In English grammar, the use of relative pronouns like ‘which’ and ‘that’ can be confusing, especially when they are used to introduce clauses that provide additional information about a subject or object. In this article, we will explain why ‘which’ is used in the sentence ‘The CEO made a statement, following ( A ) the company’s stock price rose sharply,’ and why ‘that’ is not correct in this context.
1. Understanding the Relative Pronouns: Which and That
‘Which’ and ‘that’ are both relative pronouns used to introduce relative clauses, but they are not interchangeable in all situations. The key difference lies in whether the information is essential or non-essential to the meaning of the sentence.
‘That’ is used for restrictive clauses, where the information is essential to the meaning of the sentence. For example, ‘The book that I read was interesting.’ On the other hand, ‘which’ is typically used for non-restrictive clauses, where the information can be omitted without changing the core meaning of the sentence. For instance, ‘The book, which I read last week, was interesting.’
2. The Role of ‘Which’ in the Example Sentence
In the sentence ‘The CEO made a statement, following ( A ) the company’s stock price rose sharply,’ the clause introduced by ‘which’ is non-restrictive. It provides additional, non-essential information about the CEO’s statement, indicating that the statement was followed by a rise in the company’s stock price. The use of ‘which’ is appropriate here because the clause is giving extra information rather than defining the statement in a restrictive way.
3. Why ‘That’ is Not Correct in This Context
‘That’ would not be correct in this sentence because it is used to introduce restrictive clauses. If ‘that’ were used, it would imply that the rise in the stock price is an essential, defining feature of the CEO’s statement, which is not the intended meaning here. The clause following ‘which’ is additional information, not a defining characteristic of the statement.
In general, ‘that’ would be used in sentences where the information is critical for understanding the sentence, such as ‘The CEO made a statement that caused the stock price to rise sharply.’
4. Punctuation and Sentence Structure with ‘Which’ and ‘That’
Another key difference between ‘which’ and ‘that’ lies in punctuation. When using ‘which’ in a non-restrictive clause, it is typically preceded by a comma. For example, ‘The CEO made a statement, which was followed by a sharp rise in the stock price.’ The comma separates the additional information from the main clause. In contrast, no comma is needed with ‘that’ in a restrictive clause, as in ‘The CEO made a statement that caused the stock price to rise.’
5. Conclusion: Correct Usage of ‘Which’ and ‘That’
Understanding when to use ‘which’ and ‘that’ in English sentences can be challenging, but it’s important to know the distinction between restrictive and non-restrictive clauses. In the example sentence, ‘which’ is the correct choice because it introduces non-essential information, and the clause is separated by a comma. Knowing when to use each relative pronoun will help you write and speak more clearly and effectively in English.
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