[Tip] "That", "Which", or "who"

* " Who" refers to people. "That," however, would not be incorrect in some sentence.

*"Which" & "that" refer to groups or things. Use "That" to introduce an essential clause, and use "which" to introduce a nonessential clauses, but if "this", "that", "these", or "those" has already introduced an essential clause, you may use "which" to introduce the next clause, whether it is essential or nonessential.
Examples:

I don't see the guy that you said he was coming to meet us. ( Readers can't know which guy until they finish reading what comes after "that")

I'm reading the book, " 1984", which you recommended to me. ( Readers already know which book I'm talking about before reading what comes after "which" )

Those are the shoes which you've been looking for.
That's the movie which I was talking about
Notes :

*Essential clauses do not have commas surrounding them while nonessential clauses are surrounded by commas.
* Often, you can write your sentence by leaving out "which" when"this", "that", "these", or "those" has already introduced an essential clause before.

Example: Those are the shoes which you've been looking for ....( better say).... Those are the shoes you've been looking for.



Quiz - "Which"," That", and "Who":http://punctilious.org/grammar/quizzes/which_quiz.htm

Posted in: Tip of the day