Which usage

More Words At Play. Merriam-Webster's Words of the Week - Oct. Homophones, Homographs, and Homonyms. Time Traveler. Love words? Need even more definitions? Ask the Editors 'Everyday' vs. What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'? How 'literally' can mean "figuratively". Literally How to use a word that literally drives some pe Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice? The awkward case of 'his or her'. Take the quiz. Because that has no genitive form or construction, of which or whose must be substituted for it in contexts that call for the genitive.

Although some handbooks say otherwise, that and which are both regularly used to introduce restrictive clauses in edited prose.

Which is also used to introduce nonrestrictive clauses. That was formerly used to introduce nonrestrictive clauses; such use is virtually nonexistent in present-day edited prose, though it may occasionally be found in poetry. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'which.

Send us feedback. See more words from the same century. Sorry, cool kids, you're not the first to use the word to signal commentary. Which, history. Accessed 11 Nov. Nglish: Translation of which for Spanish Speakers. Britannica English: Translation of which for Arabic Speakers. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Expect , hope or wait? Experience or experiment? Fall or fall down? Far or a long way? Farther , farthest or further , furthest? Fast , quick or quickly? Fell or felt? Female or feminine ; male or masculine? Finally , at last , lastly or in the end? First , firstly or at first? Fit or suit? Following or the following?

For or since? Forget or leave? Full or filled? Fun or funny? Get or go? Grateful or thankful? Hear or listen to? High or tall? Historic or historical? House or home? How is …? If or when? If or whether? Ill or sick?

Imply or infer? In the way or on the way? Late or lately? Lay or lie? Lend or borrow? Less or fewer? Look at , see or watch? Low or short? Man , mankind or people? Maybe or may be? Maybe or perhaps? Nearest or next? Never or not … ever? Nice or sympathetic? No doubt or without doubt? No or not? Nowadays , these days or today? Open or opened? Opportunity or possibility? Opposite or in front of? Other , others , the other or another?

Out or out of? Permit or permission? Person , persons or people? Pick or pick up? Play or game? Politics , political , politician or policy? If you read this far, you should follow us:. Diffen LLC, n. Comparison chart That versus Which comparison chart That Which Usage Restrictive clauses Which is used to further specify, identify, or distinguish a particular thing.

Examples "I like that song that you wrote. That makes it very useful. Rule for using That instead of Which The general 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, The building that I was telling you about is just down the road. Similar examples include: My books that have red covers are new. The classes that are held every Monday start at AM. Few vs A Few Advice vs Advise.