WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Grammar Minute: Sound Smart with "That" vs "Who"

Episode Date: February 28, 2024

"That" and "who" don't sound like obvious candidates for a mix-up, but I bet you've encountered this grammatical distinction--probably recently. Learn how to avoid the pitfall on today's episode of Grammar Minute!

Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we're saving the English language 60 seconds at a time. I'm Lauren Smith, and, as I recently had to confess, I'm the one that barged in while my roommate was sleeping, talking to myself, slamming the door, and turning on all the overhead lights. Even worse than my complete lack of situational awareness was the grammar of that previous sentence, but it's kind of hard to spot, so let's rewind. I'm the one that barged in. Did you spot it this time? If you pointed at that, you're right.

unless I'm an AI or something not alive, who is preferred to that when referring to a person, keyword person. Don't use who for animals, no matter how many thousands of dollars you've spent on their food. This rule gets tricky when you're referring to groups of people, like sports team. When in doubt, I vote for using who, even if the subject is a reference to people and not actually a person. That's your Grammar Minute. Visit ThegramMit.com for more tips and tricks.