That vs. Which
Not That! I need that!
Grammar—ever our fickle friend—loves subtlety, and no rule owns this fact better than That versus Which.
Let’s explore a sentence, shall we?
The Lamborghini Aventador that has a top speed of 217 mph is my favorite sports car.
So, the Big Question for That versus Which is necessary information versus helpful information, which means we get to talk about restrictive and non-restrictive clauses! (Try to contain your excitement.)
Restrictive Clauses: The Survivalist Kit
If you’re headed into the wild, you’re not going to grab the Xbox on your way out the door. You’re going to nip up food, water, a flashlight, and the gear you need to survive. You’ll restrict yourself to the essentials.
The Restrictive Clause is the survivalist kit of your sentence. Without this information your sentence falls flat on its info.
Zombies that are in Jane Austen novels look very dapper.
Restrictive clauses act like an adjective for the sentence’s subject and modify its meaning. The clause “that are in Jane Austen novels” qualifies our Zombies (subject). It is not all existing zombies that look dapper—it’s only Jane Austen zombies.
So…I do need that.
That is used for restrictive clauses. The information is vital to the meaning of our sentence.
“Zombies look very dapper” is not the same as “Zombies that are in Jane Austen novels look very dapper.” Our restrictive clause tells us exactly which zombies know how to dress for a party.
Punctuation Party!
Restrictive Clauses do not have commas. The information in that segment is crucial for understanding, so you don’t want to splice it out. If it’s necessary stuff—keep it close!
The slingshot that has the 2 ft. long rubber band—grab it when the zombie party gets here.
Non-Restrictive Clauses: Meh, I could add a dash of this…
The non-restrictive clause is the floral décor of a sentence. It’s nice, it adds definition, it livens up your details, but it’s not crucial to meaning.
The Aventador, which has been known to burst into flame now and again, has a 12 cylinder engine.
As with the Restrictive Clause, the Non-Restrictive Clause is modifying our subject (The Aventador), but it’s doing so in a way that is helpful to our understanding of that subject, but is not limiting it in any way. Sudden combustion is not unique to one or two high performance vehicles: they all have a tendency to do it.
…Which I meant to say…
Which is your word for Non-Restrictive Clauses. This information is more anecdotal, than essential.
Comma Chameleon!
Non-Restrictive Clauses are partitioned off from the rest of your sentence with either commas, dashes, or parentheses (depending on the status level you choose for your information).
Commas maintain a more seamless flow, while dashes will emphasize your non-restrictive clause, and parentheses will physically cut it from your sentence. It’s stylistically up to you what’s best to use.
The vermillion shirt with the hot pink polka dots—which I said was an eye-popper—sure livened up our Jane Austen look-alike party.
The first sentence for the last time.
The Lamborghini Aventador that has a top speed of 217 mph is my favorite sports car.
In this case, the statement “has a top speed of 217 mph” falls beneath our “not unique” umbrella. Every standard Aventador can boast 217 mph, so the use of That here is incorrect.
The Lamborghini Aventador (which has a top speed of 217 mph) is my favorite sports car. (Correct)
Since we’re on the subject of That, let’s peek at Who versus That
One of my little pet peeves is the Who versus That debate. Yes, there is an argument for interchangeable-ness, but I tend to disagree with it.
As a quick rule, Who goes with people, and That goes with objects.
Lizzie, who misjudged Mr. Darcy, had a lot of wit, but leapt to a conclusion.
The letter that was meant to explain Mr. Darcy’s affections reached Lizzie after she’d already determined him indifferent.
Who also begins a restrictive or non-restrictive clause, just like That and Which, though Who can be used for either type.
Resources:
Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips: Which Versus That
Daily Writing Tips: That vs. Which
Grammar Bytes!: The Clause
Grammar Bytes!: The Essential Clause
Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips: Who Versus That
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