We have almost no problem having a conversation with people. If you are fluent in English, you might not even think about the order of your words as you speak. But something changes when we put words onto the page: suddenly we notice word order and word choice. Some of those hesitations happen over whether to use that or which. This hesitation especially happens when you have a sentence that uses two whiches or two thats, and you find yourself trying to reword the whole sentence to avoid making a decision. (Or maybe this has never happened to you, and this blog post will be a lovely little learning moment.) Hopefully this blog provides some clarity and help. (Hint . . . everything comes down to punctuation in the end.)
So, what’s the deal with which and that? Somewhere along the way I learned that you should alternate that and which in sentences where you would double-up on that word. (For example, The lamp which she owned that she got from her mother.) When researching which or that online, and learning about these words in grammar class, I learned that we use that in defining clauses, and which in non-defining clauses. Ok . . . what does that mean?
- A defining clause is a clause that is restrictive, meaning this type of clause refers to something specific or essential to the meaning of the sentence. (For example, He chose that seat.)
- A non-defining clause, also called a nonrestrictive or nonessential clause, doesn’t limit the meaning within the sentence. (For example, The seat, which he chose, had a great view.)
I recently read a book by David Marsh that brought me some new insight that I will gladly share with you. When Marsh talks about defining clauses (restrictive clauses), he stresses that the information in those words are essential, meaning they are all needed in order for the sentence to make sense. When information is enclosed in commas, that gives a hint to the reader that the information isn’t essential, and the sentence would make sense without the extra information. So it all comes down to punctuation.
For Marsh, he is writing for the Guardian, and has spent a lot of time thinking through the details of how to use grammar and punctuation to communicate consistently to the Guardian’s readership. So according to Marsh, there are instances where which can be used in restrictive clauses. For example, “He showed me the vase which was broken” (Pg 62). Marsh provides a way to remember the use of that and which, which I find very helpful:
-Restrictive clauses: that (desirable [as in, better than which]) + no comma (essential).
-Non-restrictive clauses: which + comma (both essential).
Marsh, D. (2014). For who the bell tolls: One man’s quest for grammatical perfection. Guardian. Pg 63.
Marsh shows that if which and a comma are used, that means the information is non-restrictive (meaning, we can see that it’s extra or not super important). But if you bump into a sentence where there is which and no comma, that means the information is essential or necessary. So there’s where the confusion lies, I think.
Marsh is on a quest to make writing less ambiguous. He wants clarity. So if you want to add clarity to your sentences, be thoughtful about what is extra information, and what is essential information. To bring his point across, he uses this example:
So a recent BBC radio interviewer who asked the question ‘Should advertising, which targets children, be banned?’ was suggesting that all advertising targets children. She meant ‘Should advertising that targets children be banned?’
Marsh, D. (2014). For who the bell tolls: One man’s quest for grammatical perfection. Guardian. Pg 63.
So it’s clear: in order to know which and that you need to know your clause’s purpose. Is your clause essential? Or is it extra information? And the whole time, reminding yourself that clarity is better than ambiguity. As with everything that has to do with writing, the rules change over time (and there are always exceptions to the rules). So whether you decide to use that or which, just make sure that the punctuation you use matches the intent you have for the information.
Feature image: Photo by Micah Boswell on Unsplash