Incorrect use of pronouns can lead to confusion and ambiguity, so it’s important to understand the difference between “that” and “who”. “That” is used as a relative pronoun to identify something that is specific or known, while “who” is used as a personal pronoun to identify someone. For example, you might say “The car that hit me was blue”, referring to a specific car that was involved in the accident. Alternatively, you might say “Who hit me?”, referring to the driver of the car. It’s important to be clear about which pronoun you are using in order to avoid misunderstandings.
What is That?
That is a pronoun that is used to point out someone or something. That can be used as both a singular and a plural pronoun. That is also an adjective, though it is not as common in that usage. That can be used to point out specific things, as in “I saw that car earlier,” or to introduce new information, as in “That car is really fast.” It can also be used to make general statements, as in “That car is really popular.” That is a versatile word that can be used in many different ways.
What is Who?
Who is a relative pronoun that is used to refer to people or things that have already been mentioned or are assumed to be common knowledge Who can be used as the subject, object, or complement of a verb Who also has two forms: who and whom. Who is used as the subject of a verb, while whom is used as the object of a verb or the object of a preposition When in doubt, remember that who is always followed by a subject pronoun (he, she, they), while whom is always followed by an object pronoun (him, her, them). For example: Who wants to go to the movies? (subject) They asked me whom I wanted to take to the movies. (object) To whom did you give the book? (object of the preposition) Who made this mess? (subject) Whom do you think will win the election? (object) As you can see from these examples, who and whom are not always interchangeable. Be sure to use them correctly in order to avoid confusion and sound more like a native speaker!
Difference between That and Who
- That and who are both relative pronouns, which are used to introduce relative clauses. Relative clauses are clauses that add information about a noun or pronoun in the sentence. That can be used as either a subject or an object pronoun, while who can only be used as a subject pronoun. For example, the sentence “The dog that bit me was furry” is correct, because “that” is acting as an object pronoun.
- However, the sentence “The dog who bit me was furry” is also correct, because “who” is acting as a subject pronoun. In general, if the relative clause can be omitted from the sentence without changing its meaning, then “that” should be used. If the relative clause is essential to the meaning of the sentence, then “who” should be used. For example, the sentence “I met the woman who lives next door” is correct, because without the relative clause “who lives next door,” the sentence would not make sense.
- However, the sentence “I met the woman that lives next door” is also correct, because the relative clause could be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence. In conclusion, “that” and “who” are both relative pronouns that can be used to introduce relative clauses. However, “that” can be used as either a subject or an object pronoun, while “who” can only be used as a subject pronoun. Additionally, if the relative clause can be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence, then “that” should be used. If the relative clause is essential to the meaning of the sentence, then “who” should be used.
Conclusion
In order to use the right pronoun in your writing, it’s important to understand the difference between that and who. That is used as a restrictive pronoun, which means it can only be used for things that are definite or specific. For example, “I need that book” would be appropriate because there is only one book that could possibly be meant. However, if you said “I need who wrote that book?” then you would be asking for the name of the author rather than indicating what book you needed. Who is also a restrictive pronoun, but it can refer to either people or things. It’s important to use who when referring to people and that when referring to things, in order to avoid confusion. Now that you know the difference between these two pronouns, make sure you use them correctly in your own writing!
