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Avid learner Posted 9 years ago
Grammar

Which or that

Hi guys,

I am a little bit confuse about the difference between "which" and "that" as relative pronouns.

Examples:

  1. The trail of mistakes which humans leave behind will always be there no matter how much they have learnt from them; or
  2. The trail of mistakes that humans leave behind will always be there no matter how much they have learnt from them.
  3. Argos is Odysseus’ dog that faithfully has been waiting for his return for 20 years; or
  4. Argos is Odysseus’ dog which faithfully has been waiting for his return for 20 years.

Thanks in advance, AL

  

Top answer

avid learner The trail of mistakes which humans leave behind will always be there no matter how much they have learnt from them; The trail of mistakes that humans leave behind will always be there no matter how much they have learnt from them. Those are both oK, because both 'which' and 'that' can be used for restrictive (defining) clauses. avid learner Argos is Odysseus’ dog , that faithfully has been waiting for his return for 20 years ; Argos is Odysseus’ dog , which faithfully has been waiting for his return for 20 years.

— Mister Micawber

  • avid learner The trail of mistakes which humans leave behind will always be there no matter how much they have learnt from them; The trail of mistakes that humans leave behind will always be there no matter how much they have learnt from them.
  • Those are both oK, because both 'which' and 'that' can be used for restrictive (defining) clauses.
  • avid learner Argos is Odysseus’ dog , that faithfully has been waiting for his return for 20 years ; Argos is Odysseus’ dog , which faithfully has been waiting for his return for 20 years.
  • Only the second is correct, because only 'which' can be used in a non-restrictive (non-defining) clause.
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1 Answers
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avid learnerThe trail of mistakes which humans leave behind will always be there no matter how much they have learnt from them;
The trail of mistakes that humans leave behind will always be there no matter how much they have learnt from them.

Those are both oK, because both 'which' and 'that' can be used for restrictive (defining) cl

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