Interesting

Relating to relative clauses: "that" can be used for both animate and animate (living things and objects) to describe.
Eg: The girl, that took the book, is my sister.
I saw the book, that was given by my father, on the table.

"Which" can only be used with objects.
Eg: I saw the book, which was given by my father, on the table.

This is a common question, and people may not be very eager to answer it again. If you get no answer here, try typing difference between that and which into Google.

Anonymous The girl, that took the book, is my sister. I saw the book, that was given by my father, on the table.

The commas in those sentences are incorrect. In a defining clause, in which both 'that' and 'which/who' are possible. we must not use commas. In a non-defining clause, in which only 'which/who' is possible, commas are obligatory.

Diana Zotova Guys, what's the difference between "that" and "which" ?

1. Defining clause (Restrictive clause): that or which, not preceded by a comma
2. Non-defining clause (Non-restrictive clause): which, but not that, preceded by a comma

1. Though Beethoven was deaf, he wrote many symphonies [that / which]

CalifJim1. Though Beethoven was deaf, he wrote many symphonies [that / which] surprised everyone.2. Though Beethoven was deaf, he wrote many symphonies, which surprised everyone. In 1 the symphonies surprised everyone. The symphonies were surprising. In 2 the fact that a deaf man wrote symphonies surprised everyone.

Note that in #2, the antecedent of 'which'

CalifJimThough Beethoven was deaf, he wrote many symphonies, which surprised everyone.

Does the pronoun "which" refer to both clauses preceding it (in the Though Beethoven was deaf, he wrote many symphonies)?

Anonymousrefer to both clauses

Yes.

CJ