The problems
many writers have with the words that
and which make copy editors
inveterate which hunters. Remember
that a nonrestrictive clause is not essential for the reader to understand the
full meaning of the word or words that it modifies. It simply adds more
information, describing but not limiting (“restricting”) what it modifies. On
the other hand, a restrictive clause contains information that is essential for
the reader to understand the full meaning of the word or words that it
modifies. It limits (“restricts”) what it modifies. The relative pronoun that should be used to begin restrictive
clauses, and which should be used to
begin a nonrestrictive clause. Examples:
Restrictive:
He showed me the book that
arrived in the mail today. [The meaning is restricted to just one book—the one
that arrived in the mail today.]
Nonrestrictive:
He showed me the new Stephen
King novel, which is the one I told you about yesterday. [The clause just adds
more information to the sentence.]
Paul Thayer
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