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A relative pronoun is a word that connects two ideas within a sentence, and it refers to a name that has already been used. "Who", "who", "who", "that", "whoever" and "whoever" are common examples of relative pronouns. ESL teachers can use word games or exercises during their lessons so that students can learn to use relative pronouns correctly.

Summary of this practical sheet

1 Omission set
2 Fill in the blanks
3 Relative Pronoun Pronoun Lucky Dip
4 Identify the Relative Pronoun Pronoun

Omission game
The omission game is a way for students to learn whether or not a relative pronoun should be included in a sentence. Create a list of six sentences that need a relative pronoun. Then compose four more sentences that have relative pronouns that can be removed - and that still make sense. Read the sentences aloud to pairs of students in a class and ask them to identify the relative pronoun and decide whether or not it is necessary. When the exercise is complete, have students record each other's answers. To make students want to learn and respond correctly, offer a prize such as an early break or a day off from homework.

Fill in the blanks
A simple game for students to learn to use relative pronouns is to play the Fill in the Blanks challenge. Begin by asking your students to write “Who”, “Who”, “Who” and “That” on a piece of paper. Put a word on each side of the paper. Then read incomplete sentences like "I like the [virgin] shirt that Tom bought" or "The studied [virgin] girl is smart". Have students hold up the word they think matches the sentence as quickly as possible. Continue to eliminate any student with the wrong answer from the next round until there is only one student left.

Relative Pronoun Pronoun Lucky Dip
It is important that students learn the difference between pronouns and relative pronouns. To teach this, write thirty different pronouns and relative pronouns on individual pieces of paper and fold them. Put all these words in an empty box and mix them up. Then have students take turns pulling a word out of the box and opening it. The object of the game is for students to decide whether a word is a pronoun or a relative pronoun, and then to make a sentence using it. To make the task more difficult, give each student 10 seconds to complete the task.

Identify the Relative Pronoun Pronoun
Recognizing a relative pronoun in a sentence is another skill that students should learn. This helps them improve their understanding of complex grammar. Students can learn relative pronouns by locating them in a poem, newspaper article, or magazine excerpt. Just divide the class into pairs and distribute different paragraphs of the English text. Ask students to highlight all the relative pronouns in a text. Go further by removing relative pronouns and asking students to guess which pronoun should be placed in the space.