", that" vs ", which"

Question

", that" vs ", which"

Both ", which" and ", that" are correct and commonly used in English. They are relative pronouns that introduce relative clauses providing additional information about a noun. The choice between them depends on the context and personal preference.

Last Updated: March 22, 2024

Use ", that" to introduce restrictive relative clauses that provide essential information about a noun. These clauses are not set off by commas.

Examples:

The book that I bought yesterday is very interesting.
The car that is parked outside belongs to my friend.
She wore a beautiful dress that caught everyone's attention.
The movie that was released last week received great reviews.
The dog that is black is very friendly.

Alternatives:

, which
who
whom
whose
where

Use ", which" to introduce non-restrictive relative clauses that provide additional, non-essential information about a noun. These clauses are set off by commas.

Examples:

The book, which I bought yesterday, is very interesting.
The car, which is parked outside, belongs to my friend.
She wore a beautiful dress, which caught everyone's attention.
The movie, which was released last week, received great reviews.
The dog, which is black, is very friendly.

Alternatives:

, that
who
whom
whose
where

Answer 1

, that

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to introduce restrictive relative clauses.

Answer 2

, which

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to introduce non-restrictive relative clauses.

", that" vs ", which"

, that

, which

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