Who which or that

A "carpet" is a thing, so "which" is correct. NB: Using "which" without a comma is unpopular, especially in the US.

The carpet that you bought has moth damage. Using "that" as opposed to "which" without a comma is strongly preferred in the US. My Persian carpet, which I bought in Qom , has been chewed by the dog. NB: Using "which" with a comma is fine. My Persian carpet, that I bought in Qom , has been chewed by the dog. The boy who stole your bike is at the door. A "boy" is a person, so "who" is correct. The boy that stole your bike is at the door.

Using Commas with "Which" and "Who" You never need a comma before "that. For example: Philosophy is written in the universe, which stands continually open to our gaze. That and which are used to start two different types of adjective clauses, called essential and non-essential clauses. That always indicates a clause that is essential to the meaning of the sentence because it defines or identifies the noun it refers to.

An essential clause does not take a comma before it. Which is used in a non-essential clause modifying an animal or a thing. A non-essential clause is one that gives secondary, non-essential information about a noun that is already fully identified. A non-essential clause is separated from its noun with a comma:.

The relative pronoun who may cause confusion because it has both a subject form who and an object form whom. The key to choosing between these forms is to see what the pronoun is doing in its own clause.

Use who if the pronoun is the subject of the verb in the dependent clause. Use whom if the pronoun is the object of the verb in the dependent clause. Use whom if the pronoun is the object of a preposition in the dependent clause. Then replace that pronoun with who or whom , using the following rule:. Skip to content Skip to institutional links. Contact Us. Search Canada.

Important notice Good news! Search and Functionalities Area Search Canada. Who and whom are used mainly for people. However, these pronouns can also be used to refer to animals that are mentioned by name and seen as persons.

The musician who wrote this song is Canadian. The witnesses whom I interviewed gave conflicting evidence. Example: That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger. This sentence is far preferable to the ungainly but technically correct That that doesn't kill you makes you stronger. The distinction between that and which , though a useful guideline, is not universally accepted as a hard-and-fast rule.

For many centuries and up to the present, which has been routinely used by great writers and journalists to introduce essential clauses. Enable JavaScript Uh oh! Hide Notice. NOTE Essential clauses do not have commas introducing or surrounding them, whereas nonessential clauses are introduced or surrounded by commas. NOTE The distinction between that and which , though a useful guideline, is not universally accepted as a hard-and-fast rule.

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