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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > GRAMMAR HELP IS NEEDED    

GRAMMAR HELP IS NEEDED



poroxod
Uzbekistan

GRAMMAR HELP IS NEEDED
 
Corn is a small area of hard skin on the foot ,especially the toe, _____ is sometimes painful.
 
A) where    B) which    C) that    D) B,C
 
Which answer is correct? Can we use "that" in non-defining relative clause? I mean can we use "that" after comma in the sentences like these?
 
Please, if possible can you give some sentences like these to prove the answer.
 
Thanks in advance.

16 Mar 2016      





joannajs
Poland

Hi there, 
 
In a non-definining clause only "which" can be used, so the right option here is B. "That" or "which" is interchangeable in defining clauses (without a comma :-)
 
Farmville, which is a popular online game, seems to be often played through Facebook.
Bitcoins are a currency which/that you can exchange for real dollars. [I guess  ] 
 
best from Poland,
 
joanna 

16 Mar 2016     



almaz
United Kingdom

Are you really sure that it can only be a non-defining relative clause � bearing in mind that the commas serve to parenthesize the phrase "especially the toe"? Take that phrase away and you would have:
 
A corn is a small area of hard skin on the foot which/that is sometimes painful.
 
[note "A corn" �  it�s countable] 
 
You may of course consider that the painfulness of corns is less important than the location or the hardness of skin, in which case you could parse the relative clause as non-defining (or non-restrictive or non-identifying or supplementary � whatever your preference) and you wouldn�t use �that� as a relativizer.

16 Mar 2016     



yanogator
United States

I agree with Alex, that the comma is there only because of "especially the toe", so both "which" and "that" are correct.
 
Bruce 

16 Mar 2016     



samet2015
Turkey

"which" is correct. You cannot use that where there is a comma.

16 Mar 2016     



alien boy
Japan

I �m with Bruce & Alex on this one. The answer is D) both B & C.

 

Cheers,
AB 

16 Mar 2016     



poroxod
Uzbekistan

Thanks greatly for your discussions.
After searching for a long time, I have found the same sentence in Oxford Advanced Learner �s dictionary by HORNBY. "That" is written there. So, I came to conclusion that "which" is also can be used.
In another source Macmillan Advanced Learner �s Dictionary it is mentioned "that is" is used when explaining more clearly what you have just said.

17 Mar 2016     



yanogator
United States

poroxod,
The use of "that is" that you mentioned is completely separate from this discussion. We also use "That is to say..." to add an explanation.
 
I have a corn on my toe. That is, I have a small area of hard skin that is sometimes painful.
 
Bruce 

17 Mar 2016