Page 513 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

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things: of which; that ... of
Instead of whose, we can use of which or that . .. of (less formal) to refer to things, and these are sometimes preferred. The most common word order is noun + ofwhich or that .•. of, but ofwhich ..• + noun is also possible. Compare the following four ways of expressing the same idea.
He's written a book whose name I've forgotten.
He's written a book the name ofwhich rve forgotten. He's written a book that I've forgotten the name of. He's written a book of which I've forgotten the name.
We do not normally use noun + o f whom in a possessive sense to talk about people.
a man whose name I've forgotten (NOT a nlf,m 6f 1;tJ/t6nt {'lie f6rK6tfeti the flame)
only used as a determiner
Relative whose is only used as a possessive determiner, before a noun. In other cases we use of which/whom or that ... of
He's married to a singer ofwhom you may have heard. OR ••• that you may have heard of (NOT .•• a singer 1;tJ/t68e)'6" mtty Mile hettrtl.)
formality
Sentences with whose are generally felt to be rather heavy and formal; in an informal style other structures are often preferred. With (see 631) is a common way of expressing possessive ideas, and is usually more natural than whose in descriptions.
I've got some friends with a house that looles over a river. (Less formal than ... whose house looles over a river.)
You know that girl with a brother who drives lorries? (Less formal than ... whose brother drives lorries?)
She's married to the man over there with the enormous ears.
(More natural than ... the man over there whose ears are enormous.)
For whose in questions, see 626.
relatives (4): what
meaning and use: the thing(s) which
What does not refer to a noun that comes before it. It acts as noun + relative pronoun together, and means 'the thing(s) which'. Clauses beginning with what can act as subjects, objects, or complements after be.
What she said made me angry. (subject of made)
1 hope you're going to give me what I need. (object of give)
This is exactly what I wanted. (complement)
For singular and plural verbs after what (e.g. What we need most is/are books), see 529. ~
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relatives (4): what 497
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