Who vs. That – Which is Correct?

Both who and that are correct relative pronouns, but they are not always interchangeable. Use who primarily for people, especially in formal writing, while that can refer to people or things in restrictive clauses. Choose who for a person when clarity or formality matters; choose that for essential information.

Who or That – Which is Correct?

Who and that are both correct, but they serve different purposes in relative clauses. Use who when referring to a person or people. Use that for people, animals, or things when introducing a restrictive clause—information essential to identifying the noun.

For example, in “The teacher who inspired me retired,” who refers to a person. In “The teacher that inspired me retired,” that is also grammatically acceptable in many contexts, particularly in everyday American English. However, who is usually the clearer and more polished choice for people.

Use that when the clause is essential and does not require commas: “The book that I borrowed is overdue.” Do not normally use that in a nonrestrictive clause set off by commas: “My sister, who lives nearby, visits often.”

The Best Trick to Remember the Difference

Use the person test: if the word refers to a person, choose who as the safest formal option. If it refers to a thing, choose that in an essential clause. Also remember that that usually introduces information needed to identify the noun, while who can appear in both essential and nonessential clauses.

As with Affect vs. Effect, distinguishing these terms depends on understanding their grammatical roles and context.

Word	Part of Speech	Meaning	Example
who	Relative pronoun	Refers to a person or people	The doctor who treated me was kind.
that	Relative pronoun	Introduces essential information about a person, animal, or thing	The car that I bought is economical.

How to Use Who

Who is a relative pronoun used for people. It can introduce a restrictive relative clause, which identifies a particular person, or a nonrestrictive relative clause, which adds extra information. In formal writing, who is generally preferred to that when the antecedent is a person.

Use who as the subject of a relative clause: “She is the engineer who designed the bridge.” In traditional grammar, use whom rather than who when the pronoun is the object, as in “The client whom we contacted replied.” In modern everyday English, however, many speakers use who in both positions.

Example 1: The journalist who wrote the article won an award.

Example 2: I know a musician who performs at that theater.

Example 3: My neighbor, who is a retired pilot, teaches aviation history.

Etymology of the Word Who

Who comes from Old English hwā, meaning “who” or “which person.” It is related to similar forms in other Germanic languages, including German wer and Latin-influenced English forms such as whom and whose. Its spelling reflects the historical wh- pronunciation pattern found in several English question words.

How to Use That

That can function as a relative pronoun when it introduces a restrictive clause. The clause supplies information necessary to identify the noun. Unlike who, that can refer to people, animals, and objects, although who is often more natural for people in formal contexts.

Use that without commas in essential clauses: “The employee that handled the complaint followed up.” For people, many style guides recommend who instead: “The employee who handled the complaint followed up.” Use that especially naturally for things: “The software that we installed improves security.”

Do not use that after a comma in a nonrestrictive clause. Write “The laptop, which I bought last year, still works well,” not “The laptop, that I bought last year, still works well.”

Example 1: The documentary that we watched explained the issue clearly.

Example 2: The applicant that meets all the requirements will be interviewed.

Example 3: She returned the package that arrived damaged.

Etymology of the Word That

That comes from Old English þæt, the neuter form of the demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” or “the thing.” Over time, it developed several grammatical functions, including demonstrative pronoun, conjunction, determiner, and relative pronoun. Its broad historical use helps explain why it can refer to people, animals, and things in different contexts.

Related Concepts

Understanding relative clauses, grammatical antecedents, and restrictive information makes the difference between who and that easier to recognize.

• Relative pronouns: Relative pronouns connect a dependent clause to a noun or pronoun. Common examples include who, whom, whose, which, and that.
• Restrictive clauses: A restrictive clause provides information essential to identifying the noun. It is not separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.
• Nonrestrictive clauses: A nonrestrictive clause adds extra information rather than identifying the noun. It is enclosed by commas and normally uses who or which, not that.
• Antecedents: An antecedent is the noun to which a pronoun refers. In “The student who studied passed,” student is the antecedent of who.

Examples from Media and Literature

Writers in journalism, fiction, film dialogue, and nonfiction use both words according to the meaning and tone of the sentence.

• News writing: “The scientist who led the research announced the findings.” Who clearly identifies a person and suits a formal report.
• Historical nonfiction: “The leader who negotiated the treaty became a central figure in the account.” The relative clause describes a person.
• Film dialogue: “Find the person who knows the access code.” Although casual dialogue may sometimes use that, who is the clearest choice here.
• Science writing: “The instrument that measures air pressure requires calibration.” That refers to a thing in an essential clause.
• Literary narration: “She remembered the house that stood beside the river.” The clause identifies which house the narrator means.

Practice Exercises

Choose the correct word to complete each sentence. In some sentences, both words may be grammatically possible, but choose the option most appropriate for standard formal writing.

1. The teacher ____ organized the event thanked the volunteers.
2. The bicycle ____ I repaired is ready to ride.
3. My uncle, ____ lives in Denver, is visiting next week.
4. We interviewed the candidate ____ had the most experience.
5. The report ____ explains the policy is available online.

Answer Key

1. who — It refers to a person and acts as the subject of the relative clause.
2. that — It refers to a thing in an essential clause. Which would also be possible in many styles.
3. who — The clause is nonrestrictive and refers to a person, so commas and who are appropriate.
4. who — It refers to a person. That may also occur in less formal usage.
5. that — It refers to a thing in an essential clause. Which is also possible in some style systems.

Who Synonyms

Synonym	Definition
which person	A phrase used to ask or specify which individual is meant.
the person who	A longer equivalent used to refer specifically to an individual.
whom	The traditional object form related to who.
whoever	A pronoun meaning any person who or every person who.

That Synonyms

Synonym	Definition
which	A relative pronoun that commonly refers to animals or things.
who	A relative pronoun that can replace that when the antecedent is a person.
the thing that	A longer phrase referring to an object, idea, or matter.
the one that	A phrase used to identify one particular person, animal, or thing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Should I use who or that for a person?
Use who as the safest choice, especially in formal or professional writing. That is also accepted by many American English speakers in restrictive clauses referring to people, but who is usually clearer and more respectful of the human reference.

Question 2: Can that refer to a person?
Yes. That can refer to a person in a restrictive relative clause, as in “She is the colleague that helped me.” However, “She is the colleague who helped me” is generally preferred in formal writing.

Question 3: Can I use that after a comma?
No, standard edited English generally does not use that in a nonrestrictive clause after a comma. Write “The car, which is electric, is expensive,” rather than “The car, that is electric, is expensive.”

Question 4: Is who or that more formal?
Who often sounds more formal and precise when referring to people. That is neutral and efficient, particularly when referring to things or introducing essential information.

Conclusion

Who and that are both correct, but they are used differently. Choose who for people, especially in formal writing and nonrestrictive clauses. Choose that for essential clauses referring to things, animals, or sometimes people. Pro Tip: In professional writing, using who for people and reserving that for essential descriptions creates clearer, more polished sentences.