Lesson

Relative clauses 3: Whose/whom/where

Advanced relative pronouns

≈ 15 min 8 block(s)

Text

Relative clauses 3: Whose / Whom / Where

This lesson explains how to use the relative pronouns whose, whom, and where to add information about possession, objects, and places in a sentence.

Whose: shows possession (for people or things).
Whom: the object form of who (formal or after a preposition).
Where: replaces 'in/at/on which' to refer to places.

Table

Relative Pronouns: Whose / Whom / Where

Pronoun	Function	Example
whose	possession (of people or things)	The client whose contract expired called customer service.
whom	object of a verb or preposition (formal)	The consultant whom we hired will start on Monday.
where	place (in/at/on which)	The office where the meeting will be held is on the third floor.
whom (with preposition)	object after preposition	To whom should I send the revised proposal?

Tip

Key rules for whose / whom / where

Remember the main functions:

Whose = possession. It connects the owner and the thing owned: 'the manager whose signature is required.'
Whom = object form of who. Use it after a verb or a preposition in formal writing: 'the candidate whom we interviewed' or 'to whom we spoke.'
Where = refers to places and replaces 'in/at/on which': 'the office where the training will be held.'

In casual speech, many speakers use who instead of whom, but whom remains correct in formal writing.

Example

Examples in context

The manager whose signature is required is on vacation.

The applicant whom we interviewed has excellent references.

This is the building where our new office will be located.

To whom should I forward the invoice?

Tip

Common mistakes to avoid

Watch for these universal errors:

Using who instead of whom in formal contexts where an object is required.
Placing the relative pronoun in the wrong position, creating unclear references.
Using whose only for people (whose can also refer to things).
Using where with people instead of places: use who/that for people.

Check the antecedent and the function (subject/object/possession/place) before choosing the relative pronoun.

Quiz

Choose the correct sentence:

Hint: Think about showing possession between two nouns.

Quiz

Complete: The office _____ the training will take place is on the second floor.

Hint: Think about a word that refers to location.

Quiz

Choose the correct sentence:

Hint: Focus on the relationship between the verb, the object and any preposition.

Key Points

GrammarPoint

whose

pronoun/determiner CEFR B1 //huːz//

A relative pronoun indicating possession.

The partner whose account was suspended called support.

GrammarPoint

whom

pronoun CEFR B2 //huːm//

The object form of who, used after verbs or prepositions (formal).

The director to whom we reported approved the budget.

GrammarPoint

where

adverb/pronoun CEFR B1 //wɛr//

A relative word that refers to a place; replaces 'in/at/on which'.

We visited the site where the renovations will begin.

GrammarPoint

relative clause

noun CEFR B1 //ˈrɛlətɪv klɔːz//

A clause that modifies a noun, introduced by a relative pronoun.

The report that you submitted was thorough.

GrammarPoint

antecedent

noun CEFR B2 //ænˈtɛsɪdənt//

The noun that a relative pronoun refers to in a relative clause.

Identify the antecedent before you choose the relative pronoun.

Expression

preposition + whom

phrase CEFR B2 //prɛpəˈzɪʃən plʌs huːm//

A construction where the preposition comes before whom in formal questions or relative clauses.

This is the person to whom we contracted the work.