Grammar Help

[Salinye]

Okay, I'm finding as I write in word, I'm getting corrected a lot on the word "which". It wants me to replace the word "which" with "that". Of course, I do. However, writing caught in the flow of the story, I find I type the word "which" without even thinking and have to go back to correct.

 

So, call me uneducated, but it has occurred to me that I no longer understand the use of the word "which" vs. "that". Anyone care to enlighten and educate me. Perhaps others would find it useful too. (Hopefully I'm not the only one who has grammar issues from time to time!!)

 

~Salinye

[Peredhil]

A that vs. which article

 

yet another that vs. which article

 

-Peredhil helping to clear the confusion

[Signe]

When using these as relative pronouns, use who to refer to people:

 

"The man who mistook his wife for a hat"

 

Use which for things:

 

("The house which you are thinking of robbing").

 

That can refer to either:

 

"The man that mistook his wife for a hat,"

 

"The house that you are thinking of robbing."

 

Note that if the subject of the subordinate clause is different from that of the main clause, you can often omit the relative pronoun:

 

"The house you are thinking of robbing is empty,"

 

But:

 

"The house that was broken into was empty."

 

 

all this is courtesy of the Uvic writer's guide, a great resource for anyone.

 

http://web.uvic.ca/wguide/

[Salinye]

Wow, thank you Peredhil. I especially found the second artical MOST educational. :0)

 

*realizes just how much she doesn't remember/know*

 

Signe! I didn't see your post before I responded! Thank you! I'll be sure to bookmark that website!!

 

 

~Salinye

Edited July 21, 2003 by Salinye

[Yui-chan]

Peredhil-san's websites are excellent and explain it well, I thought. Thank you, Peredhude!

 

I always use the required comma as my guide when it comes to questions of which to use. As the second link Peredhil gave us states:

 

Restrictive clauses are introduced by that and are not separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.

 

Non-restrictive clauses are introduced by which and must be separated by commas from the rest of the sentence to indicate parenthesis.

To me, if the sentence as I read it in my mind doesn't naturally have the pause of a comma, I use 'that'. If it does, I use 'which'. I can't say for sure how accurate that leaves me, but it's something to think about if you write with your 'ear' as I do.

 

I do want to point out, though, that Signe's example isn't quite correct for which simply because the commas are missing.

The house, which you are thinking of robbing, stands on the corner of the street.

If it's a parenthetical point, then it needs to be called out from the rest of the sentence. In fact, think of it quite literally that way. In less formal writing - say, if you were jotting an email to your cousin - it's the kind of thought that you'd probably just slap into some parenthesis. It's not critical that it be there. The reader can understand what you're trying to say without it, but it adds information.

 

So my advice is to use this twofold test on yourself the next time you come up against a that/which question in your writing.

 

1) Ask yourself whether the information is necessary to identify exactly what you're talking about. Is it required ('that') or optional ('which').

 

2) If you're unsure, read the sentence aloud to yourself. Does it feel like there should be a pause around the that/which phrase, or does it feel like it should flow evenly?

 

I hope all my blabbering can help someone.

 

... ... *pokes Gyrfalcon* You can wake up, now. I'm done.

 

 

,

~Yui

[Katzaniel]

Wow, this is a very helpful thread. Let us hope I can remember all these useful points...

 

(FYI Salinye, Word corrects me on that all the time, as well. This problem, and my wordiness/rambling addiction.)