"in which" vs. "where"
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We can use both”where” and “in which” to modify a place or some physical location. Either of them is fine.
You cannot use “where” if you are not talking about a place or some physical location.
Where cannot modify "metaphorical" place, such as condition, situation, concept, case, circumstances, or arrangement. In these cases, in which is used rather than where.
If something happens at a particular place and that does not happen inside that place then we can use "where" but not "in which". This is because "in" implies located within, or as a part of something.
For example, the following is a wrong construction :
Please move the table in which the laptop is kept.
The following are the correct versions:
Please move the table where the laptop is kept.
Please move the table on which the laptop is kept.
Consider the following example:
There are some situations in which a person cannot move his limbs.
Here the phrase “in which” is used not because the person is actually within that situation, but because he /she is metaphorically in that situation.
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