show the connection between the persons or things in different parts of the same sentence. In the above sentence, the word who refers to man and shows the connection that exists between the man and the person that told me. Such pronouns are called relative pronouns, because they relate one idea with another idea, in the same sentence.

A relative pronoun is a pronoun that refers to a noun or another pronoun and at the same time connects clauses.

The word in the sentence to which a relative pronoun refers, is called the antecedent.

The relative pronouns are who, which, what, and that. The compound relative pronouns are whoever, whichever, whatever, whosoever, whatsoever, in their various forms.

Who is thus declined.

NOTE.

Which, what, and that use whose as possessive; in all other

cases they remain unchanged.

The following rules should be remembered:

1. Who is used to refer to persons.

The man who rode the horse was thrown.

2. Which is used to refer to animals, places, and things.

The lion which broke loose is still at large.

3. That may be used for either persons, animals, places, or things.

Of all men that I have seen he was the bravest.

4. What is used to refer to things only, when the antecedent is not expressed. It is equivalent to that which.

I have forgotten what he said.

Exercise 1.- In these sentences name the relative pronouns and their antecedents:

1. He that is of a gentle nature will have many friends.

2. Boston is one of the finest cities that I know of.

3. I have known greater wrongs, I that speak to you. 4. The book whose leaves are torn is not mine.

5. The lady whom you saw is not my aunt.

6. The heart that has once truly loved, never forgets.

7. The men that cross deserts ride on camels.

8. All persons who are seated will please stand.

9. London, which is the largest city, is also the capital. 10. He does not know what to do.

11. All the girls whose lessons are learned may go.

12. He did not tell me what to do.

13. The fish which live in dark caves have no eyes.

14. The evil that men do lives after them.

Exercise 2. Insert the proper relative pronouns in each

of the following sentences:

1. He - wastes his money shall come to want.

2. The tiger we saw was very fierce.

10. Of all things-
11. The soldiers

12. The corn

-I ever heard it was the saddest.

were in the camp were ill.

- grows in the West is a valuable crop.

Exercise 3. In the following sentences name the relative pronouns and tell whether they are in the nominative, objective, or possessive case:

1. The lion which we killed was eight feet long.

2. They who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
3. The language that they used was disgraceful.

4. This is the house that Jack built.

5. The soldier whose story we heard has departed.

6. The general of whom everybody is speaking is ill.

7. All the things which we have heard have distressed us.
8. The Lord helps those that help themselves.

9. I read the paper which you sent me.

10. What he said was strange.

11. Did you hear what he did?

12. The seeds which we planted have come up.

13. He did not do what he promised.

14. Here lies one whose name was writ in water.

15. What man has done man can do.

16. What is worth doing at all, is worth doing well.

LESSON 54.-RELATIVE CLAUSES

The boy who was hurt is my brother.

By observing sentences in which relative pronouns occur we see that the relative pronoun introduces an explanatory clause, which could be omitted without destroying the sentence, but which is necessary to a complete understanding of the thought. In the above sentence, we could omit the words who was hurt, but the sentence would not tell which boy is meant. These dependent clauses introduced by relative pronouns are called relative clauses. The intro

duction of a relative clause into a sentence changes it from a simple sentence to a complex sentence.

A relative clause is a clause introduced by a relative pronoun.

Exercise 1. — In the following sentences name the relative clauses:

1. He laughs best who laughs last.

2. I did not hear what he said to me.

3. A boy who confides in his father will rarely go wrong.

4. He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
5. I had a dream that was not all a dream.
6. Fools who came to scoff remained to pray.
7. Moses was the meekest man that ever lived.
8. Thrice is he armed that hath his quarrel just.

9. He serves his party best who serves his country best.

10. Who steals my purse steals trash.

11. They who have much to lose have much to fear.

Sometimes the relative is omitted.

There is the boy (whom) I met on the street.

The poor man (whom) I saw was blind.

Exercise 2. Supply the omitted relative pronoun and name the relative clause in these sentences:

1. Keep the friends thou hast tried.

2. It was the strangest story I ever heard.

3. He was the best leader the army could get.

4. She is a woman I know to be worthy.

5. We dwelt in the house our father built.

.

6. The land I bought yesterday was in the country.
7. The horse he sold me was very wild.

8. Few and short were the prayers we said.

4. William Penn came from England.
5. La Salle explored the Mississippi.
6. Of all women she was the loveliest.
7. Samson was the strongest man.
8. The Dutch settled New York.
9. Let him speak first.

10. Be kind to all people.

Exercise 4. - In these sentences note the relative clauses:

1. He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare,

And he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere.

2. He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.

3. He who will not accept orders has no right to give them.

4. He who will not serve has no right to command.

5. He who cannot keep silence has no right to speak.

6. He that buys what he does not want will soon want what he cannot buy.

7. The man who is not punctual in meeting an appointment will never be successful in life.

The pronouns who and whom are used to ask questions in these sentences.

Pronouns used to ask questions are called interrogative pronouns.

An interrogative pronoun is a pronoun used to ask a question. The interrogative pronouns are who, which, what, and their various forms.

Exercise 1. In the following sentences name the interrogative pronouns :

1. Whom do you seek?
2. What do you want?

What came you to see?
Which is the right way?