ShmoopTube

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That versus Who, a la Shmoop. You have a dog. She is short and brown and

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cute.

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She is also a food thief.

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So, how do you describe your dog to your friends? Is she the dog that steals biscuits from the

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breakfast table...

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...or the dog who steals biscuits from the breakfast table?

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Here's the rule when it comes to 'that' versus 'who'...

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...use 'that' when you're talking about an object...

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...and 'who' when talking about a person. For example, you are a person who owns a dog.

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You are the person who named that poor dog Brumhilda.

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Your parents are the ones who bought you the dog for Christmas...

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...and then regretted the decision immediately. Brumhilda likes to snatch the biscuits that

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sit on the breakfast table...

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...and the kibble that is in the cat's bowl...

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...and any stray piece of food that ends up on the kitchen floor.

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Using 'that' when you're talking about an object...

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...and 'who' when you're talking about a person...

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...seems straightforward, right?

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But what about when you're dealing with an animate object that isn't a person, like Brumhilda

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the biscuit-snatcher? In this case, you could use either 'that'

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or 'who'. Both would be correct.

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However, given your small dog's outsized personality...

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...you'd more likely say that she's the animal who is closest to your heart.

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Your brother's pet goldfish, on the other hand...

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...well, he's just the creature that exists to keep the family cat entertained.

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And that's it for the 'that' versus 'who' rule.

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Now, you'd better go get Brumhilda. Looks like it's the scrambled eggs that are her

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target today...

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