Here's a breakdown:
* Relative pronoun: A word that connects a dependent clause (the relative clause) to an independent clause. Common relative pronouns include:
* who (refers to people)
* whom (object form of who)
* whose (possessive form of who)
* which (refers to things)
* that (can refer to people or things)
* what (refers to things, often used in noun clauses)
* Relative clause: A dependent clause that modifies a noun or pronoun in the main clause. It provides additional information about the noun or pronoun.
Example:
* The book *that* I read yesterday was very interesting.
Here:
* "that" is the relative pronoun.
* "that I read yesterday" is the relative clause, modifying the noun "book."
The relative clause gives us more information about which book the speaker is talking about.
Essentially, relative pronouns act as bridges, connecting a clause that provides extra details about a noun or pronoun to the main sentence.