GRADE 9 English NATURAL RESOURCES:MARINE LIFE – GRAMMAR IN USE:RELATIVE PRONOUNS - INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS Notes
GRAMMAR IN USE: RELATIVE PRONOUNS — INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS
Subject: English | Topic context: NATURAL RESOURCES — MARINE LIFE (for age 14, Kenya)
These notes explain how we use two groups of pronouns:
- Relative pronouns — join clauses and give more information about a noun (who, whom, whose, which, that).
- Interrogative pronouns — introduce questions (who, whom, whose, which, what).
1. Relative pronouns — forms and use
A relative pronoun connects a noun to extra information (a relative clause). Use these common ones:
- who — for people (subject): The fisher who studies tides is my neighbour. 🐟
- whom — for people (object): The scientist whom we met works on coral reefs. (formal)
- whose — shows possession: The turtle whose shell was injured was treated. 🐢
- which — for animals or things, often used in non-restrictive clauses: The lagoon, which is shallow, warms quickly.
- that — for people, animals, or things in restrictive clauses (no commas): Coral reefs that are healthy support many fish.
Notes:
- Use which with commas for extra information (non-restrictive): The boat, which is yellow, belongs to my cousin.
- Use that without commas when the clause defines or limits the noun (restrictive): Boats that have engines travel faster.
- Whom is correct when the pronoun is the object of a verb or preposition, but many speakers use who in speech.
2. Interrogative pronouns — forms and use
Interrogative pronouns open questions about people or things:
- who — asks about a person (subject): Who studies mangrove forests in Mombasa?
- whom — asks about the object (formal): Whom did you see at the beach?
- whose — asks about possession: Whose net was left on the shore?
- which — asks for a choice from a known set: Which species of fish is common here?
- what — asks for information about things or actions: What caused the coral to bleach?
Quick tips:
- Use who/what for subjects. Example: Who rescued the stranded dolphin?
- Use what for general information; use which when choosing between options.
3. Examples using Marine Life (Kenyan coast)
Relative pronouns
- The fisherman who lives near Mombasa studies tidal patterns. 🌊
- I met a diver whose research focuses on coral reefs.
- Fishermen that use illegal nets harm marine life. (restrictive)
- The mangrove, which protects the shoreline, is full of young fish. (non-restrictive)
Interrogative pronouns
- Who studies the fish population in Lamu?
- Which net did the officer confiscate?
- Whose permit allows fishing in this bay?
- What causes coral bleaching near the Kenyan coast?
4. Practice — do these exercises
- Fill the blanks with a correct relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, which, that):
- The scientist ____ studies sea turtles works at the lab.
- The coral reef, ____ was damaged, has started to recover.
- Fish ____ scales shine in the sun are easy to spot.
- The volunteer ____ we helped is from Kilifi.
- We met a woman ____ boat is painted green.
- Choose the correct interrogative pronoun (who, whom, whose, which, what):
- ____ found the stray turtle on the beach?
- To ____ did the students give the samples?
- ____ species do you prefer to study, clownfish or sardines?
- ____ uses coral fragments to repair reefs?
- Combine the sentences using a relative pronoun:
- I saw a boat. The boat was full of fishermen.
- She knows a biologist. The biologist is famous for mangrove research.
- Rewrite as questions using interrogative pronouns:
- The ranger recorded the species.
- The students gave the sample to the researcher.
5. Answers
1. Relative pronouns
- who
- which
- whose (or "that" for animals/things: "Fish that have shiny scales...")
- whom
- whose
2. Interrogative pronouns
- Who
- whom
- Which
- Who (or What — if asking about method: "Who uses coral fragments?" / "What uses coral fragments?" depends on meaning)
3. Combined sentences
- I saw a boat that was full of fishermen. (or: I saw a boat which was full of fishermen.)
- She knows a biologist who is famous for mangrove research.
4. Rewritten as questions
- Who recorded the species?
- To whom did the students give the sample? (Less formal: Who did the students give the sample to?)
6. Quick practice tips for classroom use
- Make sentences about local marine life (Mombasa, Diani, Lamu) and ask pupils to join or question them using the correct pronouns.
- Role-play: one student asks questions (interrogative pronouns) and another answers using relative clauses.
- Emphasise commas: teach when to use commas with which (non-defining) and no commas with that (defining).
Happy learning! 🌊🐠🐢