What Is The Difference Between Which And That In Relative Clauses

There is a subtle but important difference between the use of that and which in a sentence and it has to do primarily with relevance. A restrictive clause restricts the noun it modifies to whats defined in the clause.

This Worksheet Contains A Chart With The Differences Between Defining And Non Defining Relative Clauses It Contains Relative Clauses Clause Grammar Worksheets

We use relative pronouns to refer to various entities.

What is the difference between which and that in relative clauses. That can be used as a subject instead of who but this is quite informal. This is a clause containing essential information about the noun that comes before it. That is used for essential clauses.

The difference between the words that and which and how they are used as relative pronouns depends on whether the clause they belong to is restrictive or nonrestrictive. Relative clausesthe sort of clause you use which is blue that is blue which tells us something more about the noun referred to by which or that are of two sorts. Which pronoun it is correct to use depends on various factors including whether they introduce a defining or a non-defining relative clause.

She held out the hand that was hurt. Restrictive Clauses Are Necessary. That is most common as an object or as a subject instead of which.

And these are the adjective clauses that we talked about earlier. So which and that are often used at the beginning of clauses that give us more information about the subject. One of the more challenging grammar concepts in the English language is the difference between the words that and whichBoth serve a similar purpose but the meaning of the sentence can change depending on which one you use.

They both identify objects and non-humans but unlike that which is appropriate in sentences with non-restrictive clauses. When the relative reference is to a person Swan states. Who for people which for things and that for people or things.

Which as a Relative Pronoun. There is a difference in use. Whats the Difference in Usage.

Consider this sentence for example. There is no difference in meaning. The grammatical explanation is that which introduces a non-essential clause meaning that it doesnt define the noun its describing while that introduces an essential clause meaning that it clarifies exactly which noun the sentence is about.

In this sentence that is introducing a restrictive relative clause. Please see the third example below. Grammarians often use the terms restrictive and non-restrictive when it comes to relative clauses.

This is the man to whom I wanted to speak and whose name I had forgotten. By providing us with additional information about something relative clauses save us from having to start a new sentence. The difference between which and that is how they are used.

A restrictive clause is necessary to the meaning of a sentence. The difference between which and that is a source of great confusion for many students but it doesnt need to be. That is often used in identifying relative clauses instead of whowhomwhich.

When the relative pronoun is the object of a preposition which is used instead of that for example in which for which about which through which etc. Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses. But there is an important difference that you need to remember.

But just as we have to consider whether relative clauses are essential restrictive or nonessential nonrestrictive when deciding between which and that we have to ask ourselves the same question when deciding how to punctuate clauses that begin with other relative pronouns including who whom and whose. The key to understanding proper usage of these words is learning the difference between restrictive and nonrestrictive relative clauses. They describe the subject in more detail.

To understand when to use that or which its important to understand clausesA defining clause also called an essential clause or a restrictive clause gives information essential to the meaning of the sentence.

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