That vs Which - Difference and Comparison

Also Compare

Cameras Cars Cell Phones GPS Systems Processors Tennis Players more..

From Diffen

	That	Which
Usage:	Restrictive clauses. For example, I like the song that you wrote.	Non-restrictive clauses in a descriptive context. For example, Their first song, which made the charts in 2004, is great.

1 Usage of That vs Which
2 Rule for using That instead of Which
3 Rule for using Which instead of That
4 Using That and Which together
5 Related Articles
6 References

[edit] Usage of That vs Which

The words that and which are used to connect relative clauses in sentences. According to the American Heritage Book of English Usage, the standard grammar rule clarifies that the usage of that vs. which depends upon whether the following clause is restrictive or non-restrictive.

[edit] Rule for using That instead of Which

The rule requires that you use that only to introduce a restrictive (or defining) relative clause, which identifies the person or thing being talked about. For example, it is acceptable to use that in the sentence The building that I was telling you about is just down the road. In this sentence, the phrase that I was telling you about specifically identifies the object in the previous phrase (building) and is a restrictive clause. In this use, that should never be preceded by a comma.

[edit] Rule for using Which instead of That

On the other hand, you use which with non-restrictive (or non-defining) clauses, which give additional information about something that has already been identified in the context; in this use, which is always preceded by a comma. Thus you should say The students in Chemistry 101 have been complaining about the textbook, which is hard to follow. The clause which is hard to follow is descriptive, not restrictive i.e. it does not specify which text is being complained about. Which sounds more natural in such situations than that.

Some people extend the rule and insist that, just as that should be used only in restrictive clauses, which should be used only in nonrestrictive clauses. This would mean the sentence I need a book which will tell me all about city gardening is incorrect. However, this use of which with restrictive clauses is fairly common, even in edited prose.

Which can be especially useful where two or more relative clauses are joined by and or or. For example, It is an environment in which ordinary people may succumb to greed and which many have found reason to hate.

You may also want to use which to introduce a restrictive clause when the preceding phrase contains a that or a those. For example, We want to fund only those initiatives which will increase revenues and customer satisfaction.