Advanced Relative Words: Whereby, Wherein, Of Whom

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Advanced Relative Words: Whereby, Wherein, Of Whom

I can interpret formal relative links and replace them with clearer alternatives without changing the relationship.

Created by , British English teacher.

I’m studying:

Try the activities, then check your answers.

Choose a short recording.

Start with the contrast

A procedure whereby applicants exchange places describes a mechanism: a procedure by which they do it. A document wherein the conditions are recorded describes an internal location: a document in which they appear. Five reviewers, two of whom objected describes a subset of people. These links encode different relationships; rarity is not the point.

Read the situation transcript

A procedure whereby applicants exchange places describes a mechanism: a procedure by which they do it. A document wherein the conditions are recorded describes an internal location: a document in which they appear. Five reviewers, two of whom objected describes a subset of people. These links encode different relationships; rarity is not the point.

Does whereby simply mean in which in every sentence?

Compare your idea

No. In this procedure example, it means by which and identifies the mechanism or means.

How it works

Two adults examine two plain folder trays beside exactly five small coloured reviewer tokens.
They use a system whereby each reviewer receives a separate folder.Picture context: the trays are part of a distribution system. Whereby introduces its mechanism, equivalent to by which.

Whereby can introduce the means or mechanism through which something happens. Wherein is a formal in which. Of whom introduces a partitive relationship with people; of which serves corresponding non-person references.

Choose the expression for the relation, then consider register. Wherein can sound unnecessarily formal in an ordinary message. A clear in which or a fuller sentence may be better. Do not replace a mechanism with a location, or a subset with the whole group, merely to vary the wording.

Mechanism: whereby = by which. Internal relation: wherein = in which. Subset of people: number/quantifier + of whom.

Notice this

We need a procedure whereby applicants can exchange places.

The procedure supplies a mechanism.

Compare this

The document wherein the conditions are recorded is attached.

The document contains the conditions; the wording is formal.

Hear the examples

We need a procedure whereby applicants can exchange places.

The procedure supplies a mechanism.

The document wherein the conditions are recorded is attached.

The document contains the conditions; the wording is formal.

Five reviewers responded, two of whom objected.

Two of the five form the stated subset.

Five reports arrived, two of which were incomplete.

Of which refers to a subset of things.

One mistake worth avoiding

Instead of: Five reviewers replied, two of which objected.

Say: Five reviewers replied, two of whom objected.

Use whom for people in this formal partitive relative.

You say

Hear the prompt, answer aloud, then deliberately reveal or hear one possible model. Check it and retry with a changed detail.

Your turn 1

Explain whereby without using another rare word.

Compare a possible model
Reveal the model text

It means by which here: the procedure gives people a way to exchange places.

Check yourself: Preserve the mechanism relationship.

Retry with one detail of your own. Other wording is welcome when it meets this check.

Your turn 2

Make the formal document sentence more conversational.

Compare a possible model
Reveal the model text

The attached document contains the conditions.

Check yourself: Do not change its content or location relationship.

Retry with one detail of your own. Other wording is welcome when it meets this check.

Your turn 3

State a subset precisely without extending it to everyone.

Compare a possible model
Reveal the model text

Five reviewers replied, two of whom objected.

Check yourself: Keep the group and subset distinct.

Retry with one detail of your own. Other wording is welcome when it meets this check.

Two adults examine two plain folder trays beside exactly five small coloured reviewer tokens.
They appointed five reviewers, two of whom had reviewed the first draft.Picture context: the five coloured tokens represent the reviewers. Two have the supplied earlier experience; of whom expresses the subset.

Two guided self-checks

Say or write your answer before opening a model.

Self-check 1

Paraphrase: “A procedure whereby applicants exchange places.”

Compare a model and explanation

A procedure by which applicants exchange places.

By which preserves the mechanism.

Self-check 2

Paraphrase: “Five reviewers, two of whom objected.”

Compare a model and explanation

Five reviewers; two of those reviewers objected.

Do not infer that the remaining three necessarily supported the proposal.

Check your understanding

Choose one answer to each question, then check your answers. One of the ten questions is listening.

1. In the procedure example, whereby most closely means ___.

2. In the document example, wherein most closely means ___.

3. “Five reviewers replied, two of whom objected” establishes ___.

4. Which form suits a subset of reports rather than people?

5. Which plain-language version preserves the document relation?

6. Why might an editor replace wherein with in which?

7. Does two of whom objected prove that the other three approved?

8. What is explicitly known about the reviewers?

Read the listening transcript

Five reviewers replied, two of whom objected. The summary does not tell us the other three reviewers’ positions.

Opening this transcript makes this a reading-supported attempt.

9. Which replacement changes the intended relationship?

10. What is the advanced goal?

Automatic scoring needs JavaScript. Use the answer key after attempting all ten questions.

Answer key with explanations

  1. In the procedure example, whereby most closely means ___.

    by which: The procedure provides the means or mechanism.

  2. In the document example, wherein most closely means ___.

    in which: Wherein presents an internal relation and is formal in register.

  3. “Five reviewers replied, two of whom objected” establishes ___.

    Two of the five objected.: The partitive clause names the subset; it does not state the others’ views.

  4. Which form suits a subset of reports rather than people?

    Two of which were incomplete.: Which refers to the reports in this construction.

  5. Which plain-language version preserves the document relation?

    The attached document contains the conditions.: The correct answer keeps the containment relationship.

  6. Why might an editor replace wherein with in which?

    To make the register less formal without changing the relation: Register can be adjusted while preserving the internal relationship.

  7. Does two of whom objected prove that the other three approved?

    No: Their positions are not specified merely by naming the objecting subset.

  8. What is explicitly known about the reviewers?

    Two of five objected.: The partitive clause establishes only the named subset’s action.

  9. Which replacement changes the intended relationship?

    Replacing a procedure by which people act with a place in which they act, without other changes: A mechanism and a location are not the same relation.

  10. What is the advanced goal?

    Encode the relationship precisely, then choose a suitable register.: Precision and readability matter more than ornamental formality.

Take it with you

I can interpret formal relative links and replace them with clearer alternatives without changing the relationship.

Try the companion lesson

Grammar in Context: Explaining Complex RelationshipsExplore the Grammar catalogue