That or Who? Knowing When Who is More Appropriate

by Karen Reiser , guest contributor

Karen Reiser is a freelance writer and editor living in Northeast Ohio. Her experience editing varies over the past six years from trade magazines and physics journals to more literary works including novels and short stories.

A previous article discussed the use of "that" and "which" and the correct uses for them as relative pronouns, especially since they are typically used incorrectly. However, another common misuse of "that" is illustrated below.

Jennie went shopping with her friend that needed new shoes.

David mowed the lawn for his neighbor that was out of town.

So what's wrong with these sentences? Structurally, they are fine. "That" can, in fact, be used to refer to people, especially if the relative clause is restrictive. However, this doesn't mean that it's necessarily the best relative pronoun to use in relative clauses referring to people. Compare the previous sentences to the following:

Jennie went shopping with her friend who needed new shoes.

David mowed the lawn for his neighbor who was out of town.

These sentences obviously read much better. Many stylebooks prefer these versions of the sentences as well. Consider the following guidelines when trying to determine whether to use "that" or "who."

When to Use Who

As a relative pronoun, it is fairly limited. "Who" (as well as its inflections "whose" and "whom") can only be used to refer to people or entities equated with people (like deities and occasionally pets). It should never be used when referring to things or animals.

I followed the girl who was running down the street.

When to Use That

"That" can refer to animals, things, and people and should be used when the clause is restrictive. As mentioned before, "that" can be used to refer to human beings but is not the preference of most writers and editors. The problem with "that" arises when writers use it as the default relative pronoun, especially when "who" should be used. The following is a correct use of "that":

Ron found the car that he wanted.

Exception to the Rule

As you've come to expect with grammar rules, there is an exception. While it is preferable to use "who" when referring to people, "that" can (and should) be used when the sentence has more than one relative clause and "who" has already been used. This will help avoid awkwardness and repetition. The following example illustrates this:

That is the woman who shared her apartment with the man that took her money.

Keep these simple rules in mind when you need to use relative pronouns.