Summary
Mastering relative pronouns is essential for producing clear, accurate and scholarly prose in a thesis or dissertation. Errors involving “who,” “whom,” “that,” “which,” and “whose” frequently undermine clarity and professionalism, yet they can be avoided by understanding how each pronoun functions within its relative clause.
The case of a relative pronoun—especially “who” versus “whom”—is determined by its grammatical role inside the relative clause, not by its role in the larger sentence. This rule explains why seemingly logical choices are often incorrect and why nominative, accusative and dative forms matter in academic writing.
Correct use of relative pronouns also involves choosing between restrictive and non-restrictive clauses, avoiding ambiguity, maintaining agreement, and ensuring that your prose communicates exactly what you intend. Small mistakes can change meanings or weaken scholarly authority.
This guide provides practical rules, examples and strategies to help dissertation writers use relative pronouns correctly and confidently. Doing so strengthens clarity, prevents confusion and enhances the overall sophistication of your research writing.
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Correct Use of Relative Pronouns in Academic Theses and Dissertations
Producing a thesis or dissertation requires sophisticated academic writing. You must communicate complex ideas, present evidence clearly, and guide readers through nuanced arguments. In the midst of these larger challenges, seemingly small grammatical issues—especially those involving relative pronouns—can feel minor. Yet they play an essential role in academic clarity and scholarly professionalism.
Relative pronouns (such as who, whom, whose, which and that) link ideas, provide precision, and shape the meaning of sentences. Used well, they help your writing flow smoothly and logically. Used incorrectly, they can distort meaning, confuse readers or signal a lack of grammatical control. Because readers of a thesis or dissertation expect high standards, mistakes with relative pronouns stand out sharply.
This expanded guide explains the most important rules for using relative pronouns accurately, clarifies common misunderstandings and provides detailed examples to help you avoid subtle but damaging errors. It also discusses how modern dissertation writers can navigate these issues while maintaining precision, even when drafting with the help of digital tools.
1. Understanding the Role of Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses—subordinate clauses that modify nouns or pronouns in the main clause. Consider the sentence:
The researcher who interviewed the participants recorded detailed observations.
The clause “who interviewed the participants” provides essential information about “the researcher.” Without the correct relative pronoun, the relationship between ideas becomes ambiguous.
Academic writing depends heavily on such structures because they allow you to combine related ideas concisely. They help you qualify terms, provide definitions and clarify complex relationships—all tasks that are central to scholarly prose.
2. “Who” vs. “Whom”: The Case System That Confuses Almost Everyone
One of the most frequent relative-pronoun errors involves the distinction between “who” (nominative case) and “whom” (objective case). Many writers recognise that “whom” sounds more formal and mistakenly overuse it—sometimes in places where it is grammatically incorrect.
To determine which form you need, identify the grammatical role of the pronoun inside the relative clause, not in the main clause.
2.1 When to Use “Who”
Use “who” when the pronoun acts as the subject of the relative clause.
The committee chose the candidate who has the strongest publication record.
In the clause “who has the strongest publication record,” who is the subject (it performs the action of “has”).
2.2 When to Use “Whom”
Use “whom” when the pronoun functions as the object of a verb or preposition within the relative clause:
The students whom the professor recommended were shortlisted.
The researcher to whom the data were submitted requested clarification.
But note the trick that confuses many writers: “whom” is correct only when the pronoun is the object inside the relative clause. This is why the sentence from the example text is wrong:
“How do you know whom your average reader is?”
Even though “your average reader” is the object of your knowledge, that reader is still the subject of the relative clause “who your average reader is.” Therefore, the correct form is:
“How do you know who your average reader is?”
This distinction is subtle but essential for dissertation writing.
3. Relative Pronouns Follow the Grammar of the Clause, Not the Main Sentence
The case, number and role of a relative pronoun are determined internally by the clause it introduces. This rule often surprises writers because our intuitive sense of logic sometimes conflicts with grammatical structure.
Consider the following set of examples, which illustrate how meanings shift depending on the pronoun’s function inside its clause:
- The participants who completed the survey received compensation. (subject)
- The participants whom the researcher interviewed provided valuable insight. (object)
- The participants to whom the results were sent requested amendments. (object of a preposition)
Mastering this rule will prevent many of the most common errors found in academic manuscripts.
4. Choosing Between “That” and “Which”
Another frequent difficulty concerns the use of “that” and “which.” Although everyday English often treats them as interchangeable, academic writing requires precision.
4.1 Use “That” for Restrictive Clauses
A restrictive clause provides essential information—details without which the sentence would lose its core meaning:
The method that the team developed improved accuracy.
Without the clause “that the team developed,” we would not know which method is being referenced.
4.2 Use “Which” for Non-Restrictive Clauses
A non-restrictive clause adds supplementary information. It is set off by commas and should be introduced by “which” (not “that”):
The method, which the team developed last year, improved accuracy.
Here, the clause is additional information. The sentence still makes sense without it.
Incorrect mixing of “that” and “which” is a classic editorial concern in scientific writing and can lead to ambiguous or misleading descriptions.
5. “Whose” for People, Animals and Things
“Whose” is the possessive form of “who,” but it is also correctly used for non-human antecedents:
- The study whose sample size was limited...
- The manuscript whose folios are damaged...
Some writers mistakenly try to avoid this usage and replace “whose” with awkward constructions such as “of which.” In most cases, “whose” is clearer and stylistically superior.
6. Avoiding Ambiguity in Relative Clauses
Relative pronouns must refer clearly to an identifiable antecedent. Ambiguous antecedents confuse readers and weaken your academic argument.
❌ The participants spoke with the mentors who were nervous. ✔ The participants spoke with the mentors who reported feeling nervous.
In the first example, it is unclear whether “who were nervous” refers to participants or mentors. The improved version clarifies the intended meaning.
7. Reducing Relative Clauses Where Appropriate
Academic writing benefits from conciseness. When relative clauses feel too long or repetitive, they can often be reduced to participial phrases:
- The data that were collected → the data collected
- The participants who were interviewed → the participants interviewed
However, reductions should be used only when the meaning remains precise.
8. Special Cases: Indefinite Relative Pronouns
Thesis writers sometimes encounter indefinite relative pronouns such as whoever, whomever, whichever and whatever. These forms follow the same internal-clause rules.
For example:
The award will go to whoever submits the strongest proposal.
Although “whoever” may seem as if it should be “whomever” (object of “to”), it is actually the subject of the clause “whoever submits the strongest proposal.”
This is a classic example of how deceptive relative-pronoun grammar can be.
9. Why Correct Relative Pronoun Use Matters
Relative pronoun errors are far more significant than many writers realise. In a thesis or dissertation, they can:
- change the meaning of arguments,
- create ambiguity that leads examiners to misinterpret your work,
- signal to supervisors or reviewers that your grammar needs attention,
- undermine your credibility as a scholarly writer.
Clear, correct relative-clause structure reassures your reader that your writing—and therefore your research—can be trusted.
10. Using AI Carefully When Writing Academic Grammar
Because relative pronouns follow complex rules, some dissertation writers turn to AI tools for drafting or checking clauses. These tools can help, but they must be used responsibly.
10.1 How AI Can Support You
- AI can highlight unclear pronoun references.
- It can suggest more concise clause constructions.
- It can help multilingual writers identify nominative vs. objective case problems.
10.2 Risks of Relying Too Heavily on AI
- AI often misidentifies “whom.” Many models default to overly formal usage.
- AI sometimes hallucinates grammar rules or applies them inconsistently.
- AI can increase similarity scores by generating text patterned after common usage.
- You remain responsible for the grammatical precision of your thesis.
Think of AI as a tool for brainstorming—not as an authoritative grammar expert. Always check suggestions against reliable grammar guides or have your work reviewed by a human editor.
Conclusion
Relative pronouns serve as essential connectors in academic writing. When used correctly, they clarify relationships, strengthen arguments and help readers follow your logic. When used incorrectly, they cause confusion, ambiguity and grammatical errors that weaken your thesis or dissertation.
By understanding how relative pronouns function inside their clauses, mastering distinctions such as “who” versus “whom,” and applying the rules for “that” versus “which,” you can ensure clarity and precision. Combine this grammatical awareness with careful revision, awareness of ambiguity, and responsible use of AI, and your dissertation writing will reflect both scholarly competence and linguistic confidence.
