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  3. Commonly Confused Words
  4. That vs. Which
Commonly Confused Words

That vs. Which

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Confused about when to use that or which? You’re not alone — this is one of the trickiest grammar points, even for native speakers!

That

That is used to give essential information — information that is necessary to understand the sentence. There are no commas around it.

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

Use that when the information tells you *which one* or *which kind* specifically.

Which

Which is used to add extra (non-essential) information. The sentence would still make sense without it. It's usually set off by commas.

  • 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.

Use which when the detail is interesting but not necessary to identify the thing you’re talking about.

💡 Astuce

If the information is essential → use that (no commas).
If it’s just extra info → use which (with commas).

Teste tes connaissances 📝

Question 1 sur 8Score: 0/8

The phone ___ I bought last year still works perfectly.

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