My GPS Camera Phone

Being tasked by Jon (who has a totally cool blog that you should visit sometime) with the I-have-grammar-issues meme, I’ve decided to tackle the enigma we all know as that/which. And I’m writing this before I address the meme assigned to me by Debo Hobo (which I promise to get to soon!).

For me, I work in marketing, so I’ve got a decent grasp of grammatical rules. However, the that/which rule is one I cannot remember and frequently screw up. Instead of looking up the correct usage, I usually pick one and hope for the best. Since I love you all so much, I’m going to provide you with a fool-proof explanation for choosing the correct term in your writing.

It’s all about essential (restrictive) and nonessential (nonrestrictive) clauses.

Stop. Don’t leave. It’s not going to hurt, promise.

Essential (restrictive) clause: The designer for a website that displays adult videos asked if he could promote his site on Teen Second Life.

As you can clearly see, the phrase “that displays adult videos” is needed to retain the intended meaning of the sentence, thereby making it essential. Without it, we get a completely different meaning, which could cause a lot of problems. Essential clauses are not offset by commas and should always begin with “that.” Never use “which” on essential clauses. If you do, I’m calling the grammar police.

Nonessential (nonrestrictive) clause: Jon’s website, which is located at www.jomiwi.com, is loaded with quality content.

In this case, the nonessential clause, “which is located at www.jomiwi.com,” is not required in order to get the original meaning across. It is nonessential to the idea I am trying to convey, which is the quality of Jon’s site. However, I’m sure Jon would disagree, since this nonessential clause is a link to his site. Usage of that/which varies in this case, so pick which one sounds good and get on with your blog post.

I hope I’ve educated you on correct usage of that and which. I thought this was a good refresher for me, but I’m sure I’ll forget in about five minutes. On to the rules and the next victims!

From Jon’s blog, via Erina at Into the Inkpot:

To play this game, all you must do is explain what your most common writing mistake is. Then, you simply tag five individuals for the meme. Those five people will, in return, tag five more people. Ultimately, readers should see a tapestry of common grammar and spelling mistakes. Therefore, anyone that is feeling ashamed of their errors will feel a bit more confident and secure.

[Jon sez:] I’m going to add this: Copy the person and persons names who sent it to you and add your own at the bottom of the list. It really helps build community.

Here’s my picks for this meme:

Joeprah, because he’s bound to write something funny
Peacat, because she’s got mad writin’ skillz
DCA, maker of fine books for people to commit grammatical errors in
Cincisquirtle, who gets much deserved link love for his outstanding blog, Songs in Haiku
Jessica Field, because logo designers really should know how to spell correctly.

Those who have already participated:

Erina
Rolando
Jon
Pete

Thanks for playing!

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