Difference which that grammar

If you are going to steal a language, at least have some respect for it. Melissa Donovan on January 19, at pm. Karen Swim on March 10, at pm. Bobby Revell on March 10, at pm. Alex F. Fayle on March 11, at am. Great post about the distinctions. Iain Broome on March 17, at pm. Melissa Donovan on March 18, at pm. And it seems like as soon as you fix one, another one appears… Reply.

Steve on October 5, at pm. Someone is Special on January 19, at am. Thank you so much for the light… Someone is Special Reply. Farhad on January 19, at am. Hello Melissa Thank you for this article; it is very helpful. I am slightly confused as which manual of style should I use, the British or the American?

Kind regards Farhad Reply. Preity on January 20, at am. Melissa Donovan on January 23, at am. David on April 13, at am. Thank you, Sincerely, David Mors Reply. Melissa Donovan on April 16, at am. Hi David. Thanks for letting me know that you found this post helpful. Best, Melissa Reply. Spring and Autumn on April 22, at pm.

Melissa Donovan on April 24, at am. Susan on July 8, at pm. Thanks for clearing this up. It makes so much more sense now. Melissa Donovan on July 19, at pm. Kenny on October 18, at pm. Melissa Donovan on November 10, at pm. Shaji Ponnambathayil on December 1, at am. That explanation was wonderful, which has made me more comfortable to use them. Melissa Donovan on December 5, at pm. Pilar on January 28, at am. Melissa Donovan on February 8, at pm.

Omar on February 16, at pm. Melissa Donovan on February 28, at pm. Thanks, Omar. These two words can be tricky! Geoff on January 1, at am. Melissa Donovan on January 10, at pm. Paula on January 7, at am. Though as an American, I prefer that to which in such cases.

Submit a Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. First Name:. Email Address:. Some grammarians extend the rule and insist on that being used only in restrictive clauses, while which should be used only in nonrestrictive clauses. The use of which with restrictive clauses is fairly common, even in edited prose. However, the American Psychological Association APA , in its 6th edition Manual, recommends adhering to the rule and use that for all restrictive clauses.

Which can be especially useful where two or more relative clauses are joined by and or or. You may also want to use which to introduce a restrictive clause when the preceding phrase contains a that or a those.

The words that and which can also be used together. In doing so, that serves to emphasize the descriptive clause introduced by which. To improve your chances at properly selecting the right answer between that and which, use this technique:. Share this comparison:. If you read this far, you should follow us:. This sort of clause is a non-restrictive clause.

There is one other important distinction between restrictive and non-restrictive clauses: commas are used to separate the non-restrictive clauses from the rest of the sentence. Therefore, we use which and separate the non-restrictive clause with commas. In this example, because all human hearts have four valves, the descriptive clause does not provide necessary identifying information to the sentence. Here are the sentences that used that.

In the second sentence, changing to which causes the sentence to imply that Brad only has one sweater. Here, the sentence has changed to imply that the primary purpose of all laptops is gaming. Because not all laptops are used for gaming purposes, the sentence is not true. Here, the second sentence implies that Stacy owns multiple trucks, thus making it necessary to specify the red one. Take a look at these practice sentences below and see whether they need that or which.

Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Which and that are common words, but they are important. By identifying your clauses as defining or non-defining, you can easily remember when to use which and when to use that. If you are ready to learn more, study up on defining and non-defining clauses. Real-time suggestions, wherever you write. Which vs.