NYSTCE English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Practice Test

What is a pronoun that initiates a dependent clause called?

1. Antecedent

2. Conjunction

3. Relative Pronoun

4. Interrogative Pronoun

The correct answer is: Relative Pronoun

A pronoun that initiates a dependent clause is referred to as a relative pronoun. Relative pronouns, such as "who," "whom," "whose," "which," and "that," function to introduce a clause that provides additional information about a noun. This additional clause is dependent because it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. For example, in the sentence "The book that I read was fascinating," "that" introduces the dependent clause "that I read," which gives more context about the noun "book." In contrast, an antecedent refers to the noun that a pronoun replaces or represents in a sentence, while a conjunction is a word that connects clauses or sentences, such as "and," "but," or "or." An interrogative pronoun is used to ask questions, such as "what," "who," or "which," and does not initiate dependent clauses in the same way relative pronouns do. Therefore, identifying relative pronouns is central to understanding how they link clauses and enrich sentence structure.