Although some writers frequently use “who” and “that” interchangeably, the two words cannot be substituted for one another. It can be tricky figuring out whether you need to use “who” or “that” when you are writing sentences, but there is an easy rule to follow. Very simply, if you are referring to a person, you need to use “who,” but if you are referring to an object, you need to use “that.”
Let’s look at a few examples.
- (A) Amanda is a physician that specializes in ophthalmology.
- (B) Amanda is a physician who specializes in ophthalmology.
Which of the two sentences is correct? If you said (B), you are right. In this example,Amanda is a person, so “who” is the correct choice.
- (A) There is the notebook who I have been looking for!
- (B) There is the notebook that I have been looking for!
Which one is correct in the second set of sentences? If you said (B) again, you are right a second time. “That” is referring to the notebook, which is an object. Remember, a person requires“who,”while an object requires“that.”