"That" modifier, versus "Which"

[kristen.li]

I know the rule for which is that for majority of the time, which refers to the noun immediately preceding. What about the modifier " that" ? What kind of rule is there around "that"?

Take a look at the following sentence which is deemed to be correct.
The use of lie detectors is based on the assumption that lying produces emotional reactions in an individual that, in turn, create....

why doesn't "that" refer to individual in this case?

[RonPurewal]

why doesn't "that" refer to individual in this case?

because common sense says that it doesn't.
(in this case, grammar also rules out "an individual", because the following verb is plural.)

with "that" modifiers, you can have a whole bunch of stuff between the noun and "that", as long as the meaning is still clear from context.
for an example in which there's a lot of stuff between the noun and "that", check out #50 in the diagnostic section (not the sentence correction chapter) of og 11, 12, or 13.

--

here are two more examples (both correct) in which common sense directs the modifier to different nouns:

the library has instituted a new method of sorting CDs that will make certain genres of music easier to find.
--> here, "that will make..." refers to the method of sorting.

the library has instituted a new method of sorting CDs that won't fit into any of the traditional musical genres.
--> here, "that won't fit..." refers to the cd's, not the method.