What is a relative pronoun?

The word that attaches a mini-description to a noun: the dog THAT dug the hole, the neighbor WHO returned it. Who, which, that, and whose carry most of the work.

What is the most common error?

Using which for a person. 'The coach which' should be 'the coach who,' and one person-or-thing question fixes it for good. That is different: 'the coach that won' is correct English, though who is the clearer choice for people and the one these sheets use.

4th grade relative pronouns and adverbs

4th grade relative pronouns and adverbs worksheets

Fourth graders choose and write the relative pronoun each sentence needs: who, which, that, whose. The noun before the blank (person or thing, owner or not) makes the call.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.4.1.a.

Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of sentences you'll fix

Choose the word from the parentheses that fits, and write it on the line.

The uncle (which / who / whose) tells the best stories always arrives last.
Fixed: The uncle who tells the best stories always arrives last.
The stew, (which / who / whose) simmers all afternoon, calls everyone home by six.
The bridge (that / who / whose) crosses the canal is closed for repairs.

Every print pulls a new set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.

What's on a 4th grade sheet

4th grade sheets draw from 40 sentences, 8 to a page. 4th and 5th grade print from the same 40 sentences. The teaching notes below are written for this grade.

A few of the sentences:

The meadow where the fireflies gather is past the last streetlight.
The girl whose kite flew highest shared the string with everyone.
The neighbor whose garden feeds half the block never locks the gate.

Fix it. Choose the word from the parentheses that fits, and write it on the line. 8 sentences to fix per page.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Train the two-question check: is the noun a person or a thing? Is something being owned? Person takes who, ownership takes whose, things take which or that. That can also point to a person (the coach that won), so don't mark it wrong in your child's own writing; on this page, who is the answer for people.

Watch for: Which never points to a person. The fastest error to fix is 'the teacher which': one question (person or thing?) settles it. That can point to a person too (the girl that won), but who is the clearer choice, and it's the one these sheets practice. Whose shows belonging and works for both people and things: the tree whose branches, the girl whose kite. It is the possessive of the relative family.

Common questions about 4th grade relative pronouns and adverbs

What is a relative pronoun?: The word that attaches a mini-description to a noun: the dog THAT dug the hole, the neighbor WHO returned it. Who, which, that, and whose carry most of the work.
What is the most common error?: Using which for a person. 'The coach which' should be 'the coach who,' and one person-or-thing question fixes it for good. That is different: 'the coach that won' is correct English, though who is the clearer choice for people and the one these sheets use.

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Aligned to Common Core L.4.1.a. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.

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