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. (make it like 7th grader wrote it)

Answer 1

When you want to give extra information that isn't really needed to understand the sentence, you use the word "which." This kind of information is called a nonessential clause, and the sentence would still make sense without it. For example, "My dog, which is very friendly, loves to play."

On the other hand, when the information is really important to the meaning of the sentence, you use "that." This is called an essential clause, and you can't remove it without changing what the sentence means. For example, "The dog that barks loudly lives next door." Here, "that barks loudly" tells us which specific dog we’re talking about.

Answer 2

make it shorter

Answer 3

You use "which" for nonessential clauses, which add extra information but aren't needed to understand the sentence. For example, "My dog, which is very friendly, loves to play." It’s fine to leave out the clause and still know what the sentence means.

You use "that" for essential clauses when the information is important to identify what you're talking about. For example, "The dog that barks loudly lives next door," tells us which dog we mean, so you can't remove that part without losing the meaning.