Which vs In Which in English Grammar
Though in which is a variation of the word which there is a difference between their usages. Therefore, we can say that which and in which are two words that are characterized by different usages in the English language. Both which and in which are relative pronouns. They are, however, at times also used as interrogative pronouns. Out of the two, the word which has a wider scope in which it can be used. However, the word in which can only be used in specific instances. We will see how different these two terms are in their usages and also get to know about each term in this article.
What does Which mean?
The word which is used as a relative pronoun as well as an interrogative pronoun. As a relative pronoun, which is used to give an additional information about a word in the same sentence. For example, look at the following sentence.
I saw the same snake which I saw at my house a few days ago.
In this sentence, the word which is used as a relative pronoun in the sense that it related or identified the snake that was previously seen. The word which is also used in the question formation, such as, ‘Which is the tallest building in the world?’ One thing to remember is that, which is used to refer to objects, animals, plants, and other living beings. It is not used to refer to human beings. Observe the sentences,
Which of these flowers do you like?
Which is the coolest place in the world?
In the first sentence, which is used to refer to flowers and, in the second sentence, which is used to refer to a place. In the same way, which is also used as a relative pronoun to refer to things and places. As you can see which can refer to anything as long as we are talking about objects and not people.
When it comes to which what most people find confusing is that whether to use a comma before which or not. You may also have come across sentences that use commas before the word which and sentences that do not use commas before the word which. The comma comes depending on the importance of the information the which clause provides. As we all know, the word which is the first word of a clause that provides additional information. If the information is not essential, then there is a comma before the word which and at the end of the clause too. However, if the information is essential to the sentence and the sentence does not give the correct sense without it, then we do not have commas.
Snoopy, which is very mischievous, is a brave dog.
The table cloth which is pure white stains quickly.
In the first sentence, the comma shows that the information the which clause provides is not essential. The dog’s bravery is not connected to its mischievousness. However, the second sentence with no comma before which shows that the information is essential.
‘Which of these flowers do you like?’
What does In Which mean?
On the other hand, in which is used as a combination of the preposition ‘in’ and the relative pronoun ‘which.’ Look at the following sentence.
‘In the hospital there is an accident block where my friend was admitted.’
The same sentence can be said differently using in which as,
‘In the hospital there is an accident block in which my friend was admitted.’
Thus, in which is used as an easy way to introduce a relative clause after a noun that refers to a place.
Look at the following sentence.
‘It was a time when people used stones.’
The same sentence can again be said differently using in which as,
‘It was a time in which people used stone.’
Thus, in which is used as an easy way to introduce a relative clause after a noun that refers to time. In which can also be used as a interrogative pronoun. Look at the following example.
In which storey does he live?
As you can see, in which can also be used as an interrogative pronoun as long as we are speaking about a place or a time.
‘In which storey does he live?’
What is the difference between Which and In Which in English Grammar?
Definitions of Which and In Which:
Which: Which is a relative pronoun that is used to give additional information about a word that is in the same sentence.
In Which: In which is a specific type of relative pronoun that is used to give information about a place or a period.
Usage:
Which: Which can be mainly used a relative pronoun. However, it is also used as an interrogative pronoun at times.
In Which: In which is a relative pronoun that is used to refer to a period or a place. In which can also be used as an interrogative pronoun.
Images Courtesy:
- Flowers by CC BY-SA 3.0)
- Upmarket flats in Bristol, England, UK via Wikicommons (Public Domain)
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