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Schachfreizeit
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Does which always introduces a non-essential modifier? I feel like sometimes there is something after which that is important for understanding the sentence...

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Schachfreizeit
Does which always introduces a non-essential modifier? I feel like sometimes there is something after which that is important for understanding the sentence...
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It can be important to understanding the sentence, but structurally it's still considered 'non-essential.'

A good example to understand why:

"I ate lunch at the best restaurant in the city, which serves hamburgers."

"I ate lunch at the best restaurant in the city that serves hamburgers."

In the first, I ate lunch at the best restaurant of all restaurants in the city. That restaurant does serve hamburgers.

In the second, I looked at the category of restaurants, the ones that serve hamburgers, and ate at the best restaurant in that category. It might not be the best restaurant *overall* though.

Don't think of 'essential' and 'non-essential' as terms about 'understanding.'

For instance, in the sentence, "In a sense, he did marry her for her money, which she earned by developing a medicine that saved the lives of thousands of people."

The 'which' modifier drastically changes our understanding of the sentence. At first, we might think 'marrying for money' is kind of a bummer reason to marry somebody... But then the detail of how that money was made changes our understanding of the scenario drastically. However, that is still considered a 'non-essential' modifier. (Now, that sentence is a little more 'artistic' and and ironic than the GMAT would be, but it gives an example of how 'which' can be used for important information that is still, technically, 'non-essential').
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Schachfreizeit
Does which always introduces a non-essential modifier? I feel like sometimes there is something after which that is important for understanding the sentence...

It can be important to understanding the sentence, but structurally it's still considered 'non-essential.'

A good example to understand why:

"I ate lunch at the best restaurant in the city, which serves hamburgers."

"I ate lunch at the best restaurant in the city that serves hamburgers."

In the first, I ate lunch at the best restaurant of all restaurants in the city. That restaurant does serve hamburgers.

In the second, I looked at the category of restaurants, the ones that serve hamburgers, and ate at the best restaurant in that category. It might not be the best restaurant *overall* though.

Don't think of 'essential' and 'non-essential' as terms about 'understanding.'

For instance, in the sentence, "In a sense, he did marry her for her money, which she earned by developing a medicine that saved the lives of thousands of people."

The 'which' modifier drastically changes our understanding of the sentence. At first, we might think 'marrying for money' is kind of a bummer reason to marry somebody... But then the detail of how that money was made changes our understanding of the scenario drastically. However, that is still considered a 'non-essential' modifier. (Now, that sentence is a little more 'artistic' and and ironic than the GMAT would be, but it gives an example of how 'which' can be used for important information that is still, technically, 'non-essential').
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thanks!
But it is a general rule that if sth is introduced with which, the following is not necessary right? So if the information is necessary, it should never start with which?
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Schachfreizeit
Does which always introduces a non-essential modifier? I feel like sometimes there is something after which that is important for understanding the sentence...

It can be important to understanding the sentence, but structurally it's still considered 'non-essential.'

A good example to understand why:

"I ate lunch at the best restaurant in the city, which serves hamburgers."

"I ate lunch at the best restaurant in the city that serves hamburgers."

In the first, I ate lunch at the best restaurant of all restaurants in the city. That restaurant does serve hamburgers.

In the second, I looked at the category of restaurants, the ones that serve hamburgers, and ate at the best restaurant in that category. It might not be the best restaurant *overall* though.

Don't think of 'essential' and 'non-essential' as terms about 'understanding.'

For instance, in the sentence, "In a sense, he did marry her for her money, which she earned by developing a medicine that saved the lives of thousands of people."

The 'which' modifier drastically changes our understanding of the sentence. At first, we might think 'marrying for money' is kind of a bummer reason to marry somebody... But then the detail of how that money was made changes our understanding of the scenario drastically. However, that is still considered a 'non-essential' modifier. (Now, that sentence is a little more 'artistic' and and ironic than the GMAT would be, but it gives an example of how 'which' can be used for important information that is still, technically, 'non-essential').

thanks!
But it is a general rule that if sth is introduced with which, the following is not necessary right? So if the information is necessary, it should never start with which?
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Mostly, that's probably a fine way to think about it.
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Schachfreizeit

But it is a general rule that if sth is introduced with which, the following is not necessary right? So if the information is necessary, it should never start with which?
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Hey Schachfreizeit

Happy to answer this for you.

No, if a clause is introduce with "which", it does not automatically become non-essential. "Which" can be used to introduce both essential and non-essential information. How then do we differentiate the two?

There needs to be a comma before the "which" for it to provide non-essential information. Let's look at examples:

    a. The girls' schools which proliferated in the eighteenth century were well attuned to the social needs of the upwardly mobile.
    b. The Aberdeen Grammar Schools, which proliferated in the eighteenth century, were well attuned to the social needs of the upwardly mobile.

Inferences:
    1. In sentence 'a', we're talking about only those girls' schools that proliferated in the eighteenth century and not all girls' schools through posterity. So, the which-clause in 'a' provides essential information. Notice, no commas!

    2. In sentence 'b', we're talking about Aberdeen Grammar Schools (a specific group of schools). All of these schools proliferated in the eighteenth century and not some of them. The comma before "which" suggests we're talking about all of them, so the "which" introduces non-essential information.

Secondary Role of "comma + which":
A second, less-known application of "comma + which" is to introduce "Clauses that further the idea".
For example:
    In one particularly odd scene, Claire is nearly disabled by a hangover, which miraculously disappears when a shouting match breaks out.

The essential/non-essential piece applies only to Noun-modifiers (Adjective Clauses). However, in this sentence above, you'll notice that the which-clause "which miraculously disappears when a shouting match breaks out" does not describe "hangover". It is not part of the "description" of the noun "hangover". Why? What kind of clauses describe "hangover"?
    a. a hangover which lasted 2 days
    b. a hangover which gave her a splitting headache
    c. a hangover which was the result of an all-night binge
Each of these 'which' clauses describe the 'hangover', by telling us something about the hangover - how long it lasted, what it felt like, and what caused it.

"Which miraculously disappears when a shouting match breaks out" presents us with the next event in a sequence of events. In other words, it introduces a new idea that furthers/extends the original idea.

Conclusion:
    1. "no comma + which" = Essential Information
    2. "comma + which" =
      a. Non-essential information, or
      b. Furthers/extends the previous idea


I hope this answers your questions satisfactorily.

Happy Learning!

Abhishek

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