Who

Definition

The word 'who' is a pronoun that refers to a person or people, often used to introduce relative clauses or ask questions about identity. It plays a significant role in connecting ideas and providing essential information about subjects in sentences, highlighting the importance of understanding roles and relationships within language.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. 'Who' is primarily used as a subject pronoun in sentences, often leading to questions or adding additional information about the subject in relative clauses.
2. 'Who' can also be used in combination with auxiliary verbs to form questions, such as 'Who is coming to the party?' or 'Who has completed the assignment?'
3. In relative clauses, 'who' helps link the main clause with descriptive information about a person, enhancing the clarity of the sentence.
4. 'Who' can refer to both singular and plural nouns, making it versatile when discussing individuals or groups.
5. Understanding how to properly use 'who' is essential for distinguishing between subjects and objects in sentences, which can impact meaning.

Review Questions

• How does the use of 'who' differ between interrogative sentences and relative clauses?
  • 'Who' serves different purposes depending on the sentence structure. In interrogative sentences, it is used to ask questions about identity, such as 'Who is your friend?' In relative clauses, it functions to provide additional information about a person already mentioned, as in 'The teacher who helped me is very kind.' Understanding this distinction helps clarify how 'who' connects ideas in different contexts.
• Discuss the role of 'who' as a pronoun within subordinate clauses and its impact on sentence meaning.
  • 'Who' acts as a subject pronoun within subordinate clauses, specifically in relative clauses. Its presence adds vital information about the noun it modifies, helping clarify which person or group is being referred to. For instance, in the sentence 'The artist who painted that mural is famous,' 'who painted that mural' identifies and specifies which artist is being talked about, enhancing the overall meaning of the sentence.
• Evaluate the implications of incorrectly using 'who' versus 'whom' in complex sentence structures.
  • Using 'who' incorrectly instead of 'whom' can lead to confusion about sentence roles. While 'who' is used for subjects, 'whom' serves as an object pronoun. For example, saying 'Who did you see?' is correct because it asks for the subject of the action, while 'Whom did you give the book to?' properly identifies an object. Misusing these terms can obscure meaning and create grammatical errors that affect clarity and comprehension.

Related terms

Pronoun: A word that takes the place of a noun in a sentence, helping to avoid repetition and make language more fluid.

Relative Clause: A type of subordinate clause that modifies a noun and typically begins with a relative pronoun like 'who', 'which', or 'that'.

Interrogative Pronoun: A pronoun used to ask questions, such as 'who', 'what', and 'which', directing attention to specific entities.