Rule for Using That or Which in Sentence

- April 19, 2022

Use That To Identify the Noun or Pronoun. Diffen English Language Grammar.

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The battle over whether to use which or that is one many people struggle to get right.

. In this sentence the watch is the object of the verb bought so we dont need to use that or which. It was the man that sold me the car. She belongs to a great organization which specializes in saving endangered species.

Whether to use that and which depends on whether the clause it introduces is restrictive or non-restrictive. Use which for things and who for people. That is considered an essential element because it defines the noun or pronoun that it follows.

Lokua is on the team that won first place. Both serve a similar purpose but the meaning of the sentence can change depending on which one you use. When writing a restrictive clause introduce it with the word that and no comma.

Anya is the one who rescued the bird. If the sentence doesnt need the clause that the word in question is connecting use which. Every player uses four lignum vitae bowls in single-handed games and as a rule in friendly games but only two in matches.

An essential element is a word phrase or clause that changes the meaning of the sentence. Baby foods that contain soybeans are best. In non-defining clauses use which.

Use that with restrictive clauses. In a defining clause use that. These rules are actually older than the words themselves which were.

THAT should be used to introduce a restrictive clause. We cannot omit which and that when the pronoun refers to the subject of the sentence. The that after said is required even though none would be required had the sentence ended after again.

Who and sometimes that refer to people. For example in the sentence I like flowers that are red youd use that because if you removed the phrase that are red the meaning of the sentence would change. A carpet is a thing so which is correct.

If this that these or those has already introduced an essential clause you may use which to introduce the next clause whether it is essential or nonessential. Because which indicates a non. He went to the florist shop that sells my favorite flowers.

The resources below break down the grammar rules associated with that and which and describes when to use each one. A law or regulation that tells what actions should or shouldnt be done. If the clause is essential to the meaning of the sentence you use that If you could drop the clause and leave the meaning of the sentence intact use which For example.

Which and that for things. Subject to the rule as to the shortest distance to which the jack must be thrown 25 yds there is no prescribed size for the lawn. A restrictive clause means that.

WHICH should be used to introduce a non-restrictive or parenthetical clause. If you use a comma to describe an object use which. If the relative clause contains information that is not essential to the meaning of the sentence and is also preceded by a comma a dash or parenthesis its probably nonrestrictive so use which.

Using Which That and Who. That is used to indicate a specific object item person condition etc while which is used to add information to objects items people situations etc. In todays usage which and that are both used to introduce restrictive clauses those which cannot be removed from the context of the sentence and which is also used to introduce nonrestrictive clauses those which provide additional information but can be removed without the sentence falling apart.

However if the subject is or was a human being use who to introduce the clause. If something need be there instead usualy there is a better word than that. The standard rule of grammar is that the usage of that vs.

Some people advocate that the word that can be removed and should be in about 90 of the cases where it has been used. Those responses to the questions which were not well thought out eliminated him from further job consideration. The Man That Got Away is a great song with a grammatical title.

It is interesting to remove them entirely and see the result. Remember which is as disposable as a sandwich bag. In the plural we can use that or Who.

Use that for things and informally for people. If it does use that. Try not to use that twice in a row in a sentence.

A restrictive clause is one that limits -- or restricts --the identity of the subject in some way. Rule in a Sentence. Luckily theres an easy way to remember whether to use that or which.

As a general rule of thumb use who in the singular person and use who and that where appropriate in the plural person. Men who act in this way are quite despicable. If you dont use a comma use that.

Our state has put a law in place requiring everyone in a moving car to wear a seatbelt. Which can sometimes be a better choice among others. If the students break a rule of the classroom they must write an essay explaining why the code should be followed.

For example Men that act in this way are quite despicable. Therefore a that must be inserted after said because of a rule called parallelism if youve got one that referring to the same antecedent you need another. Because the clause is unnecessary to the meaning of the sentence we know its a nonrestrictive clause and therefore should take the relative pronoun which.

Alternatively if the phrase is just adding information to the sentence as in That car which is red is mine youd use which because removing the phrase which is red wouldnt change. Use that before a restrictive necessary clause. Pretty easy to remember isnt it.

In this sentence the man is the subject of the verb sold so we need to use that or who. All of these sentences are understandable if you remove the relative clauses that begin with which. That and which refer to groups or things.

The school which I attended as a child burned down last week. My mother has a rule that we shouldnt wear. Its a popular grammar question and most folks want a quick rule of thumb so they can get it right.

If not odds are its restrictive so use that. When trying to decide if you should use that or which look at the commas. Which depends upon whether the following clause is restrictive or non-restrictive.

The school that burned down last week is still smoking. The carpet which you bought has moth damage. When referring to objects though the rule for using that and which correctly is simple.

Using Who and That In The Plural. Use which before a nonrestrictive unnecessary clause. Moreover the rule is easy to master.

If you can remove the clause without destroying the meaning of the sentence the clause is nonessential and you can use which.

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