Hi.
Kindly tell me whether I can use which in place of that, in the sentences below. If the answer is No, please explain why. I know that it has something to do with defining and non-defining clauses. Unfortunately, I'm unable to identify them in the sentences below.
Although I love taking my bike out on long rides, there are cycling trails that I tend to avoid. Those are the ones that lack lush green surroundings.
Thank you very much for your help.
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@gilbert posted:Kindly tell me whether I can use which in place of that, in the sentences below. If the answer is No, please explain why. I know that it has something to do with defining and non-defining clauses. Unfortunately, I'm unable to identify them in the sentences below.
Although I love taking my bike out on long rides, there are cycling trails that I tend to avoid. Those are the ones that lack lush green surroundings.
Thank you very much for your help.
Hi, Gilbert—Yes, you can use "which" instead of "that" in each case. The relative pronoun "which" can be used in restrictive and nonrestrictive relative clauses (those who believe it can't or shouldn't be used in restrictive relative clauses are grossly mistaken—it has been thus used by educated native speakers since practically the dawn of English), whereas "that" does not work in nonrestrictive relative clauses: it is not advisable to precede a "that"-relative with a comma.
@David, Moderator posted:The relative pronoun "which" can be used in restrictive and nonrestrictive relative clauses (those who believe it can't or shouldn't be used in restrictive relative clauses are grossly mistaken—it has been thus used by educated native speakers since practically the dawn of English)...
Hi, David.
Thank you so much for this very clear and authoritative information.
Sorry for taking forever to reply. Your help is much appreciated.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2022!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Gilbert! I think you might enjoy reading a newspaper article related to your question. The article is titled "A Rule Which Will Live in Infamy" and was written by renowned grammarian Geoffrey Pullum.
Thank you so much for the wishes, David.
Btw, I clicked on the link to read Geoffrey Pullum's article but it looks like I'll have to sign up in order to read it.
@gilbert posted:Btw, I clicked on the link to read Geoffrey Pullum's article but it looks like I'll have to sign up in order to read it.
Yes, that's what I had to do. Fortunately, it was free. Nevertheless, to save you the trouble, I have printed the article to pdf and attached it here. Enjoy!
Thank you so much, David, for your time and trouble. It was very thoughtful of you. Your help is truly appreciated.
Happy New Year's Eve!
