Does "which" indicate that I have just one car?
I should sell my car, which I use very little.
Does "that" indicate that I have more than one car?
I should sell my car that I use very little.
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1Neither indicates unambiguously that you have only one car. which does not imply that you have more than one, but you could. that implies that you do have more than one, since otherwise there would be no need to restrict or limit the statement to refer to the car that is little used, as distinct from some other less-used car or cars.– TimRCommented Feb 16, 2017 at 14:10
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@TRomano So, is there any difference between these two sentences?– ShannakCommented Feb 16, 2017 at 14:13
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I think I was adding a sentence as you were typing your question.– TimRCommented Feb 16, 2017 at 14:14
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The comma after car separates the qty. (singular "car") from the condition ("I use very little"), so the first example indicates only one car.– user3169Commented Feb 17, 2017 at 1:18
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1 Answer
Neither of the two options precisely limits the number of cars you have; I would not suggest using either which or that in this case, because both words are referring back to the object in the earlier part of the sentence with ambiguous terms. Of the two options, which is closest to the implication that you only have one car, but it does not absolutely rule out the possibility of a second vehicle.
A more precise phrasing might be "I should sell my car, since I use it very little."
