Understanding when to use that and who is essential for clear and polished writing. On top of that, these relative pronouns connect clauses and provide additional information about nouns, yet many writers struggle to choose the correct one. Mastering this distinction improves both formal essays and everyday communication, helping you sound more precise and confident in English.
Understanding Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns introduce dependent clauses that describe or modify a noun. In practice, they act as bridges between ideas, allowing you to combine sentences without creating choppy, fragmented prose. Practically speaking, the most common relative pronouns include who, whom, whose, which, and that. Each serves a specific grammatical function, and selecting the wrong one can confuse readers or alter your intended meaning No workaround needed..
Quick note before moving on.
Who refers exclusively to people. It functions as the subject of the relative clause, performing the action described by the verb. Here's one way to look at it: in the sentence The student who won the award gave a speech, who replaces the student and acts as the subject of won Simple as that..
That can refer to people, animals, or things. It introduces restrictive clauses, which provide essential information needed to identify the noun. Without the clause, the sentence loses its specific meaning. Here's a good example: The book that I borrowed is overdue tells us exactly which book matters.
When to Use "Who"
Use who when the antecedent is a person. This rule applies whether the person is named or described. The pronoun who always serves as the subject within its clause, meaning it performs the action rather than receiving it.
Consider these guidelines for using who correctly:
- Identify people specifically: The teacher who teaches chemistry is very strict.
- Use in subject position: The woman who called yesterday left a message.
- Avoid using "who" for objects: Do not say The person who I saw; instead use The person whom I saw or The person I saw.
In formal writing, many style guides recommend reserving who strictly for people and using which for things. That said, that often appears in informal contexts when referring to people, though who remains the safer choice for academic and professional documents.
When to Use "That"
That introduces restrictive clauses and can refer to people, animals, or objects. A restrictive clause contains information essential to the sentence's meaning. Removing it would change what you are trying to say.
Use that in the following situations:
- Referring to things: The laptop that I bought last week has a faulty screen.
- Referring to animals: The dog that lives next door barks constantly.
- Referring to groups or concepts: The team that won the championship celebrated all night.
- After superlatives and ordinal numbers: This is the best movie that I have ever seen.
Unlike who, that cannot follow a preposition. If you need a relative pronoun after a preposition, use which for things or whom for people. To give you an idea, say The house in which I grew up rather than The house in that I grew up No workaround needed..
Key Differences Between "That" and "Who"
The primary distinction lies in formality and specificity. Practically speaking, while that can technically refer to people in casual speech, who is the grammatically preferred choice when the antecedent is human. This difference becomes crucial in formal essays, business correspondence, and academic papers.
Another critical difference involves clause type. That introduces restrictive clauses without commas, while who can introduce both restrictive and non-restrictive clauses. Non-restrictive clauses add extra information and require commas The details matter here..
- Restrictive: The student who sits beside me studies every night. (Essential information)
- Non-restrictive: My brother, who lives in London, visits twice a year. (Extra information, requires commas)
You cannot use that in non-restrictive clauses. Saying My brother, that lives in London is incorrect; you must use who or which depending on the antecedent Nothing fancy..
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Many writers confuse that and who because spoken English often blurs these lines. In casual conversation, people frequently say The guy that I met instead of The guy who I met. While acceptable in speech, this usage weakens written prose.
Watch for these frequent errors:
- Using "that" for people in formal contexts: Replace with who to maintain professionalism.
- Omitting necessary commas: Remember that that clauses never take commas, while who clauses sometimes do.
- Confusing subject and object pronouns: Use who for subjects and whom for objects, not that.
- Using "that" after prepositions: Switch to which or whom when a preposition precedes the relative pronoun.
Reading your sentences aloud helps identify awkward constructions. If a clause feels restrictive and essential, that usually works. If the clause adds non-essential detail about a person, who is the correct choice Took long enough..
Special Cases and Exceptions
Some situations require extra attention. When referring to a group of people, both that and who may appear, but context matters. The team that/who participated in the finals works in both cases, though who emphasizes the individuals and that emphasizes the collective unit.
Animals present another gray area. For pets or animals with names, who is increasingly accepted in informal writing. Worth adding: My cat, who loves tuna, wakes me at dawn sounds natural. That said, for animals in general or scientific contexts, that or which remains standard.
Additionally, when that refers to abstract concepts or entire clauses, it functions differently than when referring to people. The fact that she resigned surprised everyone uses that as a conjunction rather than a relative pronoun, illustrating how versatile this word can be.
Practice Examples
Review these sentences to test your understanding:
- The author who/that wrote this novel won a Pulitzer Prize.
- The museum that/which we visited last summer features modern art.
- The students who submitted their essays early received bonus points.
- The policy that affects all employees takes effect Monday.
In sentence 1, both who and that work, though who is more formal. Sentence 2 requires which or that because museums are things
