You can replace “who” with “that” when referring to people in a restrictive clause (defining clause). However, in non-restrictive clauses (providing extra information), “who” cannot be replaced with “that.”
Key takeaways:
Use “who” when referring to people (e.g., “The student who won the award”).
Use “that” when referring to objects, animals, or groups (e.g., “The car that I drive”).
Mixing them up can confuse your reader and reduce the clarity of your writing.
Part of the series Grammar Debugged—English for Devs
The words “who” and “that” are often used to refer to people or things, but they serve different grammatical purposes. “Who” is used specifically for referring to people, while “that” can be used for both people and things, but with specific rules.
“Who” is a
While “who” can also function as an interrogative pronoun (e.g., “Who is calling?”) and a subject pronoun (e.g., “It was who made the decision”), this Answer focuses only on its use as a relative pronoun, since that’s where confusion with “that” arises.
The teacher who inspired me the most is retiring.
She is the one who always helps others.
The dog, who is very friendly, wagged its tail excitedly. (if personified)
“That” is a relative pronoun used to refer to objects, animals (non-personified), or groups.
The book that I borrowed is on the table.
The company that hired me is a tech giant.
The cat that lives next door is very playful.
Note: When referring to animals, “that” is preferred unless the animal is personified (e.g., given a name or treated as a person).
Choose the correct word (who or that) for each sentence:
The woman ___ called you is waiting outside
The movie ___ I watched last night was thrilling.
The company ___ offers the best benefits won the award.
The dog ___ loves chasing balls is very energetic.
Here are some frequent errors and how to avoid them:
Incorrect: The car who is parked outside is mine.
Correct: The car that is parked outside is mine.
Incorrect: The student that scored the highest is absent today.
Correct: The student who scored the highest is absent today.
Who | That | |
Refers to | People or personified animals | Objects, groups, or animals |
Examples | "The singer who won the contest is amazing." | "The house that I bought is on the hill." |
Understanding when to use who vs. that can improve the clarity and professionalism of your writing. Remember, “who” refers to people or personified animals, while “that” refers to objects, groups, and non-personified animals. Keep practicing, and soon these distinctions will become second nature!
Match the examples that demonstrate the difference between who vs. that:
The student ___ scored the highest is receiving a scholarship.
who
The chair ___ is broken needs to be replaced.
that
The cat ___ sleeps on the windowsill belongs to my neighbor.
The novel ___ was written by a famous author is a bestseller.
The child ___ lost their toy is crying.
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To enhance technical writing and minimize common grammar mistakes, continue exploring these topics:
Commonly confused words (homophones & similar-sounding words): These words sound alike but have different meanings and spellings.
Prepositions & usage differences: These words and phrases are often confused due to subtle contextual differences.
Punctuation & formatting: These involve rules for using dashes, abbreviations, and sentence structure.
Grammar & sentence structure: These deal with pronoun choices, verb usage, and comparison.
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