Discover the meaning behind St. Lucia, Diwali, Kwanzaa, and Hogmanay, and why we all crave light in the dark. Explore the diligent power of “leaving no stone unturned,” ponder the ripples of changing past habits, unleash your inner child imagining a world run by kids, find hope in the delicate word “glimmer,” marvel at the brain’s communication network via synapses, and delve into the enduring mystery of the lost Knights Templar treasure. If you want me to answer more of your questions, send them to For example, “The book, which I borrowed from you, is amazing.” Here, the commas are your way of saying, “This is just a fun fact! “Which,” on the other hand, is for non-essential info—the extra spice. It’s like saying, “You need this to understand what’s going on.” For example, “The book that I borrowed from you is amazing.” If you don’t know which book, the sentence doesn’t make sense.
“Which”
A parenthetical phrase is a phrase that adds information to a sentence without affecting the sentence’s structure. One example is sentences where that introduces a parenthetical phrase. See how the first example now makes the bike’s broken seat feel like a detail, rather than the reason why it’s in the garage? If we swapped in which, these sentences would read very differently.
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Learning English is full of tricky moments, especially regarding words that seem almost identical but can change the meaning of a sentence entirely. A comma is never needed with that in a restrictive clause. Also, a comma is never needed with that in a restrictive clause.
These clauses are set off by commas because they’re just extra information that doesn’t change the core meaning of the sentence. Nonrestrictive clauses aren’t usually set off by commas. “David’s new product idea” is what is historical cost clear and specific enough without the which clause, so it’s a nonrestrictive clause/nonessential clause. The clause “that generate profit” is essential to the meaning of the sentence, so the correct word is that. Without this restrictive clause of the specific divisions, the meaning of the sentence would change. So, what’s the difference between a parenthetical phrase and a nonrestrictive clause?
Using “that” and “which” correctly can really elevate your writing and make it sound more polished. Nonessential information adds detail but isn’t necessary to convey the meaning of the sentence. On the surface, the two words look alike, but they function in a sentence in divergent ways, and understanding how to use each can help your writing be more vivid and transparent. 1.Use “that” when the info is essential (and skip the commas).
- Does the information have to be there, or does the sentence make sense without it?
- That’s the core of the difference between which and that.
- As a conjunction, that can be used to start clauses that are either the subject or object of a given verb, a subordinate clause that provides a cause for something, or a subordinate clause that shows the consequences of something.
- What you have to know here is the precise difference between “that” and “which” and the grammatical distinctions that differentiate them.
- Another common error is overusing that in formal writing.
In the pronoun role, which still introduces nonessential information while that introduces essential information. When you use that with a restrictive clause, no additional punctuation is needed. Use that when introducing a restrictive clause. Use which in a sentence when it includes a nonessential clause. When a clause cannot stand on its own as a sentence, it’s known as a dependent clause. An adverb modifies another word, clause, or sentence, typically adding helpful detail.
The punctuation is different; the adjective clause is contained within commas. That and which both introduce adjective clauses. As you develop your business writing skills, using each word correctly will strengthen your communication. One of the trickier grammar rules in the English language is the difference between the words that and which. Restrictive clauses, which incorporate that, are not offset with punctuation. Clauses that begin with that do change a sentence’s meaning.
- We might also refer to restrictive clauses as defining clauses and nonrestrictive clauses as nondefining clauses.The word that introduces a restrictive clause.
- The which vs. that usage dilemma pops up when working with dependent clauses—also known as subordinate clauses—that require one of these two relative pronouns.
- We do the same thing with the relative pronouns “which” and “that.” They are used to represent nouns that have already been identified, just as we did in the examples above.
- Both serve a similar purpose of clarifying the information in a sentence.
- So, what’s the difference between restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses?
- To truly understand when to use either word, you have to get a grip on restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses.
- That’s because in these sentences, the restrictive clause is crucial to their meaning.
More specifically, which and that are used with a specific type of dependent clause called a relative clause. A dependent clause contains a subject and a predicate but cannot stand alone as a complete, independent sentence. Now the clause is not identifying which books the writer is writing about. Thus, the clause is a restrictive or defining clause.Which, Introduces Nonrestrictive ClausesNow suppose the writer has already revealed the identity of the books.
First, the proper use of “that” and “which” enables your reader to understand precisely what you are saying. One such fine point is when to use the word “that” and when to use the word “which.” When it comes to writing, the little things can make a big difference.
It appears in text so often in so many ways that readers see it and may assume it is an unnecessary or even a “filler” word. The writer may replace the first that with which (“…article which says that…”), allowing for better sentence flow. For example, a sentence beginning “I read a magazine article that says that…” is correct but clunky.
Thus, removing the clause would cause some ambiguity to the reader, especially without any other pieces of information provided. Lastly, “that” may also behave as an adverb, particularly called an intensifier, when it is informally used to mean “very” or “really” but with a context-dependent intensity. A piece of essential information leans more toward using “that,” especially in American English. In today’s text, we’ll focus on these intricacies, particularly in using “which” and “that,” which often causes confusion among native and non-native English language users. This whole unit of meaning can also be dissected in parts in order for people to comprehend how it is The Difference Between Gross Sales And Net Sales formed.
If so, place the commas in the correct locations in the sentence. Then determine whether the sentence should contain commas. If you need the information in the parentheses, you have an essential clause that requires that.
Restrictive and Unrestrictive Clauses
So, think of “that” as the essential ingredient in a recipe and “which” as the garnish. Use “that” when the information is essential to the sentence. Have you ever stared at a sentence wondering if you should use “which” or “that”? For the relative pronoun form, that and which are often used interchangeably in spoken and written contexts in day-to-day English.
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The correct relative pronoun is which, and the clause must be set off from the rest of the sentence by commas.Do I need to repeat that, or does the bold type drive the point home? You may download Developing a Powerful Writing Style in our eBook section.Restrictive and NonrestrictiveFirst of all, both words introduce adjective clauses, that is, entire clauses that modify a noun in your sentence. Nonrestrictive clauses (those that include “which”), however, refer to additional, nonessential detail. Nonrestrictive clauses, the clauses that incorporate which, are offset from the rest of their sentences with commas. Use that when it’s necessary and correct, such as when that introduces a restrictive clause or acts as a demonstrative pronoun.
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Under the terms of the agreement, the purchase of the portfolio is estimated to bring over $20 billion of card balances to the Chase platform6. During this transition, Apple Card users can continue to use their card as they normally do. The innovation on Apple Card has taken the consumer payments experience to the next level, and we look forward to delivering simple, secure, and seamless payments at global scale,” said Linda Kirkpatrick, Mastercard’s president of the Americas. “We share a commitment to supporting consumer financial health, and we’re proud to deepen our relationship by welcoming them as the newest partner in our industry-leading co-brand credit card program. “We’re incredibly proud of how Apple Card has transformed the credit card experience for customers by delivering innovative tools that empower users to make healthier financial decisions,” said Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.
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You need the information for the sentence to make sense, so you do not need the commas. And when you don’t need the information in the adjective clause, you do need the commas. The clause following which is likely to triple sales next year adds extra information to the sentence.
However, if there is only one gym five minutes from your house, the clause is non-restrictive, and you would use which. Don’t forget that which sentences need commas, too. In this example, because all human hearts have four valves, the descriptive clause does not provide necessary identifying information to the sentence.
These reasons also explain why “which” is deliberately used to introduce a relative clause without a pre-comma. Regardless of whether the clause being introduced is essential or not, “which” should never be preceded by a comma at all. In cases like this, the clause should be encapsulated with two commas when it appears mid-sentence.
That should never be used to introduce a non-defining clause. Soon, grammarians tried to establish a set of rules to govern the use of these words. Do you find yourself unable to decide whether you should use that or which when composing a sentence? The cake that/which they served was pink. Depending on what you’re trying to say, you may use either word! Take a look at these practice sentences below and see whether they need that or which.