If your sentence has a clause but does not need it, use "which"; if the sentence does need the clause, use "that. The clause that comes after the word "which" or "that" is the determining factor in deciding which one to use. If the clause is absolutely pertinent to the meaning of the sentence, you use "that. A grammar guru, style editor, and writing mentor in one package.
Try it for free! Some Examples The old schoolhouse, which is one of my favorite historical sites to visit, is in dire need of renovation. In this case, you could drop the clause "which is one of my favorite historical sites to visit" and the sentence still makes sense:. Clearly, it's not just any antibiotic, but the one the doctor prescribed that made you sick to your stomach.
The sentence without the clause doesn't make sense:. Once you've checked your use of 'which' and 'that', use ProWritingAid to make sure the rest of your sentence is stylistically and grammatically correct. Our Realtime report lets you see and fix grammar, style and spelling issues quickly.
If you would like to know more about a suggestion, just click on the orange 'i'. You'll see articles and videos to help you learn as you edit. In the first sentence, it's the building that gave me the shivers, maybe because it featured imposing architectural details like creepy gargoyles. The fact that it towered over the sightseers is extraneous information. In the second one, however, the fact that the building was towering over the sightseers gave me the shivers, because I thought it was going to fall over on them.
Here's another example where the use of "which" and "that" completely changes the meaning of the sentence. The first sentence discusses the location of your only home and it just so happens to have 4 bedrooms. Lucky you, it's in the Caribbean. The second sentence points out that the home you own with 4 bedrooms is located in the Caribbean, which means you have more than one home, lucky dog.
It also happened to look like a telephone booth. If you read this far, you should follow us:. Diffen LLC, n. Comparison chart That versus Which comparison chart That Which Usage Restrictive clauses Which is used to further specify, identify, or distinguish a particular thing.
Examples "I like that song that you wrote. That makes it very useful. Rule for using That instead of Which The general rule requires that you use that only to introduce a restrictive or defining relative clause, which identifies the person or thing being talked about. For example, The building that I was telling you about is just down the road. Similar examples include: My books that have red covers are new.
The classes that are held every Monday start at AM. Few vs A Few Advice vs Advise. Check out the answers to the quiz and read the explanations to better understand why which or that is correct. Knowing whether to use which or that in a sentence doesn't need to be confusing.
The information that comes after which adds extra information, while a phrase that starts with that identifies the noun you're talking about. Now that you've figured out which and that , learn when to use who. All rights reserved. Home Grammar Which vs. Using Which vs. That Which and that are both relative pronouns that connect a clause or phrase to a noun or pronoun usually an object or an animal.
Word What Does It Do? Example which adds information The dog, which I've complained about before, barked all night. Use Which to Add Extra Information Which is non-essential also known as non-defining or nonrestrictive because it adds information rather than limiting it.
Do you remember the name of the book that Carla recommended to us? How do you use which? Examples of which in use In these examples, the information provided by each nonrestrictive clause is not essential. This sandwich, which has my favorite pickles , is delicious! These pairs of pants, which no longer fit me , should be given away.
Don't Get Mixed Up Again! Get Dictionary. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. That which doesn't confuse you makes your grammar stronger!
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