"Journalism QuickRules: Grammar & Stylebook"

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J-STYLEBOOK: Abbreviations --  Ten most-common grammar problems --  Exercises

Here's the fresh, novel approach from the handbooks to "that" and "which":

      The words that/which

     The words immediately preceding the that/which choice
    do not make a clear identification.

    Clauses that pinpoint a noun are "that" clauses.
    That takes no commas.
        Look at the houses. The house ______ Jack built is ...
        [Test: The house ... Ask "What house?"
        We're not sure. Unclear identification. So, use that.]
        The house that Jack built is blue.

     The words immediately preceding the that/which choice
    make a clear identification.

    Clear identification indicates a "which" clause.
    Which takes a pair of "pair-enthetical" commas.
        The house on the hill, ______ Jack built, is ...
        [Test: The house ... Ask "What house?" We're sure.
        The one on the hill. Clear identification. So, use which.]
        The house on the hill, which Jack built, is blue.

    "Which" clauses, which add extra information, may
    be considered as if they were in parentheses.
        [Test: The house on the hill (which Jack built) is blue.
        Basic content: The house on the hill ... is blue.
        "which Jack built" is extra information, not pinpoint info.
        This particular house, whoever built it, is still blue.] ©azb

 
Get solutions to the ten most common grammar problems:
     parentheticals  that/which  who/whom  compound modifiers
     it's/its  placement  series  conjunctions  colons  agreement
 

Abbreviations [from the J-Stylebook in the handbooks]

    Streets and roads. SHORT only St., Ave., Blvd., N., E., W., S. with a house number: 650 N.E. 12th St. [General Alternative: Rd. with a house number.]

    LONG without a house number: on East Bluff Street.
    Route 38     or Illinois 38, Interstate 90, thereafter I-90.

    Months. Always LONG March, April, May, June and July. But SHORT the seven other months with a date: Aug. 25 … Aug. 25, 2000, is ... (a pair of commas around the year).

    Month [no date] year. NO COMMAS: May 2004 ...

    States. SHORT the two-letter postal abbreviations for all states with a zip code: Ace, TX 77326, is ... (a pair of commas).

    Always LONG these eight state names: Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah (four and five letters); Alaska and Hawaii. But SHORT the 42 other states with a locale, using the long journalism abbreviations: Burbank, Calif., ... ; or with a political party ID: Rep. Juanita Verdad, D-Wis., ...

    [Alternative: Some publications in the eight always-long states do abbreviate their own state with a city or with a political party ID.]   ©azb

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