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Subject:That and Which--is it worth it? From:Gail DeCamp <decampg -at- SMTPLINK -dot- NGC -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 15 Dec 1994 10:08:47 PST
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I have a that/which question. I've had reputable sources tell me that
there are distinct rules for using "that" and "which"....namely, that
one is restrictive and the other is not. Here are the rules:
Restrictive: We purchased the software that provided all the necessary
features. (This sentence suggests that only one kind of software had
them all.)
Non-restrictive: We purchased the software, which provided all the
necessary features. (This sentence suggests that there are lots of
kinds of software that could provide the features.)
Does anyone else out there follow this rule? It seems pretty subtle to
me. (If it changed the meaning of a sentence, I might worry about it,
but otherwise I would not.)
