English · B2 · grammar · 5 minutes
Advanced relative choices
Use whose, whom, preposition + which/whom, and reduced relatives with control of register.
Understand the choice
Advanced relative structure is mainly a choice of role and register. With whom I worked and who I worked with share meaning, while whose expresses possession rather than object case.
Core rule: Formal relatives may place a preposition before whom/which; everyday style often moves it to the end and uses who/that or no object pronoun.
Notice it in context
The researcher with whom I worked has published the results.
La investigadora con quien trabajé ha publicado los resultados.
With precedes object whom in formal style; the relative clause identifies researcher.
The policy on which the decision was based has changed.
The policy that provided the foundation for the decision is now different.
On which formally represents the complement of based.
Students living abroad must renew the permit whose expiry date is near.
Students who live abroad must renew permits with an approaching end date.
Living abroad reduces an active relative; whose marks possession.
What to remember
- Whom is most stable after a fronted preposition and in formal writing.
- A reduced active relative uses -ing; a reduced passive relative commonly uses a participle.
Common trap: Do not front a preposition before that: the issue about which, or the issue that we talked about.