Which vs That: Introducing Clauses

Let’s learn when to use which vs that.

Which vs That – How Are They Different?

Which and that both connect an adjective clause to the noun or pronoun modified, but they differ in terms of the relevance of the clause attached to them.  To review, clauses can be defined in two ways: restrictive (essential) and non-restrictive (non-essential).

Which vs That – Introduce Restrictive Clauses

A restrictive clause contains information that is essential to the meaning of the sentence. Thus, omitting it will sacrifice the thought of the sentence. That is used to introduce restrictive clauses. Here’s an example: 

• The indie film that won three international awards last year starred Therese Malvar.  

Here, you can infer that there are many indie films starring Therese but there’s only one that won three awards last year. Removing the restrictive clause will leave us with a different meaning: “The indie film starred Therese Malvar.”

Which vs That – Introduce Non-Restrictive Clauses

The second kind of clause is the non-restrictive clause (also called the non-essential clause). Non-restrictive clauses add extra information, but they are not vital to the meaning of the sentence. You can remove them without losing your message. Which introduces non-restrictive clauses and they are usually framed by commas. Here’s an example:

• Our trip to Japan, which we scheduled in June, was cancelled because of the pandemic.

Here, the restrictive clause only supplies additional information about the Japan trip. There’s only one trip being referred to, so even if you remove the clause, the meaning won’t change: “Our trip to Japan was cancelled because of the pandemic.”

NOTE: Most times, that and which also appear at the end of the sentence, but rarely are they used in the beginning.

• She bought a closet that looks like the magical portal to Narnia. [the clause is essential to identify the closet]
• The medicine, which was prescribed by his dermatologist, had negative effects on his health.[the clause adds information but is not essential to the thought of the sentence.]

Related Reading: Affect vs. Effect – What’s the Difference?

Which vs That – More Example Sentences

Notice how the meanings of sentences change depending on the use of that and which. 

• The indie film that won three international awards last year starred Therese Malvar.
• The indie film, which won three international awards last year, starred Therese Malvar.

The second sentence implies that there’s only one film the speaker talks about. Both versions are correct, but the use of that or which rests on your intended meaning. 

• Mars, which is the fourth planet from the Sun, is half the size of Earth. 

Here, the non-restrictive clause provides an interesting fact about Mars, but it isn’t crucial to the sentence. The sentence “Mars is half the size of Earth” still gets the message across. 

Wrong: The planet Mars that is the fourth planet from the Sun is half the size of Earth.

Here, the restrictive clause is factually wrong. It implies that there are other Mars and that only one is the fourth planet from the Sun. We know there’s just one Mars, so there’s no need to specify it.

• He is looking for his high school report cards, which are in the basement.
• He is looking for his high school report cards that are in the basement.

The first sentence implies that there is only one set of high school report cards, while the second sentence means that he is looking for specific high school report cards – the ones that are in the basement. 

Exercise:

Fill in each blank with the word (that or which) that best fits the sentence. Write commas around non-essential clauses introduced by which. 

1. We are in dire need of a public transport ____ is safe, fare-free, and environment-friendly.
2. Her school ____ has a new dean is only a few blocks away.
3. Marian’s love for flower arrangement blossomed into a career ____ her family is proud of.
4. I saw my sister wearing the dress ____ I haven’t seen in months.
5. I’ll meet her on Tuesday ____ is also her birthday to return the book ____ I borrowed last year.

Answers:

1. We are in dire need of a public transport that is safe, fare-free, and environment-friendly.
2. Her school, which has a new dean, is only a few blocks away.
3. Option 1: Marian’s love for flower arrangement blossomed into a career that her family is proud of.
   Option 2: Marian’s love for flower arrangement blossomed into a career, which her family is proud of.
4. I saw my sister wearing the dress that I haven’t seen in months.
5. I’ll meet her on Tuesday, which is also her birthday, to return the book that I borrowed last year.

Thank you for reading. We hope it’s effective! Always feel free to revisit this page if you ever have any questions about using which vs that.

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