Does "that" and "Which" always modify the subject right befo

[ZhenM102]

Does "that" and "Which" always modify the subject right before it? In other word, modify the closest subject?

I used this rule to get many questions right, but in some other questions, it's not correct, because the subject right before it is not "LOGICAL",
and thus, which or that would seek another logical subject.

So the "closest“ rule is not a grammar rule but rather an "experience rule"?

------In addition

How do I know when to use "Which, that"
And how do I know when to use verb-ing？

For example:
The plane flies from east to west, having enough fuel.
The plane flies from east to west, which has enough fuel.
The plane flies from east to west, that has enough fuel.

Which is right?
Very confused! Please help! THx!

[ZhenM102]

Can anyone please help me with this

[SumitS427]

Even I have some doubt on the same topic. As per I have understood, "Which" is mostly used just after noun or noun clause. Where "that has some versatility. For participle, read the sentence to figure out its meaning. Like for this question, Noun is "Planes" neither of which or that is directly modifying it where as participle always modify noun although it is not the preferred way in GMAT. So if you don't find noun near "which" don't choose it until & unless noun is very near(clause). For that and participle, try finding logically meaning of the sentence. In case u r still confused in the meaning go for THAT. #observation

[RonPurewal]

i summarized GMAC's use of "which" here:
usage-of-which-t746-15.html#p104933

"that..." is more flexible; often there can even be several modifiers between the noun and "that...".
for instance, see problem #50 in the DIAGNOSTIC section of the OG (NOT #50 in the SC section). in that problem, there's a considerable distance between "that..." and the noun that it is describing ("way").

[RonPurewal]

The plane flies from east to west, having enough fuel.
The plane flies from east to west, which has enough fuel.
The plane flies from east to west, that has enough fuel.

these examples don't work.
...and this is exactly why the questions on this forum need to be based on actual problems from GMAT material.

it's unproductive to discuss these examples, for 2 different reasons:

1/
you've lost the context of the problem in which you first saw these constructions (wherever that problem might be).
that context is HUGELY important.

2/
remember, this is a multiple-choice test!
what you're doing right now -- taking three INDIVIDUAL sentences, and trying to judge them INDIVIDUALLY -- is exactly the wrong approach to this type of material.
if you have to make a decision about modifiers on the exam, you'll NEVER have to decide whether individual choices are correct or incorrect -- you'll just have to make a RELATIVE decision, from a set of multiple-choice options.

when it comes to modifier PLACEMENT, that makes your life much, much easier, since all you'll have to do is this:
• figure out what the modifier should describe
• keep the choices in which the modifier is CLOSEST to that thing
• eliminate choices in which it's farther away.

[RonPurewal]

in any case -- this thread is now locked. if you post this question again, please post the question along with the problem(s) that inspired it, as per the forum rules.

thanks.