RELATIVE PRONOUNS I
qui, que, dont, ce qui, ce que, ce dont

I Dont, Ce dont

"Dont" is a relative pronoun. "Dont" links a sentence's main clause to its subordinate clause by marking a noun in the main clause (the antecedent) as the object of an expression requiring the preposition "de" in the relative (subordinate) clause:

A. Noun or Pronoun + Dont

In the sentence -- "Voilà un lion dont les enfants ont peur" -- "dont" is the relative pronoun, "Je vois le lion" is the main clause, "dont les enfants ont peur" is the relative clause, and "lion" is the antecedent. "Dont" makes "lion" (a direct object in the main clause) the object of the expression "avoir peur de" in the relative clause.

The relative clause is literally translated "of which children have fear," but would normally be translated "which children fear."

Some verbs and verbal phrases requiring "de":
avoir peur de
écrire de (about)
parler de
avoir besoin de
être content (satisfait, mécontent, etc.) de
douter de
être amoureux de
s'approcher de
se servir de
se méfier de
se souvenir de
avoir envie de
profiter de
faire partie de
discuter de

NOTE1: an English relative clause, as in the translation of exercise number 2 above, may end with a preposition like "from" ("that all the workers profit from"), whereas a French sentence may not. French incorporates the preposition into the relative pronoun, as in "dont" (literally, "from which all the workers profit")

NOTE 2: "dont" is never used to replace "de" within a compound preposition, such as "au sujet de."

NOTE 3: The antecedent (noun or pronoun) to which "dont" refers may be one of the pronouns "celui," "celle," "ceux," "celles," which are translated "the one," "the ones," or "those."

Ex: Parmi tes étudiantes, choisis celle dont tu es le plus content. = Among your students choose the one whom you are the happiest with.

B. Ce dont:

If the antecedent of "dont" refers to an indefinite idea that has not been mentioned or to an entire clause, the antecedent is "ce." "Ce dont" is often translated "what" or "which." If "ce dont" is preceded by "tout" it means "everything that" or "all that."

Example:
1. Dis-moi ce dont tu écris. = Tell me what you are writing about.
2. Il est arrivé en retard, ce dont je suis très mécontent. = He arrived late, which I am very unhappy about.
3. Je te dirai tout ce dont j'ai besoin. = I will tell you all that (everything) I need.

C. "Whose" introduces a possessed object. It is translated by "dont." There are two different grammatical situations in which "dont" occurs:

1. If the object possessed is the subject of the verb in the subordinate clause, the name of this object immediately follows "dont," as it follows "whose" in English.

Example:
Voilà un magasin dont les prix sont exorbitants. = Here is a store whose prices are exorbitant.

2. If the object possessed is the direct object of the subordinate clause, the name of this object follows the verb in the subordinate clause, which differs from English:

Example:
Voilà un magasin dont j'adore les marchandises. = Here is a store whose products I adore.

II Que, Qui, Dont
Ce qui, Ce qui, Ce dont

A. 1. If the antecedent noun (in the main clause) is subject of the verb in the dependent clause, use the relative pronoun "qui" to link the two clauses.

Example:
Elle a passé un examen qui est difficile.

2. If the antecedent noun is direct object of the verb in the dependent clause, use the relative pronoun "que" to link the two clauses.

Example:
Elle a passé les examens que tu as écrits.*

NOTE 1: that a past participle in a subordinate clause agrees with the antecedent noun of the relative pronoun "que."

Some verbs taking a direct object:
aider
attendre
chercher
écouter
entendre
regarder
voir
accuser
aimer
arrêter
laver
lever
perdre
rencontrer
comprendre

3. If the antecedent noun is the object of an expression requiring the preposition "de" in the dependent clause, use the relative pronoun "dont" to link the two clauses.

Examples:
1. Elle a passé celui dont tu as parlé.
2. Elle a vu le père dont le marin a peur.

NOTE 1: When the antecedent is replaced by "celui," "celle," etc., it is translated "the one that/which".

Example: Parmi les élèves, celui qui arrive parle le plus. REVIEW celui dont

NOTE 3: "Whose" is translated: dont + le + noun, or dont + subject/verb + le + noun.

B. If the antecedent of "qui," "que," or "dont" refers to an indefinite idea that has not been mentioned or to a clause, this antecedent is "ce." It is often translated as "what" or "which." If "ce qui," "ce que," or "ce dont" are preceded by "tout" they mean "everything that" or "all that."

Examples:
1. Donnez-lui ce dont il aura besoin pour vivre seul dans un appartement.= Give him what he will need in order to live alone in an apartment.
2. Tout ce qui est bon pour la santé n'est pas nécessairement agréable à manger.=Everything that is good for one's health is not necessarily good to eat.
3. Voilà ce que je n'accepterai jamais.=That's what I will never accept.