, in which vs in which,

Both ", in which" and "in which," are correct, but they are used in different contexts. The version with the comma (", in which") is used when introducing a non-restrictive relative clause, providing additional information that is not essential to the meaning of the sentence. On the other hand, "in which," is used without a comma when introducing a restrictive relative clause, which is necessary to identify the noun being referred to.

Last updated: March 24, 2024

, in which

This construction is correct and commonly used when introducing a non-restrictive relative clause.

Use ", in which" when introducing a non-restrictive relative clause that provides additional, non-essential information.

Examples:

The book, in which the main character is a detective, is very popular.
The event, in which many people participated, was a great success.

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A dark ceremony, in which a human host is bonded with demonic shadows.
These are priority areas, in which remaining shortcomings must be adequately addressed as soon as possible.
Unless you subscribed to this magazine, in which case it was blast from a UFO.
Unless of course you're hungry, in which case I'm starving.
Operation Infinite Wisdom, in which the gods cease to be benevolent, in which the full bicep of the American military machine flexes its... bicep.
In six months she could be a completely different kid, in which case this meeting becomes totally irrelevant.
Other Member States can present objections, in which case the Commission will intervene in the procedure.
Unless you meant Joyce, in which case, I agree.
That means Semak doesn't trust you, in which case you're no use to me.
It says the head of the city council will automatically succeed the mayor unless challenged by another candidate, in which case a special election must be held.
It's a game that I just invented, in which the participants answer physics questions in remedial Spanish.
Well, it does unless you have a tumor in your frontal lobe, in which case, primitive reflexes come back along with disinhibition.
Not if she crosses state lines to see her kid, in which case, we'll take the collar.
In a static world in which all economic indicators remained unchanged year after year, in which capital was not accumulated, in which no one was born and no one died, they would be.
Either there is something wrong with the foods in question, in which case they should be banned, or they are safe, in which case no special rules are required.
Now to accomplish that the Academy follows a military system, in which discipline is cornerstone.
Shortly after Armstrong retired, there was this huge bust called Operation Puerto, in which most of his rivals got popped.
After 37 minutes, in which you allowed your team to put lives at risk.
The Administrative Departments of Contracting Parties, in which the approval was granted, may undertake the same tests.
The legal context, in which the management and regulation of the AbstractMonitoringObject is defined.

Alternatives:

The book, where the main character is a detective, is very popular.
The event, with many people participating, was a great success.

in which,

This construction is correct and commonly used when introducing a restrictive relative clause.

Use "in which," when introducing a restrictive relative clause that is essential to identify the noun being referred to.