Question

Choose the most appropriate option to identify the relative pronoun and its antecedent.

Only such people as were willing to make sacrifices joined the national movement.

• A. Relative pronoun - as ; Antecedent - No antecedent
• B. Relative pronoun - No relative pronoun ; Antecedent - No antecedent
• C. Relative pronoun - as ; Antecedent - only
• D. Relative pronoun - as ; Antecedent - such people

Answer 1

The correct option is D Relative pronoun - as ; Antecedent - such people

A relative pronoun functions as a pronoun as well as a conjunction. As a pronoun, it refers or relates to a noun that's common between two sentences, and as a conjunction it combines those sentences. The noun which the relative pronoun refers to, is called its 'antecedent'. Usually the subject is the antecedent. The pronoun should be as close to its antecedent as possible, following immediately after it.

In the given sentence, the subject is 'such people', a word is required to relate it to the rest of the sentence. Hence, 'such people' is the antecedent.

The most suitable pronoun from the given options is 'as', it is used as a relative pronoun after such and same. Therefore option D is the correct answer.

'No antecedent' is the case where the statement is a general truth, and the antecedent is implied through that statement and can be omitted. For example, '(He) who works hard gets rewarded'.

In the given statement antecedent 'such people' can not be omitted as the sentence refers to past as can be inferred from 'were' and is not in the form of a general truth. Therefore options A and B incorrect. Whereas 'only' is not the antecedent in the given sentence, therefore option C is incorrect.

Option D is the correct answer.