We use who when we want to add information about a person and when the person is doing the action (the subject of the extra part).

Example:

• The boy who plays football is my brother.
• The teacher who teaches us English is very kind.

In these sentences, "who" replaces "he" or "she" – the person is the one doing something.

We use whom when the person is receiving the action (the object). This is less common in everyday speech but correct in formal English.

Example:

• The student whom we saw yesterday is from Dodoma.
• The man whom the police arrested was stealing.

In these sentences, "whom" replaces "him" or "her" – the person is not doing the action but receiving it.

Tip for Standard VI: In spoken English, we often use "who" instead of "whom." However, learning "whom" helps you recognize it when reading.

We use whose to show that something belongs to a person.

Example:

• The girl whose bag was lost went to the office.
• The farmer whose cows are sick called the vet.

"Whose" replaces "his," "her," or "their."

Let us join these two sentences using a relative pronoun:

1. The woman is my aunt.
2. She lives in Arusha.

Answer: The woman who lives in Arusha is my aunt.

Now try another:

1. The boy has a red bicycle.
2. His bicycle was stolen.

Answer: The boy whose bicycle was stolen.

• Who – used for a person who does something (subject)
• whom – used for a person who receives something (object)
• whose – used to show ownership or possession

Underline the relative pronoun in each sentence and say whether it is who, whom, or whose:

1. The doctor who examined me works at Muhimbili Hospital.
2. The children whose parents came to the meeting received gifts.
3. The tourist whom we helped thanked us warmly.

Answers: 1. who (subject) 2. whose (possession) 3. whom (object)

When you write a composition about your family or describe someone in your village, you will often need to give extra information about a person. For example, if you write about a shopkeeper in your town, you might say: "The shopkeeper who sells maize flour near the bus stand is very honest." Using relative pronouns correctly makes your writing clearer and more interesting to read.