Relative pronouns help introduce clauses that provide additional information about a noun. "That" is used with essential (or restrictive) clauses, which are crucial for understanding the sentence's meaning; without this information, the sentence would not convey the same idea. For example, in the sentence "The book that I borrowed was fascinating," the clause "that I borrowed" specifies which book is being discussed. In contrast, "which" is used with nonessential (or non-restrictive) clauses, which add extra information that can be omitted without changing the sentence's fundamental meaning, as in "The book, which I borrowed last week, was fascinating." Here, the clause provides additional detail but is not necessary to identify the book.
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)
Short Answer Rubric (2 points)
1 answer