Question

The relative pronoun that is used with an essential clause, and the relative pronoun which is used with a nonessential clause. In 3–6 sentences, explain when to use each pronoun and the difference between the two types of relative clauses.

Answer 1

The relative pronoun "that" is used with an essential clause, also known as a restrictive or defining clause, while "which" is used with a nonessential clause, also known as a nonrestrictive or non-defining clause.

Essential clauses provide necessary information for the sentence structure and meaning. They restrict or define the noun they refer to and cannot be omitted without changing the intended meaning of the sentence. "That" is used in essential clauses to introduce them and cannot be replaced by "which". For example, "The book that I borrowed from the library is due tomorrow" indicates that it is a specific book that is due and not any other book.

On the other hand, nonessential clauses provide additional information that is not crucial to the sentence's meaning or structure. They provide extra details but can be omitted without changing the overall meaning of the sentence. "Which" is used in nonessential clauses to introduce them and is preceded by a comma. For example, "The book, which was borrowed from the library, is due tomorrow" adds the information that the book was borrowed from the library, but this additional detail is not necessary to understand that the book is due.

In summary, "that" is used with essential clauses that are necessary to the sentence's meaning, while "which" is used with nonessential clauses that provide extra, non-crucial information. The use of commas before and after nonessential clauses helps to distinguish them from the rest of the sentence.