Subject Pronouns/Demonstrative Pronouns + Relative Pronouns in English

By Author Giljonnys Dias da Silva 

 

In English, constructions like he who, she who, they who, those who, that which, and those which are used to refer to groups of people or things in a more formal or literary way. They are formed by combining subject pronouns (he, she, they)  or demonstrative pronouns (that, those) with relative pronouns (who, which), resulting in the following constructions in English.

 

Referring to people:

 

he who: aquele que, o que

she who: aquela que, a que

they who: aqueles que, aquelas que, os que, as que

those who: aqueles que, aquelas que, os que, as que

 

Referring to things or objects:

 

that which: aquele que, aquela que, o que, a que, aquilo que 

those which: aqueles que, aquelas que, o que, a que

 

The following is an explanation of each one.

 

He who: Aquele que, o que

 

"He who" is a construction that refers to a man or a male person who performs or is involved in a specific action or characteristic. In Portuguese, this construction can be translated as "aquele que" or "o que", depending on the context.

 

He who does good will be rewarded.

Aquele que faz o bem será recompensado.

 

He who speaks the truth will not fear.

Aquele que fala a verdade não temerá.

 

She who: Aquela que, a que

 

"She who" follows the same pattern as "he who", but it refers to a woman or female person. It can be translated as "aquela que" or "a que," depending on the context."

 

She who dares to dream big will achieve greatness.

Aquela que ousa sonhar grande alcançará a grandeza.

 

She who understands the pain of others is a true friend.

Aquela que entende a dor dos outros é uma verdadeira amiga.

 

They who: Aqueles que, as que, os que

 

"They who" is a construction that refers to a group of people. In the plural, it can be translated as "aqueles que," "as que," or "os que," depending on gender and context.

 

They who work hard will see the fruits of their labor.

Aqueles que trabalham duro verão os frutos de seu trabalho.

 

They who stand together are stronger.

Aqueles que ficam juntos são mais fortes.

 

They who have the courage to speak up will be heard.

Os que têm coragem de se manifestar serão ouvidos.

 

Those who – Aqueles que, as que, os que

 

"Those who" is one of the most common construction and is used to refer to groups of people, like they who, but it is more formal and often appears in literary or philosophical contexts. Just like they who, it can be translated as "aqueles que," "as que," or "os que."

 

Those who seek knowledge will find it.

Aqueles que buscam conhecimento o encontrarão.

 

Those who love nature will protect it.

Aqueles que amam a natureza a protegerão.

 

Those who are patient will succeed.

Os que são pacientes terão sucesso.

 

That which: Aquele que, o que, a que

 

"That which" is a formal expression used to refer to something that has been mentioned before or is of interest. Depending on the context, it can be translated as "aquele que," "aquela que," "o que," "a que" or "aquilo que". The use of that which can be a way to speak about something in a more impersonal or general manner.

 

She always values that which is important to her.

Ela sempre valoriza aquilo que é importante para ela.

 

It was a good movie, but that which I saw last weekend was better. 

Foi um ótimo filme, mas aquele que eu vi no fim de semana passado era melhor.

 

Those which: Aqueles que, aqueles os quais, o que, a que

 

"Those which" is a construction that can be used to refer to things or groups of things in a more formal way, being translated as "aqueles que," "aquelas que," "os que" or "as que," depending on the context. It is generally used to indicate a specific group of things or people, with a particular focus on a category or type.

 

This restaurant is great, but the one we visited last month had a better atmosphere, and those which we went to on our vacation were the best.

Este restaurante é ótimo, mas o que visitamos no mês passado tinha uma atmosfera melhor, e aqueles a que fomos nas nossas férias foram os melhores.

 

Alfred ate the cakes, those which his mother bought at the bakery.

Alfred comeu os bolos, aqueles que a mãe dele comprou na padaria.

 

Constructions like "he who," "she who," "they who," "those who," "that which" and "those which" are more formal or literary ways of referring to specific people, things, or situations in English. They are often used in more elevated contexts or when one wants to give a sentence a more philosophical or reflective tone. Their usage varies according to gender, number, and context, and their translations into Portuguese are flexible, depending on what is most appropriate in the sentence. By understanding and practicing these constructions, you can enrich your communication and sound more sophisticated in English.

 

Bibliographic References 

 

Azar, Betty Schrampfer (2009). Understanding and Using English Grammar. 5th ed. Pearson Education.

 

Swan, Michael (2016). Practical English Usage. 4th ed. Oxford University Press.

 

Quirk, Randolph; Greenbaum, Sidney; Leech, Geoffrey; Svartvik, Jan (1985). A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. Longman.

 

Biber, Douglas; Conrad, Susan; Leech, Geoffrey (2002). Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Longman.

 

Murphy, Raymond (2019). English Grammar in Use. 4th ed. Cambridge University Press.

 

Celce-Murcia, Marianne; Larsen-Freeman, Diane (2019). The Grammar Book: An ESL/EFL Teacher's Course. 3rd ed. National Geographic Learning.

 

Huddleston, Rodney; Pullum, Geoffrey K. (2002). The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge University Press, 2002.

 

Eastwood, John. Oxford Guide to English Grammar (2002). Oxford University Press, 2002.

 

Leech, Geoffrey; Deuchar, Margaret (2003). English Grammar for Today: A New Introduction. Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.

 

Jackson, Howard; Zé Amílcar, L. P. (2009). A Grammar of English. Palgrave Macmillan, 2009.