Year 6 English: Use Relative Pronouns ‘Who’ and ‘Whom’ Explained

Detailed Explanation of the Topic: Use Relative Pronouns ‘Who’ and ‘Whom’ 📚

In Year 6 English, understanding how to use relative pronouns like who and whom is very important. These words help us make our sentences more interesting by joining two ideas together. Let’s explore the rules and see some examples so you feel confident using them!

What Are Relative Pronouns? 🤔

Relative pronouns are words that connect a part of a sentence to more information about a person or people. Two common relative pronouns are who and whom.

When to Use ‘Who’ ✅

• Who is used to talk about the subject of a sentence or clause. The subject is the person doing the action.
• You use who when you mean “he,” “she,” or “they.”

Examples:

• The girl who won the race is my best friend.
  (“Who won the race” tells us more about the girl, and “who” is the person doing the winning.)
• Mr. Smith, who is our teacher, loves reading books.
  (“Who is our teacher” gives extra information about Mr. Smith, and “who” is the subject.)

When to Use ‘Whom’ ❓

• Whom is used when talking about the object of a sentence or clause. The object is the person receiving the action.
• You use whom when you mean “him,” “her,” or “them.”

Examples:

• The boy whom I helped was very thankful.
  (Here, “I helped whom” means the boy is the person receiving the help, so we use “whom.”)
• The woman to whom I spoke is very kind.
  (“I spoke to whom?” — the woman is the object of the preposition “to.”)

Quick Tip to Decide Between ‘Who’ and ‘Whom’ 🎯

Try changing the sentence to use he/she/they or him/her/them:

• If you can use he, she, or they, then use who.
• If you can use him, her, or them, then use whom.

Example:

• “Who/whom called you?”
  Replace with “He called you” → so use who.
• “Who/whom did you call?”
  Replace with “I called him” → so use whom.

Practice Sentences ✍️

1. The teacher who inspires me is very kind.
2. The man whom we saw at the park is my uncle.
3. She is the person who helped me with my homework.
4. To whom should I give this letter?

Summary for Year 6 Students 🏆

• Use who for the person doing something (the subject).
• Use whom for the person receiving something (the object).
• If you’re not sure, replace the relative pronoun with “he” or “him” in the sentence to check which one fits.

Remember, practising by writing your own sentences helps you learn quickly. Try spotting ‘who’ and ‘whom’ in your reading too! This skill is important for improving your writing and understanding of grammar in Year 6 English.

20 Examination-Style Questions with Answers on the Use of Relative Pronouns ‘Who’ and ‘Whom’ for Year 6 ✍️✅

Questions ❓

1. Choose the correct relative pronoun: The girl ___ won the race is my friend.
2. Fill in the blank: The man ___ helped me was very kind.
3. Complete the sentence: The teacher ___ we spoke to was very helpful.
4. Pick the right word: The people ___ live next door are friendly.
5. Which relative pronoun fits? The boy ___ I saw at the park was playing football.
6. Fill in the blank: The lady to ___ I gave the book said thank you.
7. Choose the correct option: The students, all of ___ are hardworking, passed the test.
8. Complete the sentence: The doctor ___ treated me was very nice.
9. Pick the correct relative pronoun: The author ___ wrote this book is famous.
10. Fill in the blank: The children ___ we are looking after are my cousins.
11. Choose the right word: The man ___ the police arrested was innocent.
12. Complete the sentence: The woman ___ I spoke with is my neighbour.
13. Which relative pronoun fits? The chef ___ cooked the meal is famous.
14. Fill in the blank: The artist to ___ the painting belonged is very talented.
15. Choose the correct option: The players, some of ___ were injured, continued playing.
16. Complete the sentence: The actor ___ you saw on TV is very popular.
17. Pick the right word: The friends ___ I met yesterday are coming over.
18. Fill in the blank: The student to ___ the teacher gave a prize is very clever.
19. Choose the correct relative pronoun: The scientist ___ discovered the new species is brilliant.
20. Complete the sentence: The woman ___ I gave the letter to smiled.

Answers and Explanations ✔️

1. who
   Explanation: Use ‘who’ as the subject of the clause referring to ‘The girl’ who did something.
2. who
   Explanation: ‘Who’ is used as the subject of the relative clause ‘helped me.’
3. whom
   Explanation: ‘Whom’ is used because it is the object of the preposition ‘to.’
4. who
   Explanation: ‘Who’ is the subject of the clause ‘live next door.’
5. whom
   Explanation: ‘Whom’ is the object of the verb ‘saw.’
6. whom
   Explanation: ‘Whom’ is the object of the preposition ‘to.’
7. whom
   Explanation: Used as the object of the clause (of whom).
8. who
   Explanation: ‘Who’ is the subject performing the action ‘treated.’
9. who
   Explanation: ‘Who’ is the subject of the relative clause.
10. whom
    Explanation: ‘Whom’ is the object of the verb ‘are looking after.’
11. whom
    Explanation: ‘Whom’ is the object of the verb ‘arrested.’
12. whom
    Explanation: ‘Whom’ is the object of the preposition ‘with.’
13. who
    Explanation: ‘Who’ is the subject who ‘cooked.’
14. whom
    Explanation: ‘Whom’ is the object of the preposition ‘to.’
15. whom
    Explanation: ‘Whom’ is the object referring to some of the players.
16. who
    Explanation: ‘Who’ is the subject of the sentence.
17. whom
    Explanation: ‘Whom’ is the object of the verb ‘met.’
18. whom
    Explanation: ‘Whom’ is the object of the verb ‘gave.’
19. who
    Explanation: ‘Who’ is the subject who discovered.
20. whom
    Explanation: ‘Whom’ is the object of the preposition ‘to.’

Tips for Remembering ‘Who’ and ‘Whom’ 🧠

• Use ‘who’ when the relative pronoun is the subject of the verb.
• Use ‘whom’ when it is the object of a verb or preposition.
• Try to rephrase the sentence as a question: use ‘he’ or ‘she’ for ‘who’ and ‘him’ or ‘her’ for ‘whom’.

Keep practising these relative pronouns by using them in your own sentences!