which belongs

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "which belongs" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate possession or association, often in a relative clause. Example: "This is the book which belongs to my sister."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

Formal & Business

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

It is a treaty which belongs to another age.

The Guardian - Opinion

Their patent, which belongs to ConAgra, is 6,093,437.

The New York Times

Which belongs to an athlete who owns a sailboat?

The New York Times

It is an immunity which belongs to him, against both state and federal action.

Cornell University

Escherichia coli is a facultative anaerobic Gamma-proteobacterium, which belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae.

Stanford University

The leadership should come from the world's premier public university – which belongs to California.

University of California, Berkeley

4. New Guinea, being that part of New Guinea which belongs to the Netherlands.

Cornell University

THP-1 is an acute monocytic leukemia cell line, which belongs to human myelomonocytic cells.

Nature

YouTube, which belongs to Google, removed at least one account tied to Iran, Google said.

The Washington Post

The causative agent is the CSF virus (CSFV), which belongs to the Pestivirus genus, Flaviviridae family3.

Nature

The third is Japan Telecom, which belongs to Japan Railways Group.

Harvard Business Review

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "which belongs" to add descriptive information in a non-restrictive clause, set off by commas, to provide extra detail about the noun it modifies without changing the core meaning of the sentence.

Common error

Avoid using "which belongs" in restrictive clauses where the information is essential to defining the noun. In such cases, "that belongs" is generally preferred (though the "that" can often be omitted entirely). For example, instead of "The book, which belongs to me, is on the table", consider "The book that belongs to me is on the table" or simply "The book belonging to me is on the table".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "which belongs" functions as a relative clause introducing additional information about a noun. As Ludwig AI points out, it signifies possession or association. The clause is non-restrictive, meaning it adds extra detail but is not essential to the sentence's core meaning.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

28%

Academia

23%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "which belongs" is a versatile phrase used to introduce non-restrictive clauses that provide additional details about a noun, often indicating ownership or association. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in a wide range of contexts. While alternatives like "that is owned by" or "associated with" exist, "which belongs" offers a clear and direct way to add descriptive information. Remember to use it in non-restrictive clauses, setting it off with commas, and to avoid confusing it with "that" in restrictive clauses. As Ludwig shows, this phrase is very common across various contexts, including news, science, and academic writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

that is owned by

Replaces "which belongs" with a more direct statement of ownership.

that is the property of

A more formal way to indicate ownership.

that pertains to

Indicates relevance or connection rather than direct ownership.

associated with

Emphasizes a relationship or connection without specifying ownership.

that is held by

Emphasizes the act of holding or possessing something.

that appertains to

A more formal and somewhat archaic way of saying "belongs to".

that is attributed to

Focuses on the origin or source of something.

under the jurisdiction of

Highlights authority or control rather than simple ownership.

that is assigned to

Suggests that something has been allocated or designated to a specific entity.

falling under the purview of

Suggests that something is within the scope or responsibility of a particular entity.

FAQs

How can I use "which belongs" in a sentence?

Use "which belongs" to introduce a non-restrictive clause that provides additional, non-essential information about a noun. For instance, "The house, "which belongs to" my aunt, is very old."

What are some alternatives to "which belongs"?

Alternatives include "that is owned by", "associated with", or "pertains to", depending on the specific context and the nuance you want to convey.

Is it always necessary to use "which belongs" or can I sometimes omit it?

In some cases, you can rephrase the sentence to avoid using "which belongs" altogether, especially in restrictive clauses. For example, instead of "The car which belongs to John is red", you could say "John's car is red".

What is the difference between using "which belongs to" and "that belongs to"?

"Which belongs to" is generally used in non-restrictive clauses, adding extra information, while "that belongs to" is used in restrictive clauses, defining the noun. In practice, "that" is often omitted entirely in informal contexts, simply saying "the book belonging to me".