Grammarly is a great tool to help you get your commonly confused words right. It highlights mistakes in your writing and gives you tips on how to fix them.
One of these tips is to use what instead of which. Both words can act as determiners, but which is restricted to certain situations.
What is Which?
While some people use what and which interchangeably, the difference is important to understand. Both phrases work for objects, items, and qualities, but they can’t be used with people because they are interrogative pronouns. They also only work in contexts where there is a limited number of options or the answers are not open-ended. In these cases, using which is more appropriate.
The basic rule is that you should use which to add a nonrestrictive clause, which are those that don’t limit the meaning of a sentence. A restrictive clause, on the other hand, is something that can be removed or added without affecting the meaning of the phrase. This type of clause is usually set off by commas, and you should only use it when it adds something new or interesting to the subject of your sentence.
For example, the sentence “Which of your shirts do you want to wear tomorrow?” is a nonrestrictive clause. The answer isn’t a definitive one because it doesn’t narrow down the possibilities. “What” is a good option for this kind of question because it can be applied to any number of potential outcomes, such as “What will you wear?”
Both Grammarly and Outwrite have grammar checkers that make suggestions to improve your writing. However, Grammarly is better for professional writers and teams because it offers more in-depth reporting and a more extensive vocabulary database than Outwrite.
Both tools can help you find grammatical errors in your writing and correct them, but they vary in how much they catch. Grammarly is more comprehensive, but it can be expensive and isn’t as intuitive for casual users. For a more affordable solution, consider Stylewriter. It’s more user-friendly than Grammarly and also helps you learn how to improve your writing skills. You can try out both tools by signing up for a free trial of each. You’ll be able to see for yourself how they differ and which is the best fit for your needs.
Which is Which?
There are many words in the English language that can be easily confused, even by native speakers. One of the most confusing is the word “which.” The difference between what and which can be difficult to understand, but knowing when to use each will improve your writing skills.
What and which are both interrogative words that can be used to ask questions. Both can work for objects, qualities, and places, but they should never be used to ask about people. Instead, you should use the question word who when asking about a person’s background or characteristics.
When to use which in a sentence is generally dependent on whether the clause is restrictive or non-restrictive. When you are using which in a restrictive clause, it should be separated by commas from the rest of the sentence. For example, Stacy’s truck, which is painted red, has a dent in the back bumper. If you are using which in a non-restrictive clause, it should be separated from the rest of the sentence by semicolons. For example, Paul’s favorite cafe, which serves excellent coffee and paninis, is in Memphis, Tennessee.
The other difference between what and which is that “which” often refers to predefined or implied sets of items. While what can be used for these types of things, it is preferred to use which.
The best way to practice using what vs which is to read and write as much as you can. Once you feel comfortable with the differences between these two words, you can start to use them in your own sentences. This will help you write more clearly and correctly, which will increase your chances of getting published and landing jobs. You can also download Grammarly’s online editor and get a report of your accuracy, spelling, plagiarism, and vocabulary. The free version of Grammarly is limited but has a lot of features that can be helpful for new writers. It can be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play and can also be integrated into Microsoft Word and Outlook.