5 Relative Clause Patterns in TOEFL ITP Structure: Who, Whom, Whose, Which, That
Relative clauses in TOEFL ITP Structure: 5 patterns for who, whom, whose, which, and that, with the common traps, examples, and a quiz.
“The woman who she teaches us is from Canada.” Notice anything off? Right: she doesn’t belong there, because who is already the subject.
A relative clause describes the noun in front of it and usually begins with who, whom, whose, which, or that. In Indonesian, all of these are often translated with one word, “yang”, which is exactly why so many test takers mix them up.
This pattern appears in almost every TOEFL® ITP Structure section, both in sentence-completion and find-the-error questions. The good news: once you know the patterns, you can answer in seconds. (The slides below are in Indonesian, with English example sentences.)
The Fast Way to Decide
To pick the right relative pronoun, ask two questions:
- Is the noun before it a person or a thing? Person: who/whom. Thing/animal: which. Either: that.
- What comes right after it? A verb (the pronoun is the subject), a new subject (the pronoun is the object), or a noun (possession: whose).
If you need a refresher on subjects and objects, start with the pronouns guide.
Pattern 1: Who = The Person Doing the Action
Pattern: person + who + verb
The woman who teaches us is from Canada.
Who replaces the subject, so it’s followed directly by a verb.
❌ The woman who she teaches us…
✅ The woman who teaches us…
This is a classic Written Expression trap: a double subject. Who is already the subject, so don’t add he, she, or they.
Pattern 2: Whom = The Person Receiving the Action
Pattern: person + whom + subject + verb
The man whom I met yesterday is a pilot.
Here the man is the object of met, so a new subject (I) follows whom. Quick check: replace it with him. I met him makes sense, so whom is right.
The most common trap comes after a preposition:
❌ The person to who I spoke…
✅ The person to whom I spoke…
After prepositions like to, with, for, of, always use whom, not who. Everyday speech often uses who as an object, but TOEFL tests formal English.
Pattern 3: Whose = Possession
Pattern: person/thing + whose + noun
The student whose bag was stolen is crying.
Whose shows possession and is always followed directly by a noun. It works for things too: a house whose roof is red.
❌ The student who’s bag was stolen…
✅ The student whose bag was stolen…
Who’s is short for who is or who has, not a possessive. They sound identical, which is why this trap keeps appearing.
Pattern 4: Which = Things & Animals
Pattern: thing/animal + which + verb, or + subject + verb
The book which I borrowed is very old.
Which is only for things and animals. For people, use who or whom.
❌ The doctor which treated me…
✅ The doctor who treated me…
Which has a bonus: it can be used after a comma and after a preposition (the house in which he lived).
Pattern 5: That = People & Things, No Comma
Pattern: person/thing + that + verb, or + subject + verb
The car that he bought is red.
That is flexible: it works for people and things. But there are two important restrictions:
- Never after a comma. A comma clause (non-defining clause) adds extra information about a noun that’s already identified, and it must use which or who.
- Never after a preposition. The house in that he lived is wrong; use in which.
❌ Jakarta, that is very busy, …
✅ Jakarta, which is very busy, …
Unsure between which and that? Look for the comma. Comma means which.
Summary
| Pronoun | For | Followed by | Trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| who | people (subject) | verb | Don’t add he/she again |
| whom | people (object) | subject + verb | Required after a preposition |
| whose | possession | noun | Not who’s |
| which | things, animals | verb / S + V | Not for people |
| that | people & things | verb / S + V | Not after a comma or preposition |
Quick Quiz
Choose the correct option:
- The scientist ___ discovered the vaccine won an award. (who / which)
- The professor with ___ I discussed my thesis was helpful. (who / whom)
- The author ___ novel became a film is visiting Jakarta. (who’s / whose)
- Bandung, ___ is cooler than Jakarta, attracts many tourists. (that / which)
Answers:
- who (a person, followed directly by a verb).
- whom (after the preposition with).
- whose (followed by the noun novel).
- which (after a comma).
Practice Structure With Confidence
The table above helps, but real questions often hide relative clauses inside long sentences. Regular practice trains you to spot the pattern quickly.
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