Understanding Sentence Improvement and Relative Pronouns

The question asks us to evaluate the underlined part of the sentence, "Applications of those who are graduates will be considered," and determine if any of the provided options offer a better substitution.

The underlined phrase is "those who are graduates". This phrase uses the relative pronoun "who" to introduce a relative clause ("who are graduates") that modifies "those".

Analyzing the Options for Sentence Improvement

Let's examine each substitution option:

1. whom are graduates

   This option replaces "who" with "whom". The word "whom" is an object pronoun, used when it is the object of a verb or a preposition. In the clause "who are graduates", "who" is the subject of the verb "are". Since "whom" cannot be the subject of a verb, this substitution is grammatically incorrect.

2. whose are graduates

   This option uses the possessive pronoun "whose". "Whose" indicates possession (e.g., "the student whose book is lost"). In the phrase "whose are graduates", "whose" attempts to function as a pronoun followed by a verb. This construction does not fit the intended meaning, which is about identifying *which* people are graduates, not about possession related to graduates. This is grammatically incorrect in this context.

3. whom are only graduates

   Similar to option (a), this option uses "whom" as the subject of "are", which is grammatically incorrect. Additionally, adding "only" changes the nuance of the sentence. The original sentence specifies which applications will be considered (those from people who are graduates), but doesn't necessarily exclude applications from others if they exist. The word "only" would imply that *only* applications from graduates will be considered, which might not be the intended scope.

4. No improvement

   The original sentence "Applications of those who are graduates will be considered" uses "who" correctly as the subject of the verb "are" in the relative clause "who are graduates". "Those who" is a standard and correct way to refer to a group of people followed by a relative clause describing them. The sentence is grammatically sound and conveys the intended meaning clearly.

Understanding Who vs Whom vs Whose

It's helpful to remember the basic rules for these relative pronouns:

• Who: Used as a subject pronoun (replaces "he", "she", "they"). Example: The person who called was polite. ("who" is the subject of "called")
• Whom: Used as an object pronoun (replaces "him", "her", "them"). Example: The person whom I called did not answer. ("whom" is the object of "called")
• Whose: Used to show possession (replaces "his", "her", "their"). Example: The student whose phone rang apologized. ("whose phone" shows possession)

In the original sentence, "who are graduates", "who" is performing the action of being a graduate, so it is the subject of "are". Thus, "who" is the correct choice.

Conclusion on Sentence Improvement

Based on the analysis of each option and the rules of relative pronouns, the original sentence is grammatically correct and clear. None of the proposed substitutions offer an improvement; in fact, they introduce grammatical errors.

Revision Table: Relative Pronouns

Additional Information on Relative Clauses

A relative clause, also known as an adjective clause, is a dependent clause that modifies a noun or pronoun. It usually begins with a relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, which, that) or a relative adverb (where, when, why).

• They provide additional information about the noun they modify.
• In the sentence, "who are graduates" is a relative clause modifying "those".
• The correct choice of the relative pronoun depends on its function within the relative clause (subject, object, possessive).

Understanding relative clauses and the function of relative pronouns is crucial for sentence construction and improvement questions.