Commonly Confused Words

That vs. Which

2 min read

Confused about when to use that or which? You’re not alone. Even native speakers find it hard, but a few rules help.

That

That gives essential information: it tells you which one you mean. Without it, the sentence is not clear. There are no commas around it.

The car that she drives is electric. (Not just any car: the one she drives.)
Books that explain things clearly are my favorite.
This is the app that I use every day.

In British English, which is also possible here (the car which she drives). In American English, that is the usual choice.

After all, everything, anything and nothing, use that.

❌ All which I want is a quiet weekend.
✅ All that I want is a quiet weekend.

Which

Which adds extra (non-essential) information. The sentence still makes sense without it. Put commas around it.

Her car, which she bought last year, is electric. (Extra detail, not essential.)
My laptop, which is five years old, still works great.
The movie, which was based on a true story, won several awards.

After a comma, never use that.

❌ My laptop, that is five years old, still works great.
✅ My laptop, which is five years old, still works great.

💡 Tip

If the information is essential → use that (no commas).
If it’s just extra info → use which (with commas).
After a comma, never use that.

Test your knowledge 📝

Question 1 sur 8Score: 0/8

Everything ___ she told me turned out to be true.

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Commonly Confused Words

That vs. Which

2 min read

Confused about when to use that or which? You’re not alone. Even native speakers find it hard, but a few rules help.

That

That gives essential information: it tells you which one you mean. Without it, the sentence is not clear. There are no commas around it.

The car that she drives is electric. (Not just any car: the one she drives.)
Books that explain things clearly are my favorite.
This is the app that I use every day.

In British English, which is also possible here (the car which she drives). In American English, that is the usual choice.

After all, everything, anything and nothing, use that.

❌ All which I want is a quiet weekend.
✅ All that I want is a quiet weekend.

Which

Which adds extra (non-essential) information. The sentence still makes sense without it. Put commas around it.

Her car, which she bought last year, is electric. (Extra detail, not essential.)
My laptop, which is five years old, still works great.
The movie, which was based on a true story, won several awards.

After a comma, never use that.

❌ My laptop, that is five years old, still works great.
✅ My laptop, which is five years old, still works great.

💡 Tip

If the information is essential → use that (no commas).
If it’s just extra info → use which (with commas).
After a comma, never use that.

Test your knowledge 📝

Question 1 sur 8Score: 0/8

Everything ___ she told me turned out to be true.

Discover the app: Shaky English

Join 100,000 people who are improving their English skills on the Shaky English app

Other similar rules

Common confusions

Each and Every

Common confusions

Cue vs. Queue

Cue and queue sound the same, but they mean very different things. Mixing them up can change the entire meaning of a sentence. Cue Cue is usually a noun or a verb meaning: a signal or prompt to do...

Common confusions

Based off vs. Based on

Agreement rules

Omission of Auxiliary Verbs in Questions/Negatives (e.g. He not go)

In English, most questions and negative sentences need a small helping word: do, does or did. Many learners forget it. do / does: for the present (things that are true now or happen often) did:...

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Incorrect Passive Voice Usage

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Agreement rules

Double Negatives (e.g. I don’t know nothing)

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