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Which and that are two common words used as relative pronouns. These pronouns determine which kind of clause you need to introduce:
Use that in restrictive clauses, and which in nonrestrictive ones.
Which is Restrictive
The word that introduces a restrictive relative clause, which narrows the meaning of the noun it modifies. You should only use which when the information in the clause isn’t necessary to identify the noun, and you can remove the clause without changing the sentence’s overall meaning.
Nonrestrictive relative clauses, on the other hand, add extra information that doesn’t limit the noun they describe. For instance, you can remove the following examples of the sentence “Paul’s favorite cafe that serves excellent coffee and paninis” without affecting the overall meaning of the sentence:
You should also remember to set off nonrestrictive relative clauses with commas. For a more thorough discussion of these rules, we recommend reading Grammarly’s detailed guide to the subject. You can also find some great discussions of the topic on Language Log and Merriam-Webster’s usage notes. These resources should give you the confidence to write flawless English! Good luck! And don’t forget to check out Grammarly’s powerful writing assistant and plagiarism checker.
Which is Nonrestrictive
To remember when to use which and when to use that, think of restrictive clauses as limiting the meaning of a noun, and nonrestrictive clauses as adding information. A clause that restricts the noun it modifies is necessary and should be surrounded by commas, while a clause that adds information to the sentence is non-essential and doesn’t need to be separated from the rest of the text by commas.
For example, the phrase “which was well formatted” is a nonrestrictive relative clause because it adds information to the text that isn’t required to understand the meaning of the sentence. It would be fine to remove this clause and the sentence will still make sense. This is why nonrestrictive relative clauses are typically not offset by commas. Keeping this tip in mind, you can confidently choose which or that when writing. Good luck! And don’t forget to check your writing with Grammarly. It’s one of the best proofreaders around.
Which is Informative
We use which and that every day, but these relative pronouns are difficult to master. They are used with dependent clauses, which refer to a noun and provide information about the noun. Some dependent clauses are essential and must be included in the sentence; others enhance the meaning of the sentence with extra information.
The first step to using which and that correctly is determining whether the clause is essential or nonrestrictive. If the clause is essential, use that. If the clause is nonrestrictive, use which.
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Which is Plagiarism-Free
Grammarly provides an app or browser plugin that corrects spelling and grammatical errors in your writing. It can also detect usage, wordiness and tone and provide suggestions to help you say what you mean clearly and effectively.
Its plagiarism check compares your document against billions of web pages and ProQuest’s academic databases to ensure that your content is original. If it finds plagiarism, you will receive an instant report that details the extent of the plagiarism and offers suggestions for corrections.
Some of the most common errors that Grammarly identifies include errant commas and misplaced apostrophes, using the passive voice, introducing clauses with a conjunction, and joining two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction. It can also identify homonyms, misspelled words, and tense shifts. However, it is important to remember that Grammarly isn’t a replacement for a human editor and some of its suggestions may not be appropriate in all situations. It is up to the writer to determine when a suggestion should be ignored.