Relative Pronouns:
* Function: Connect a dependent clause (a clause that can't stand alone) to an independent clause (a clause that can stand alone). They act as the subject or object of the dependent clause.
* Types: *who*, *whom*, *whose*, *that*, *which*
* Examples:
* "The woman who lives next door is a doctor." (*who* connects the dependent clause "who lives next door" to the independent clause "The woman is a doctor." and acts as the subject of the dependent clause.)
* "The book that I read last night was amazing." (*that* connects the dependent clause "that I read last night" to the independent clause "The book was amazing." and acts as the object of the dependent clause.)
Reflexive Pronouns:
* Function: Refer back to the subject of the sentence. They are used when the subject is also the object of the verb.
* Types: *myself*, *yourself*, *himself*, *herself*, *itself*, *ourselves*, *yourselves*, *themselves*
* Examples:
* "She hurt herself while playing." (The subject "She" is also the object of the verb "hurt," so we use the reflexive pronoun "herself.")
* "We cooked dinner for ourselves." (The subject "We" is also the object of the verb "cooked," so we use the reflexive pronoun "ourselves.")
Key Differences:
* Purpose: Relative pronouns connect clauses; reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject.
* Placement: Relative pronouns appear within dependent clauses; reflexive pronouns appear within independent clauses.
* Function: Relative pronouns act as subjects or objects; reflexive pronouns act as objects.
Remember: You can't always tell if a pronoun is relative or reflexive just by looking at the word itself. You need to consider its function in the sentence.