Question

What is the function of the relative pronoun in the adjective clause?

After the track meet, Lila congratulated the runner to whom she lost the race.

A.
possessive

B.
object of a preposition

C.
subject

D.
direct object

Answer 1

Direct object

Answer 2

Relative pronouns include who, whom, whose, which, and that.
In this case, "whom" is used in the sentence to refer to the runner.
The runner is the direct object.

Answer 3

And to clarify, the subject is the person doing something, the object is having something done to it. Lila is congratulating the runner, so she's the subject. The runner is being congratulated, so she's the object.

Answer 4

C