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This video explains the difference between affect and effect and provide tips for remembering which is which and when to use each one. If you suffe...
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That vs. Who 944 Views
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Want even more deets on That vs. Who? Click here to review. Or take a look at our entire grammar section for all the goods.
Transcript
- 00:04
That versus Who, a la Shmoop. You have a dog. She is short and brown and
- 00:11
cute.
- 00:11
She is also a food thief.
- 00:14
So, how do you describe your dog to your friends? Is she the dog that steals biscuits from the
- 00:20
breakfast table...
Full Transcript
- 00:21
...or the dog who steals biscuits from the breakfast table?
- 00:25
Here's the rule when it comes to 'that' versus 'who'...
- 00:27
...use 'that' when you're talking about an object...
- 00:30
...and 'who' when talking about a person. For example, you are a person who owns a dog.
- 00:36
You are the person who named that poor dog Brumhilda.
- 00:41
Your parents are the ones who bought you the dog for Christmas...
- 00:44
...and then regretted the decision immediately. Brumhilda likes to snatch the biscuits that
- 00:49
sit on the breakfast table...
- 00:51
...and the kibble that is in the cat's bowl...
- 00:54
...and any stray piece of food that ends up on the kitchen floor.
- 00:58
Using 'that' when you're talking about an object...
- 01:01
...and 'who' when you're talking about a person...
- 01:03
...seems straightforward, right?
- 01:06
But what about when you're dealing with an animate object that isn't a person, like Brumhilda
- 01:11
the biscuit-snatcher? In this case, you could use either 'that'
- 01:15
or 'who'. Both would be correct.
- 01:17
However, given your small dog's outsized personality...
- 01:20
...you'd more likely say that she's the animal who is closest to your heart.
- 01:24
Your brother's pet goldfish, on the other hand...
- 01:26
...well, he's just the creature that exists to keep the family cat entertained.
- 01:30
And that's it for the 'that' versus 'who' rule.
- 01:32
Now, you'd better go get Brumhilda. Looks like it's the scrambled eggs that are her
- 01:36
target today...
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