英语语法：152 “Where” Versus “In Which”

Today we’ll be looking at two constructions that are correct, but which one you choose depends on your audience.
“In Which” Versus¹ “Where”
The expressions that concern us today are “which” and “where.” We’ll be comparing sentences like these: “This is the store at which I met my friend” and “This is the store where I met my friend.” As you can probably guess, “which” is more formal than “where.”
Relative Pronouns
In the two sentences about the store, the words “which” and “where” both function as relative pronouns. Relative pronouns, such as “who” and “that,” introduce dependent clauses (1). So in the sentence “The dog that I adopted needed its shots,” the clause “that I adopted” is a dependent clause headed up by the relative pronoun “that.” The relative pronouns “which” and “where” specifically describe place.
When to Use “Which”
If you wanted to discuss where you adopted the puppy, you might say, “The pound at which I found Spot was on State Street.” That’s a pretty formal-sounding sentence, though. You might say that sentence in a courtroom or in another formal situation.
Other than maintaining formality, there are two valid² reasons you might want to use “which” instead of “where.” Many times, you can add a preposition before the relative pronoun “which” to make your sentence quite precise (2). For example, “The house at which I saw you” has a slightly different meaning from “The house in which I saw you.” If you use “where,” you lose the subtle distinction: “The house where I saw you.”
The other reason you might want to use “which” is to avoid using a preposition at the end of a sentence, which is considered informal (3). For example, the sentence “This is the desk in which the papers are stored” is probably more appropriate to say in a formal setting than its informal counterpart: “This is the desk that the papers are stored in.” Some sticklers³ might object to that informal sentence. However, if you are talking informally, it is fine to end a sentence with a preposition or to use “where” instead of “in which,” as here: “This is the desk where the papers are stored.”
When to Use “Where”
Think back to the puppy sentence we said at the beginning. You probably wouldn’t say “the pound at which” to a friend in normal conversation. You would most likely say, “The pound where I found Spot was on State Street.” You might also find yourself saying, “I found Spot at the State Street pound,” bypassing the “which” or “where” conundrum⁴ altogether.
Another time you would probably favor “where” over “which” is when you’re using an informal contraction⁵ in your sentence. Take a sentence quoted in Garner⁶’s Modern American Usage. Mr. Garner says, “In the following example, the contraction ‘I’ve’ might not comfortably fit in the same sentence as ‘in which’—hence ‘where’ is justifiable⁷: ‘I’ve deliberately⁸ chosen an example where this unspeakable cluster did not stand out’” (4). I’m not sure what cluster this person is talking about, but that is irrelevant⁹ for our current discussion. We’re just pointing out that a formal “which” doesn’t sound right alongside an informal “I’ve.”
It’s Your Decision But Beware
Every time you write something, you as the author have to decide which words or phrases are appropriate. So it’s up to you to decide whether to use “which” or “where” in your particular sentence. If your audience expects formal grammar, use a “which” construction. If your audience is more relaxed, you can use “where.”
If you do choose to use “where,” though, you need to be aware of one common error. When you use “where,” you need to ensure that you’re talking about place, not time. For example, it would be incorrect to use a form of “where” in this sentence: “He was born somewhere around 1970.” The year 1970 is a time, not a place, so you would have to say, “sometime” instead of “somewhere.”
The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier & The Grammar Devotional

This podcast was written by Bonnie Trenga, author of The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier, who blogs at sentencesleuth.blogspot.com, and I'm Mignon Fogarty, the author of The Grammar Devotional, 365 bite-size writing tips, fun quizzes and puzzles, and efficient memory tricks-- The Grammar Devotional.

 

1 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

2 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

3 sticklers   

n.坚持…的人( stickler的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They infuriate word sticklers by presenting a and leaving the reader to decide which is correct. 它们会提出一堆解释让读者自己判断哪个是正确的，令人大为光火。 来自互联网

4 conundrum   

n.谜语；难题

参考例句：

• Let me give you some history about a conundrum.让我给你们一些关于谜题的历史。
• Scientists had focused on two explanations to solve this conundrum.科学家已锁定两种解释来解开这个难题。

5 contraction   

n.缩略词，缩写式，害病

参考例句：

• The contraction of this muscle raises the lower arm.肌肉的收缩使前臂抬起。
• The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.扩张力和收缩力相互平衡。

6 garner   

v.收藏；取得

参考例句：

• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals.他的提议得到了广泛的支持。
• Squirrels garner nuts for the winter.松鼠为过冬储存松果。

7 justifiable   

adj.有理由的，无可非议的

参考例句：

• What he has done is hardly justifiable.他的所作所为说不过去。
• Justifiable defense is the act being exempted from crimes.正当防卫不属于犯罪行为。

8 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

9 irrelevant   

adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的

参考例句：

• That is completely irrelevant to the subject under discussion.这跟讨论的主题完全不相关。
• A question about arithmetic is irrelevant in a music lesson.在音乐课上，一个数学的问题是风马牛不相及的。