On 3 Aug 2005 14:20:06 -0700, "credoquaabsurdum"
<credoquaabsurdum@yahoo.com> tickled the keyboard to say:
>Gran wrote:
>> What's the easiest rule to follow (if there is one) regarding when to
>> use 'which' or 'that' in a sentence.
>>
>> Simple replies or pointers to an online Idiot's Guide please - I'm
>> not a grammar guru but this is one little niggle which / that gets me
>> twitchy.
>To echo Mike in a more specific way, are you talking about the use of
>"which" or "that" in adjective/relative clauses, such as:
>
>That's the house which Ruth built.
>That's the house that Ruth built.
>
>Something like that?
To echo my original post - 'simple' please - I dun do the grammar
stuff proper. WTF is adjective / relative? "My scruffy brother" is the
only adjective I can think of to describe my relative - or at least -
the only one fit for publication.
If I was saying 'That's the house ..' I'd say "That's the house that
Ruth built but I don't know how she managed it because she's only 5'
2" and never lifted so much as a screwdriver, let alone a trowel".
or
"That's Ruth's gaff, built it herself she did".
Seriously though - in the example you offer I'd use 'that' because
'which' sounds clumsy or, as an alternative, "That's the house built
by Ruth" or simple "Ruth built that house".
(Until the tiles went on I suppose Ruth was roofless in her building.)
The question arises becasue although I'm certainly no whizz I'm
helping out someone who knows less that I, if that's possible. We've
got (gotten?) over the barrier of
"That's the man which..."
I scream "Noooooooo .... a person is a *who* ... use which for a
*thing*!".
Now we get into dear old Microsoft and its rather vague way of
suggesting alternatives when checking. It frequently wants to replace
'which' with 'that' and I wondered if there's something basic I'm
missing (like education).
Bear with me - I'm willing to learn!
--
"You have encountered a caring error.
Please reduce your expectations to zero and try again"
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