The relative pronoun that is used with an essential clause, and the relative pronoun which is used with a nonessential clause. In 3–5 sentences, explain when to use each pronoun and the difference between the two types of relative clauses. (2 points

6 answers

Relative pronouns are used to introduce relative clauses, which provide additional information about a noun. "That" is used with essential (or restrictive) clauses, which are necessary to the meaning of the sentence because they specify which noun we are talking about. For example, in the sentence "The book that I borrowed was fascinating," the clause specifies which book is being referred to. On the other hand, "which" is used with nonessential (or non-restrictive) clauses, which add extra information but can be removed without altering the main meaning of the sentence. For instance, in "The book, which I borrowed last week, was fascinating," the clause provides additional detail but isn’t crucial to identify the book.

3 sentences

Use "that" for essential (restrictive) clauses, which provide necessary information to identify a noun. For example, in "The car that is red is mine," the clause specifies which car is being referred to. Conversely, use "which" for nonessential (non-restrictive) clauses, which add extra information that can be omitted without changing the main meaning, as in "The car, which is red, is mine."

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You use "that" when you're talking about something really important that helps you know what you're talking about, like in "The dog that barks loudly is mine." It tells you exactly which dog I'm talking about. But you use "which" when you’re just adding some extra info that isn’t super important, like in "The dog, which is super friendly, is mine" because the sentence still makes sense without that extra detail.

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