when to use which instead of that ?
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You can use "that" when the information in the clause is essential to the sentence's meaning. Example: "The book that I borrowed from the library was fascinating." DEFINING CLAUSE You can also use it with words like "all," "everything," "nothing," "anything," etc. "all that," "everything that," "nothing that," "anything that" Use "which" when the information in the clause is additional not essential to the essence of the sentence. Example: "The book, which I borrowed from the library, was fascinating." The important part of the sentence was "The book was fascinating" and that it was borrowed wasn't necessary. NON-DEFINING CLAUSE You can use which after a preposition like "in which," "at which," "on which"
That: meaning essential Which: meaning not as essential
Use "which" for extra information and use "that" for necessary/important information.
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Which" is used in sentences with clauses that add information to the sentence but is not essential to the meaning. Example: Those pair of socks, which no longer fit me, were given away. "which no longer fit me " is a non-restrictive clause. This means that, if one takes out this part of the sentence, the meaning of the sentence is not completely lost. "That" is used in sentences with clauses that add meaning to the sentence, without which the actual meaning of the sentence will be lost. Example: I think I have an idea of the person that gifted me the new bag. "that gifted me the new bag" is a restrictive clause because you will find that when you take this clause out of the sentence, it will disrupt the sentence and make it difficult to understand.
"Which" is used in sentences with clauses that add information to the sentence but is not essential to the meaning. Example: Those pair of socks, which no longer fit me, were given away. "which no longer fit me " is a non-restrictive clause. This means that, if one takes out this part of the sentence, the meaning of the sentence is not completely lost. "That" is used in sentences with clauses that add meaning to the sentence, without which the actual meaning of the sentence will be lost. Example: I think I have an idea of the person that gifted me the new bag. "that gifted me the new bag" is a restrictive clause because you will find that when you take this clause out of the sentence, it will disrupt the sentence and make it difficult to understand. Meaning of Clause: A group of words that contain a subject and a verb that have a relationship
- Sherif HafezCertified Online ESL Tutor And Arabic Tutor For Non-Native Speakers
In relative clauses, we use that instead of who, whom, or which to refer to people, animals, and things. That is more informal than who, whom, or which and we use it to introduce defining clauses only.
Think of "that" as a superhero, saving the day by showing something super important. "Which" is like a chatty friend, adding extra info just for fun. So, when you need a hero, use "that," and when you want to chat, pick "which"! 🦸♂️🗣️
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