🧵 Grammar · Clauses, Connectors & Sentence Style
Relative Clauses Advanced (Whose, Whom, Preposition + Which)
Move beyond who, which and that — learn whose for possession, whom for objects, and where the preposition goes in formal writing.
Grammar › Clauses, Connectors & Sentence Style › Relative Clauses Advanced (Whose, Whom, Preposition + Which)
The rule in one sentenceUse whose to show possession, whom for a person who is the object of the clause, and put the preposition before which/whom in formal writing — informal English moves it to the end instead.
Beyond who, which and that
At B1, relative clauses usually run on three pronouns: who for people, which for things, and the all-purpose that. Advanced relative clauses add three more tools that make your writing more precise and, when needed, more formal: whose, whom, and a preposition placed directly before the relative pronoun.
Whose shows possession — it links a noun to something that belongs to it, and it works for both people and things. Nightmare Alley, whose Gothic carnival setting earned it an Academy Award nomination for Best Production Design, follows a con artist drawn into a dangerous grift. Note that whose also works for objects and ideas, not only people: No (2012), whose story follows a real 1988 advertising campaign against Pinochet, was directed by Pablo Larraín. Gloria (2013) follows a divorced woman in her fifties searching for connection, and The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie remains one of Luis Buñuel’s most celebrated surrealist films.
Whom replaces who when the person is the object of the relative clause rather than the subject — in other words, when something is done to that person, not by them. Alexandre Desplat, whom the Academy has honoured multiple times over his career, has now scored over a hundred films. Here Alexandre Desplat receives the honour; he doesn’t do the honouring, so whom is correct. Compare that with a subject relative clause, where who stays: Alexandre Desplat, who has scored many other acclaimed films, continues to compose for cinema today. Spellbound, a psychological thriller built around a mystery involving amnesia, remains one of the most acclaimed films of its era.
🎬 Compare the formal and informal versions of the same idea: “The composer to whom the Oscar was given was Trent Reznor” (formal — preposition moves before “whom”) vs “The composer who the Oscar was given to was Trent Reznor” (informal — preposition stays at the end, and “who” replaces “whom”).
Both are correct English — the choice is about register, not accuracy.
In formal writing — academic essays, official reports, careful journalism — a preposition that belongs to the relative clause often moves in front of the pronoun instead of sitting at the end of the sentence. This is the studio in which WALL-E was made. The festival at which Fire of Love premiered was Sundance. Once the preposition moves to the front, that is no longer allowed — only which or whom can follow a preposition.
How to build advanced relative clauses
Whose — possession
The Birds, whose bird-attack sequences remain iconic, is considered one of the most influential thrillers ever made.
Whom — person as object
Karim Aïnouz, whom critics praised for Central Airport THF, had already directed several acclaimed features. Breakfast at Tiffany’s, released decades earlier, remains a beloved classic of American cinema.
Preposition + which / whom
The festival at which Karim Aïnouz’s work has been celebrated is Cannes.
Dropping the pronoun
In defining clauses, the object pronoun can vanish entirely: The film (that) Jules Dassin directed in 1955 won the Best Director prize at Cannes.
When to use which style
Formal / written register
- Preposition before the pronoun: The director to whom the invention of surrealist cinema is often credited was Luis Buñuel.
- Whom for a person as object: Isao Takahata, whom animators around the world admire, rarely used computer animation.
- Essays, subtitles for classic cinema, formal reviews.
Neutral / spoken register
- Preposition at the end: The director who the honorary Oscar was given to was Lina Wertmüller.
- Who instead of whom, or the pronoun dropped completely: The director everyone admires is Ken Loach.
- Conversation, casual reviews, everyday writing.
Signal words
These forms flag an advanced relative clause and often hint at the register the writer is using.
Visual guide
Teacher Teddy’s illustrated guide to this rule is being drawn — the full swipe-through infographic will appear here soon.
Common mistakes
❌ The director who’s films have earned numerous awards is Pablo Larraín.
✅ The director whose films have earned numerous awards is Pablo Larraín.
“Who’s” is a contraction of “who is” or “who has” — the possessive relative pronoun is spelled “whose”, with no apostrophe.
❌ The composer to who the Oscar was given was Ludwig Göransson.
✅ The composer to whom the Oscar was given was Ludwig Göransson.
A preposition placed before the pronoun always takes “whom”, never “who” — “to who” is not grammatical in any register.
❌ This is the studio in that Manhattan was made.
✅ This is the studio in which Manhattan was made.
“That” can never follow a preposition — only “which” (for things) or “whom” (for people) can.
❌ The director whom won the award for Jackie (2016) was Pablo Larraín.
✅ The director who won the award for Jackie (2016) was Pablo Larraín.
“Whom” only replaces an object pronoun — here Pablo Larraín is the subject of “won”, so “who” is correct.
Exceptions & tricky cases
1. “Whom” is optional in modern spoken English, except right after a preposition. You can say the actor who was chosen for a supporting role in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, but if the preposition stays up front you must say the actor with whom the director worked closely on When Harry Met Sally, never “with who”.
2. Object pronouns can disappear in defining clauses, but not once a preposition sits in front of them. You can drop the pronoun in the film (that) Pablo Larraín directed was Spencer, and the same is true for Dial M for Murder, but you cannot drop it in the studio in which Ratatouille was made — the preposition anchors the pronoun in place.
3. Non-defining clauses (with commas) never use “that” and never drop the pronoun. Blindness, which was based on a novel by José Saramago, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival — not “Blindness, that was based on a novel by José Saramago” and not “Blindness, was based on a novel by José Saramago”.
4. “Whose” isn’t restricted to people. It’s the only relative pronoun in English that shows possession for both people and things — Arrival, whose soundtrack was composed by Jóhann Jóhannsson, blends hard science fiction with raw emotion.
Practice: choose the correct form
Eight quick questions on whose, whom and preposition placement — with a specific film in every one.
1. The director ___ film won the Palme d’Or was Michael Haneke.
Possession, no apostrophe → “whose”.
2. The composer ___ the Oscar was given was Hildur Guðnadóttir.
A fronted preposition always takes “whom”.
3. This is the studio ___ I’m Still Here was made.
“That” cannot follow a preposition — only “which” can.
4. The director ___ won the award for El Conde was Pablo Larraín.
Pablo Larraín is the subject of “won” → “who”, not “whom”.
5. Lucrecia Martel, ___ has directed both Zama and The Headless Woman, is celebrated internationally.
Lucrecia Martel is a person and the subject of “has directed” → “who”.
6. The film ___ Jon M. Chu directed became a huge box-office hit.
“The film” is a thing, not a person, so “whom” is impossible — use “that”, “which”, or drop the pronoun.
7. Lucrecia Martel, ___ sound design is highly distinctive, is one of Argentina’s most acclaimed directors; The Exterminating Angel remains one of Luis Buñuel’s most celebrated films.
“Whose” shows possession — here it shows the sound design belongs to Lucrecia Martel.
8. Strangers on a Train, ___ premiered in 1951, helped define the psychological thriller genre — much like Invisible Life did decades later in Brazilian cinema.
Non-defining clauses (with commas) never use “that”.
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