What is relative?
Relatives (also called relativizers) introduce relative clauses. They can be pronoun, determiner, or adverb, in which case they’re called relative pronoun, relative determiner, or relative adverb, respectively. Here is the list of relatives:
- who, whom, that, which [Relative pronoun]
- whose [Relative determiner]
- when, where, why [Relative adverb]
Note: many resources on the internet mention whose as relative pronoun, but it’s a relative determiner.
Here are few examples of relatives.
(Relative clause has been underlined and relative boldened.)
Relative pronoun
The car that I bought last year met with an accident yesterday.
The book, which is on the table, belongs to Sarah.
My brother, who lives in Canada, is coming to visit.
Relative determiner
The artist whose painting won the award is giving a talk tonight.
The scientist, whose research changed the field, received a prestigious award.
Relative adverb
The year when I graduated was a memorable one for me.
The city where I grew up has changed a lot.
The reason why she left is still unclear.
Zero (or bare) relative
A zero or bare relative is the dropped relative. It’s almost always dropped in speech and often in writing for conciseness. Examples:
I can’t find the book (that) I left on the table. [that is a zero relative as it can be dropped.]
I’ll never forget the day (when) we first met. [when is a zero relative as it can be dropped.]
Relatives though can be dropped only if they meet certain conditions.
A relative pronoun can be dropped if the relative clause it introduces is restrictive and relative pronoun is not the subject of the clause. Examples:
I can’t find the book (that) I left on the table.
The entrepreneur (whom) I met at the conference gave me some life-changing advice.
The artist who painted this mural is internationally renowned. [who can’t be dropped as it is subject of the clause.]
The Eiffel Tower, which attracts millions of visitors each year, is one of the most iconic landmarks in the world. [which can’t be dropped as the relative clause is non-restrictive.]
A relative determiner can’t be dropped.
Relative adverbs when and why can be dropped if the relative clause they introduce is restrictive. Examples:
I’ll never forget the day (when) we first met.
The reason (why) she left early wasn’t explained to anyone.
We visited Rome in July, when the weather was extremely hot. [when can’t be dropped as the clause is non-restrictive.]
Relative adverb where can’t be dropped even if the clause is restrictive. It can however be converted into a preposition and relative pronoun.
The restaurant where we had dinner last night was fantastic.
The restaurant in which we had dinner last night was fantastic. [where = in which]
Rules for omitting relative adverbs though have more nuances. Learn more: When relative pronoun can be dropped and when relative adverb can be dropped?