Which Clauses
Using which to modify an entire clause
Referring to just the preceding noun vs. a whole clause
| THAT OR WHICH - PRECEDING NOUN |
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He deleted the picture which upset me. (The picture upset me.) |
Use 
| WHICH - THE WHOLE IDEA OF THE SENTENCE |
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Use 
Note: using which to modify a sentence is considered informal by some people and tends to occur mostly in spoken English.
Also see: That / Which | Who / Whom / That (personal pronouns)
See Comma_comments.
Common Mistakes
Errors and Solutions
| ERROR | SOLUTION |
|---|---|
The goat was standing on the roof of the house which didn't make sense. |
The goat was staning on the roof of the house, which didn't make sense. The goat was staning on the roof of the house. That / This didn't make sense. (Use that or this as a determiner. ) |
The hurricane blew the beach sand away, that made the place look unfamiliar and strange. |
The hurricane blew the beach sand away, which made the place look unfamiliar and strange. (Use which not that.) |
Practice 1
Saturday Night Out
Decide whether to use ", which", that or which.
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check 1-10" button at the bottom, or click the "check" button as you go.