Which who that

This sentence is far preferable to the ungainly but technically correct That that doesn't kill you makes you stronger. The distinction between that and which , though a useful guideline, is not universally accepted as a hard-and-fast rule. For many centuries and up to the present, which has been routinely used by great writers and journalists to introduce essential clauses. Enable JavaScript Uh oh! Hide Notice. NOTE Essential clauses do not have commas introducing or surrounding them, whereas nonessential clauses are introduced or surrounded by commas.

NOTE The distinction between that and which , though a useful guideline, is not universally accepted as a hard-and-fast rule. Are you ready for the quiz? Who, Whom, That, Which Quiz. Cambridge University Press. Relative pronouns. Cambridge dictionary. Use who and whom to refer to people. Use "who" when you refer to the subject of a clause and "whom" when you refer to the object of a clause for information regarding subjects versus objects, please refer to Sentence Elements.

According to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association APA, , "restrictive clauses— also called "that" clauses—are essential to the meaning of the sentence.

Restrictive clauses are not set off with commas" p. For example: I chose the book that I like the best. Restrictive clauses can also be referred to as independent clauses. In contrast, "nonrestrictive clauses—also called "which" clauses—add further information to the sentence but are not essential to its meaning. Nonrestrictive clauses are set off with commas" APA, , p.

My Persian carpet, which I bought in Qom , has been chewed by the dog. NB: Using "which" with a comma is fine. My Persian carpet, that I bought in Qom , has been chewed by the dog.

The boy who stole your bike is at the door. A "boy" is a person, so "who" is correct. The boy that stole your bike is at the door. Using Commas with "Which" and "Who" You never need a comma before "that. For example: Philosophy is written in the universe, which stands continually open to our gaze. Philosopher Galileo The clause "which stands continually open to our gaze" is just additional information.

Who : When describing people That : When describing objects or groups Which : When describing objects That overlaps meaning with who and which. Relative Pronouns Who, that, and which are all relative pronouns.

Who as a Relative Pronoun Who is only appropriate when talking about people or plural groups of individual people, such as teachers, men, children, and actors.

The store manager, who is friends with my dad, can get us a deal on a dining table. The runner who won the race is a cancer survivor. My sister, who lives three miles away, is coming over this afternoon. This is my friend Charlie, who I met back in college. The scientists who discovered the vaccine are attending the conference.

That as a Relative Pronoun You can use that to describe objects, groups, or non-humans. For example: The contract that defines my work hours is on your desk.

I want a car that accelerates quickly. You should take the job that pays the most. Which as a Relative Pronoun The difference between which and that is how they are used. For example: The house next door, which used to belong to a local celebrity, is up for sale.

My wedding dress, which I bought last week, fits me perfectly. Interrogative Pronouns Both who and which are also interrogative pronouns, which means that you can use them to ask questions. Who ate the last piece of pizza?