The relative pronoun is that is used with an essential clause, and the relative pronoun which is used with a nonessential clause. In 3-5 sentences, explain when to use each pronoun and the difference between the two types of relative clauses

The relative pronoun "that" is used with an essential clause, which is a clause that is necessary for the sentence's meaning and cannot be omitted without changing the intended meaning. For example, in the sentence "The book that I borrowed from the library is due tomorrow," the relative clause "that I borrowed from the library" is essential to specify which book is being referred to.

On the other hand, the relative pronoun "which" is used with a nonessential clause, which provides additional information but can be omitted without changing the intended meaning of the sentence. For instance, in the sentence "My car, which is blue, needs a new paint job," the relative clause "which is blue" adds extra information about the car's color but is not crucial for understanding that the car needs a new paint job.

The key difference between the two types of relative clauses is that an essential clause is necessary for the sentence's meaning and cannot be removed, while a nonessential clause is additional information that can be omitted without altering the sentence's overall meaning.

The relative pronoun "that" is used when introducing an essential clause, which is a clause that provides necessary information to identify the noun being modified. "That" cannot be omitted from the sentence without changing its meaning. For example, "The book that I borrowed from the library is interesting." In this case, the essential clause "that I borrowed from the library" is necessary to specify which book is being referred to.

On the other hand, the relative pronoun "which" is used to introduce a nonessential clause, which provides additional, non-essential information about the noun being modified. "Which" can be removed from the sentence without changing its meaning. For instance, "I finished reading the book, which was really captivating." Here, the nonessential clause "which was really captivating" adds extra information about the book, but it can be omitted without altering the main sentence.

In summary, "that" is used to introduce essential clauses that are necessary to identify the noun, while "which" is used to introduce nonessential clauses that provide additional information but can be removed without changing the essential meaning of the sentence.

When determining whether to use "that" or "which" as a relative pronoun, it is essential to understand the distinction between essential and nonessential clauses. Essential clauses, also known as restrictive clauses, are necessary for the sentence's meaning and cannot be removed without changing its intended message. In such cases, "that" is used as the relative pronoun. For example, "The car that I bought is red." On the other hand, nonessential clauses, also called nonrestrictive clauses, provide additional information but are not vital to the sentence's meaning. In this context, "which" is used as the relative pronoun. An example of this would be, "My car, which I bought last year, is red." Overall, "that" is used to introduce an essential clause, while "which" is used with a nonessential clause.