Which and that both introduce information about a noun, but after a comma, when you add a detail in passing, only which is possible. Without a comma, when you are saying exactly which thing you mean, both work, and in conversation that is more common: the bus that goes to the airport.
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noun + that/which + clause (no commas: which one exactly); noun, which + clause (commas: extra detail); preposition + which (in which, for which)
- The course that I took last summer really helped my speaking.
- Our new office, which is next to the station, is much easier to get to.
- Excuse me, is this the bus that goes to the airport?
What changed
First versionMy laptop, that I bought last year, has suddenly stopped working.
RevisionMy laptop, which I bought last year, has suddenly stopped working.
The commas are the key. In English, commas mark extra information: you have only one laptop, and the fact that you bought it last year is just an added detail. In this kind of clause that is not used, so you need which.
Which can refer to the whole previous clause, not just one word: He passed the exam on his first try, which surprised everyone. What surprised everyone was the fact that he passed first time. That is not used in this way.
Your turn
This is the tiny flat in ___ my parents lived when they first got married.
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which — Straight after the preposition in, only which is possible; that never follows a preposition. For a simpler sentence, move the preposition to the end: the flat that my parents lived in.
Describe your town or city in two sentences. In the first, use that without commas to say which place you mean; in the second, use which after a comma to add a detail.
The café that I go to every morning is near the station. Kazan, which is on the Volga, gets very busy in summer.
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