March 28, 2016
Writing Tip of the Week
Which/That/Who and Which/What
Which/That/Who
 Within a sentence, a relative pronoun connects a dependent clause to an independent
clause. “Which,” “That,” and “Who” are common relative pronouns, but all have
different usage. In general, “Who” refers to people, and “That” and “Which” refer to
animals or things.
 The clause that a relative pronoun introduces may be (1) restrictive—essential to a
sentence’s meaning and not enclosed by commas; or (2) nonrestrictive—not
essential to a sentence’s meaning and enclosed by commas.
o That—should only be used with restrictive clauses
The car that was involved in the accident was totaled.
o Which—should be used with nonrestrictive clauses, although some writing
manuals allow it to be used sparingly with restrictive clauses
The car, which was purchased last week, was totaled.
o Who—commas denote whether the clause is restrictive or nonrestrictive
The driver who was involved in the accident was charged with a DUI.
The driver, who immediately contacted an attorney, was charged with a
DUI.
Which/What
 “Which” and “What,” both relative pronouns, can be used within a sentence and at
the beginning of a question.
o Which—refers to a known number of possibilities
Between Coke and Pepsi, which do you prefer?
I am going to see which of their chores are done.
o What—refers to an unknown number of possibilities
What is your favorite color?
I am going to see what the children have done.
Adapted from:
Writing from A to Z—Ebest, Alfred, Brunshaw, Oliu
Prepared by Andrew C. Smith