There is one other important distinction between restrictive and non-restrictive clauses: commas are used to separate the non-restrictive clauses from the rest of the sentence. Therefore, we use which and separate the non-restrictive clause with commas. In this example, because all human hearts have four valves, the descriptive clause does not provide necessary identifying information to the sentence. Here are the sentences that used that. In the second sentence, changing to which causes the sentence to imply that Brad only has one sweater.
Here, the sentence has changed to imply that the primary purpose of all laptops is gaming. Because not all laptops are used for gaming purposes, the sentence is not true. Here, the second sentence implies that Stacy owns multiple trucks, thus making it necessary to specify the red one.
Take a look at these practice sentences below and see whether they need that or which. This means the clause is non-restrictive. The third sentence is a trick! If there are multiple gyms five minutes from your house, you would use that to specify the one with the racquetball courts. However, if there is only one gym five minutes from your house, the clause is non-restrictive, and you would use which. Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesars: and unto God the things that are Gods.
The careful reader may have noticed that in the four examples given above, all published within a span of four decades, each of the authors writes what is essentially the same sentence, but uses that and which in a manner that is different from each of the others. The midth century was apparently a period of syntactical free love. Then the rules on restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses came along. If you are not a copy editor, or someone who is deeply interested in grammar, you may have forgotten what restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses are.
A restrictive clause is a part of a sentence that may not be removed without rendering that sentence incomplete, difficult to understand, or with its meaning substantially changed.
This nonrestrictive clause adds information to the sentence, but it is not imperative to include it. The restrictive clause, however, is more akin to pants; your day will have a decidedly problematic tone if you leave home without them. That underwent a period of decline at the end of the 17th century, then made a comeback several decades later. When it reappeared, that was used for nonrestrictive clauses much less frequently than it had previously been although some writers, such as Thackeray and Tennyson, still used it in this way quite often.
Soon, grammarians tried to establish a set of rules to govern the use of these words. As is so often the case when a grammatical rule is established based on the preference of usage writers, rather than actual usage, there was a great deal of disagreement as to what the rules should actually be.
There are some problems with these rules. Some twenty years after the brothers first issued them, Henry Watson wrote another book on usage. He plaintively expressed his feelings on the way that people were treating that and which :.
Some there are who follow this principle now; but it would be idle to pretend that it is the practice either of most or of the best writers. It is true that that is rarely found today used in nonrestrictive clauses although poets still use it thusly , but which seems to have a fair degree of flexibility to it, and can perform very nicely in restrictive clauses, nonrestrictive clauses, and in annoying people who feel that it should never be found outside of a nonrestrictive clause.
Here is what our own usage guide, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage , has to say on the matter:. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Which and that are common words, but they are important. By identifying your clauses as defining or non-defining, you can easily remember when to use which and when to use that. If you are ready to learn more, study up on defining and non-defining clauses. Real-time suggestions, wherever you write. Which vs. That: How to Choose Shundalyn Allen. In a defining clause, use that. In non-defining clauses, use which. Remember, which is as disposable as a sandwich bag.
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