Which part of speech is the word 'who' in the following sentence?
"God helps those who help themselves."

Question

Which part of speech is the word 'who' in the following sentence? 
"God helps those who help themselves."

Accepted Answer

"God helps those **who** help themselves."

**Explanation for the Correct Answer (Option 2: Noun):**

In the sentence "God helps those who help themselves," the word 'who' introduces the relative clause "who help themselves." Within this clause, 'who' functions as the subject of the verb 'help'. A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea, and it can function as the subject of a verb. Here, 'who' refers to 'those' (which represents people) and directly performs the action of 'helping'. By acting as the subject of the verb and referring to people, 'who' is performing the fundamental role of a noun: naming the doer of the action and serving as the subject within its clause. Therefore, in this specific context, 'who' is classified as a Noun because it names the individuals performing the action and acts as the subject of the verb 'help'.

**Explanation for why other options are incorrect:**

1.  **Adverb:** An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, providing information about how, when, where, or to what extent an action is performed. In the given sentence, 'who' does not modify any verb, adjective, or adverb. Instead, it acts as the subject of the verb 'help'. Thus, 'who' is not an adverb.

2.  **Adjective:** An adjective describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. 'Who' in this sentence does not describe or provide any characteristic for 'those' or any other noun/pronoun. It refers to 'those' but does not qualify or modify it. Therefore, 'who' is not an adjective.

3.  **Pronoun:** A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. While 'who' is commonly classified as a relative pronoun, the given correct answer specifies it as a Noun in this instance. If 'who' is functioning as a Noun, its role is to directly name the subject of the action 'help' rather than merely substituting for a previously mentioned noun. In this specific interpretation, its primary function is to act as the naming entity (a noun) within its clause, performing the subject function directly. Therefore, according to the provided correct answer, it is not considered a pronoun in this context.