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Moon7296 Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
relative clause which / that (in this sentence)
A : What have you been doing?
B: I have been studying studied linguistics, which was one of the subjects in the exam I took recently.
Q) Two native speakers chose "which" instead of "that" in "B".
Is there any reason why "which" is more natural than "that"? (By the way, "that" without a comma before it sounds also OK too, doesn't it?)
B: I have been studying studied linguistics, which was one of the subjects in the exam I took recently.
Q) Two native speakers chose "which" instead of "that" in "B".
Is there any reason why "which" is more natural than "that"? (By the way, "that" without a comma before it sounds also OK too, doesn't it?)
Top answer
The relative clause is non-defining, and therefore 'that' is incorrect; only 'which' is used in such clauses. 'That' with no preceding comma would make in a defining relative clause. That would not be appropriate in this sentence.
- The relative clause is non-defining, and therefore 'that' is incorrect; only 'which' is used in such clauses.
- 'That' with no preceding comma would make in a defining relative clause.
- That would not be appropriate in this sentence.
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2 Answers
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The relative clause is non-defining, and therefore 'that' is incorrect; only 'which' is used in such clauses.
'That' with no preceding comma would make in a defining relative clause. That would not be appropriate in this sentence.
'That' with no preceding comma would make in a defining relative clause. That would not be appropriate in this sentence.
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AnonymousThe relative clause is non-defining, and therefore 'that' is incorrectI thought "studied linguistics" is defined by a relative clause either "which" or "that" in the sentence. But what you mean is the relative clause "which?" (that?) is non-definining for "studied linguistics"? (I know a relative clause "that" preceded by a comma can't be used thus n
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