The standard rule of grammar is that the usage of that vs. which depends upon whether the following clause is restrictive or non-restrictive. “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.
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What is the rule for using that or which?
In a defining clause, use that. In non-defining clauses, use which. Remember, which is as disposable as a sandwich bag. If you can remove the clause without destroying the meaning of the sentence, the clause is nonessential and you can use which.
What is the difference between which and that in relative clauses?
The grammatical explanation is that “which” introduces a non-essential clause, meaning that it doesn’t define the noun it’s describing, while “that” introduces an essential clause, meaning that it clarifies exactly which noun the sentence is about.
When can we use that instead of who or which?
Usage and style notes
Some people seem to believe in one or both of these two rules: When talking about things in defining (restrictive) relative clauses, that should always be used instead of which. When talking about people in defining (restrictive) relative clauses, who is preferred to that.
When should I use that?
‘That’ is used as a determiner at the beginning of sentences to indicate one object which is far from the speaker. Note that the plural form of ‘that’ as a determiner is ‘those. ‘ ‘That’ and ‘those’ is generally used with ‘there’ to indicate that the object(s) is not close to the speaker.
Is that and which interchangeable?
Although “which” and “that” are both pronouns, they are not interchangeable. “Which” is used for non-restrictive phrases, and “that” is used for restrictive phrases.
What does that which mean?
Examples. In these examples, that which is just a wordy way of saying what and could be shortened: That which has been obvious for some time now is finally being officially acknowledged. [
Which includes or that includes?
Luckily there’s an easy way to remember whether to use that or 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, it’s probably nonrestrictive, so use which. If not, odds are it’s restrictive, so use that.
Who that which relative clauses?
We usually use a relative pronoun or adverb to start a defining relative clause: who, which, that, when, where or whose.
- who/that. We can use who or that to talk about people.
- which/that. We can use which or that to talk about things.
- Other pronouns. when can refer to a time.
- Omitting the relative pronoun.
How can I use that in a sentence example?
Examples. “She ate three ice creams, of which her favorite flavor was orange.” “The boy was worried sick about the questions on his test, of which there were at least thirty.” “Margaret and Jonathan bought their cat, of which they were very fond, only the most expensive food.”
How do you use that instead of Which?
The standard rule of grammar is that the usage of that vs. which depends upon whether the following clause is restrictive or non-restrictive. “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.
How do you use which in a question?
We use which in questions as a determiner and interrogative pronoun to ask for specific information:
- ‘Which car are we going in?
- Which museums did you visit?
- Which do you prefer?
- In the Young Cook of Britain competition, the finalists were asked which famous person they would like to cook for.
Can a sentence start with that?
A sentence beginning with “that” usually uses it as a subject/noun. “That is the sort of thing I dislike.” “That is the question.” In these sentences, “that” is a demonstrative pronoun. It may be also used at the beginning to modify a noun.
How do you stop using that?
To decide whether you can omit “that” from a sentence, check how naturally and intelligibly the sentence reads without it. Usually, you can drop “that” if it follows a verb that essentially means “to say.” This omission mimics natural speech and shouldn’t change the meaning of the sentence.
Does that is need a comma?
When should we put a comma before “that”? A comma before “that” is only necessary when it introduces parenthetical information in the middle or at the end of a sentence. Inserting a parenthetical that-remark is possible regardless of the part of speech it belongs to.
What does mean in Which?
It means the thing after “in which” is used happened in/during the thing before it. The sentence you gave means that during the punishment, the student has to stay at school after everyone left. Depending on the tense of what happened, “in which” can be used for past, present and future events.
What do em dashes do?
The em dash can function like a comma, a colon, or parenthesis. Like commas and parentheses, em dashes set off extra information, such as examples, explanatory or descriptive phrases, or supplemental facts. Like a colon, an em dash introduces a clause that explains or expands upon something that precedes it.
Can I use both and which?
You can use either which or that to introduce a restrictive clause—the grounds for your choice should be stylistic—and which to introduce a nonrestrictive clause.If it is not surrounded by commas, then it is most likely a restrictive clause, and you can choose to give it a that or a which.
Can that and which be used together?
3 Answers. The combination of that which in the example sentences is fine. The that is a pronoun referring back to a noun phrase and the which is the relative pronoun used for non-animate antecedents.
Is that a noun clause?
A that-clause is an example of a noun clause. It can be the subject or the object of the verb. I believe that he is innocent. Here the that-clause ‘that he is innocent’ is the object of the verb believe.
When can you remove the relative pronoun?
object
The relative pronoun can only be omitted when it is the object of the clause. When the relative pronoun is the subject of the clause, it cannot be omitted. You can usually tell when a relative pronoun is the object of the clause because it is followed by another subject + verb.