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How to use "which" and "that"

In American English, "that" is typically used for restrictive clauses, which provide essential information about a noun. Often, the sentence will no longer be complete if you remove the word "that" and the clause that follows it. 

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In the first sentence, you can see "that" also used as a demonstrative pronoun, but we are interested in the first "that," which functions as a relative pronoun.

 

And I bought  a voltage converter that will convert that down to twelve volts.

Caption 39, Hobbies and Projects: The Electric Cargo Bike Project

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It's not too early to pack on the pounds that will get them through the next winter.

Captions 17-18, America's National Parks: Olympic

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Actually, there is one thing that Kate's always had a little trouble with.

Caption 43, ALF: Working my way back to you

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As a relative pronoun, the word "which" is reserved for non-restrictive clauses. These offer additional, non-essential details and are usually set off by commas. Note that in the examples below, you could stop the sentence before "which" and it would still be complete. 

 

And now for the final touch, which is the bread.

Caption 62, Abiventures: Sandwich

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One of the largest tributaries into the canyon is the Little Colorado, which joins the big river inside the park.

Captions 17-18, America's National Parks: Grand Canyon

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The mule deer bucks are re-growing their antlers, which they shed each winter.

Captions 31-32, America's National Parks: Yosemite

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Further Learning
Still wondering what a demonstrative pronoun is? No worries! Next month, we will look at "this," "that," "these," and "those." In the meantime, practice using "that" and "which," and look for more examples on Yabla English.

"To lie" vs. "to lay"

One topic that can even be confusing for native English speakers is the difference between the verbs "to lie" and "to lay."  And it's no wonder—both of these verbs can refer to being in a reclined, horizontal position, but they also have other meanings. Not only that, their conjugations in the past tense are really quite tricky!

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A difference to remember is that "to lay" is a transitive verb and requires a direct object, whereas "to lie" is intransitive and does not require a second noun in the sentence. "To lie" can mean to say something that isn't truthful, or it can mean to recline or be in a resting position. While these verbs look the same in the present tense, the past tense conjugation is different! Have a look:

 

But they lie! They do not fulfill that promise.

Caption 68, Charlie Chaplin: Final Speech from The Great Dictator

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I lied! That was three.

Caption 61, Abiventures: Sandwich

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As you lie in fields of gold.

Caption 22, Katie Melua Fields of Gold

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When he came into the room in which Sleeping Beauty lay...

Caption 23, Fairy Tales: Sleeping Beauty

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Although "lay" is the simple past tense of "lie" when it refers to lying down, "to lay" is also a distinct verb and means to put or place something (the direct object) down. We say "The chicken lays an egg" and "The crew lays the foundation for a house." Note the direct objects in each of the sentences below:

 

Don't lay our love to rest.

Caption 38, Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, Sting: All For Love

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And we will act not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth.

Captions 30-31, Barack Obama's Inauguration Day: Obama's Speech

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Italian immigrants dug tunnels, laid railroad tracks, constructed bridges and roads, and erected the first skyscrapers.

Captions 36-38, Spotlight: Why Columbus Day?

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I laid four thousand and twenty eggs! -Wow!

Caption 80, Peppa Pig: Grandpa Pig's Computer

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To review:

Infinitive Present Tense Present Participle Past Tense
to lie (to lie down) lie/lies lying lay
to lie (to tell a lie) lie/lies lying lied
to lay lay/lays laying laid

 

Further Learning
In addition to memorizing the table above, you can find many examples of these verbs used in context on Yabla English.

The Five Senses and Related Phrases

The five senses are sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste.

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We see with our eyes, but "to see" can also be used to mean "to understand" or "to realize." "To watch" something takes longer, like when we watch television. The verb "to look" can be transitive or intransitive. You can look at something to examine it or look (as in “outwardly appear”) a certain way. 

 

Finally, I can see you crystal clear.

Caption 3, Adele: Rolling in the Deep

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Now I can see that we've fallen apart

Caption 27, Backstreet Boys: I Want It That Way

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Make sure you guys watch the whole video if you want to see all that footage.

Caption 22, Aspyn Ovard: What To Pack for Vacation! Tips + Essentials!

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Just look at all those acorns!

Caption 22, America's National Parks: Grand Canyon

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This may look like a massive body of water.

Caption 9, BBC News: California ‘crippling drought’ leads to strict water restrictions

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The difference between "hearing" and "listening" is a little like the difference between "seeing" and "watching." If you listen to a sound, what someone is saying, or music, you pay close attention rather than just noticing it with your ears. 

 

Did you hear that?

Caption 54, Abiventures: Sandwich

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And then I always listen to music because it helps me work out better.

Caption 41, Harvard: A Day in the Life of a Harvard Student

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So, now listen to how I pronounce the following words.

Caption 8, British vs American English: Pronunciation Lesson

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Our sense of touch is about physical contact and how things feel. There are many phrases that use the idea of touch to describe different types of physical and metaphorical contact. "keep in touch" (remain in contact), "lose their touch," (lose their ability to do something), or "have the right touch" (have certain skills)."

 

If we touch his tail, he'll get frightened.

Caption 10, Nature & Wildlife: Wild Sharks

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He must be losing his touch.

Caption 42, ALF: Some enchanted evening

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And, of course, a pineapple just to add a touch of the tropics. 

Captions 15-16, Tara's Recipes: Delicious Fruit Salad with Greek Yogurt

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Like "to look," the verbs "to smell" and "to taste" can be either transitive or intransitive. They can be used to talk about the action of smelling or tasting, but also to describe how something smells or tastes. 

 

I think I can smell chocolate.

Caption 23, Peppa Pig: Easter Week

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And they smell so good.

Caption 35, Blippi: Cool Science Experiment for Kids

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I'm gonna open up a restaurant, so people can taste my food!

Caption 16, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives: Pam's Trinidadian Caribbean Kitchen

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I wanna see what the lambsquarters taste like, first of all.

Caption 38, Food Talk with Sigrid: Foraging

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You may know that "taste" is also a noun meaning someone's idea of what's good or bad and their ability to choose well. It can also refer to a short experience of something. 

 

This show is all about the three Ts of New York: The talent, the trends, and the taste.

Caption 2, On Deck with Lucy: TV Host Jeremy Hassell

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Another thing to be aware of: While "tasty" is a positive adjective, "smelly" means that something smells bad!

 

Further Learning
There are several videos on the senses on Yabla English where you can learn even more about this topic, including a detailed overview from Sigrid and a fun video about a dog's sense of smell.

Vocabulary

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