|
Welcome to your GrammarBook.com E-Newsletter.
|
"I am an English teacher in Korea. I love your GrammarBook.com website! Thanks for your hard work. This website is proving to be extremely helpful."
- Timothy R.
"Thank you for your efforts to remind us of all those rules we were supposed to learn in grammar school! Keep up the good work and know that I refer to you often."
- Pam B.
"I use your website all the time both at work and at home. It is very helpful!"
- Naida C.
|
|
|
Who vs. That
In a recent newsletter, I corrected myself after some readers wrote in saying the word that should have been who in the sentence "There's not one mother I know that would allow her child to cross that street alone." However, it got me thinking more about this topic, so I dug a little deeper into what some of the leading English usage reference books such as The Chicago Manual of Style, The Associated Press Stylebook, and various dictionaries have to say on the matter. It turns out the majority of these references allow the use of the word that to refer to people. While I am not personally a proponent of this usage, I think it’s a good time to revisit the rules for who vs. that.
Rule: Who refers to people. That may refer to people, animals, groups, or things, but who is preferred when referring to people.
Example: Anya is the one who rescued the bird.
NOTE: While Anya is the one that rescued the bird is also correct, who is preferred.
Example: Lope is on the team that won first place.
Example: She belongs to an organization that specializes in saving endangered species.
NOTE: While teams and organizations are composed of people, they are considered groups. However, this matter is not always clear-cut. Consider this sentence: “Several of the university’s scientists who/that favored the new policy attended the meeting.” Which is correct, who or that? Does “university’s scientists” seem more like individual people than a group? In cases like this, you may use your own judgment.
Rule: Try not to use that twice in a row in a sentence.
Example: That is a problem that can’t be solved without a calculator.
The above sentence would be better written as follows:
That is a problem which can’t be solved without a calculator.
The best way to write the sentence would be:
That problem can’t be solved without a calculator.
Example: That is a promise that cannot be broken.
Again, the above sentence could be rewritten:
That is a promise which cannot be broken.
The best way to rewrite it would be:
That promise cannot be broken.
Rule: Whenever you have more than one that or which in a sentence, see if you can rewrite it in a way that removes at least one that or which.
Some of you may be asking whether there are any rules guiding when to use the word that and when to use the word which. The answer is yes. That introduces essential clauses and which introduces nonessential clauses. We will explore that topic more thoroughly in next week’s newsletter.
Now, test yourself with the Pop Quiz. The free bonus quiz will return next week and will cover who vs. that vs. which.
Due to the E-Newsletter's large readership, please submit your English usage questions through GrammarBook.com's "Grammar Blog." |
|
Pop Quiz
1. Was it Marguerite who/that organized the surprise party for Johann?
2. Kepler is the scientist who/that proposed the laws of planetary motion.
3. I do not want to go on any amusement park rides who/that involve sudden drops.
4. Oliver is the president of the association who/that nurses injured wild animals back to health.
5. Most of the members of the board who/that voted against the motion to change the bylaws were present at the meeting.
"So convenient...hundreds of quizzes in one click."
[[firstname]], Subscribe to receive hundreds of English usage quizzes not found anywhere else!
- Take the quizzes online or download and copy them.
- Get scored instantly.
- Find explanations for every quiz answer.
- Reproduce the quizzes to your heart's content.
- EASY to use.
- No software to download.
- No setup time.
- A real person to help you if you have any questions!
"Fun to test my skills!" "The explanations really help...thanks!"
Your choice: Subscribe at the $29.95 or $99.95 level ($30 off - regularly $129.95).
"I download the quizzes for my students who don't have computer access."
Subscribe today to receive hundreds of English usage quizzes not found anywhere else!
"Makes learning English FUN!"
 |
Don't need all the quizzes at once?
You can now purchase the same quizzes individually for ONLY 99¢ each. Purchase yours here. |
Get Yours Today!
Get Amazon’s #1 Bestseller in Four Categories!
#1 in Grammar
#1 in Reading
#1 in Lesson Planning
#1 in Vocabulary |
The Blue Book of Grammar
and Punctuation by Jane Straus
An indispensable tool for busy professionals, teachers, students, homeschool families, editors, writers, and proofreaders.
Now available in print AND as an e-Book! Over 2000 copies are purchased every month!
Order Your Copy Today!
- Hundreds of Grammar, Punctuation, Capitalization, and Usage Rules
- Real-World Examples
- Spelling / Vocabulary / Confusing Words
- Quizzes with Answers
|
View the entire contents online
Discounts available for schools, bookstores, and multiple copies. Order Today!
 Wordplay
Local Area Network in Australia: The LAN down under.
When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds.
It is better to have loved a short woman than never to have loved a tall.
Pop Quiz Answers
1. Was it Marguerite who organized the surprise party for Johann? (That is also acceptable, but who is preferred.)
2. Kepler is the scientist who proposed the laws of planetary motion. (That is also acceptable, but who is preferred.)
3. I do not want to go on any amusement park rides that involve sudden drops.
4. Oliver is the president of the association that nurses injured wild animals back to health.
5. Most of the members of the board who voted against the motion to change the bylaws were present at the meeting. (That is also acceptable, but who is preferred since individual members of the board are being emphasized.)
Learn all about who and whom, affect and effect, subjects and verbs, adjectives and adverbs, commas, semicolons, quotation marks, and much more by just sitting back and enjoying these easy-to-follow lessons. Tell your colleagues (and boss), children, teachers, and friends. Click here to watch. |
