- Ask the cashier from whom.
- We’re going to the new restaurant (omit).
- Charles bought a CD player that.
- We’re driving to the mountains (omit).
- They have a serious problem, which.
- She’ll never forget the present (omit).
Possessive Relative Pronouns
There are two forms of possessive for relative pronouns. One refers to people
or other living things: whose. The other is a prepositional phrase using of.
When you combine two sentences with a relative pronoun, and the noun
you change to a relative pronoun is possessive (the boy’s, a writer’s), use whose
as the relative pronoun. Look at these examples:
I saw the man. The man’shouse had burned down.
I saw the man whosehouse had burned down.I like the girl. The girl’snew car is a red convertible.
I like the girl whosenew car is a red convertible.But when the possessive noun is an inanimate object, use a prepositional phrase
with of. Look at these examples:
I found a book. The book’scover was torn and dirty.
I found a book, the cover of whichwas torn and dirty.You’ll recognize their house. The color of their houseis bright yellow.
You’ll recognize their house, the color of whichis bright yellow.I have some lumber. The length of the lumberis perfect for this project.
I have some lumber, the length of whichis perfect for this project.No matter how the inanimate object forms its possessive (the book’s or of
the book), the relative pronoun is formed as a prepositional phrase (of which).
Preparing to Write 59