Reflexive pronoun - who/that

[Barman]

I know that 'Only', 'Any', 'It is', 'All' are usually followed by 'that' in place of 'who' or 'which'.

In the following sentence, can I use 'Who' instead of 'that'?

1) He is the only man that can do it.

2):He is the only man 'who' can do it.

 

[GoesStation]

I'd say who.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I would, too. That isn't wrong, but I like to treat people like people. And people aren't thats, we're whos.

 

[Barman]

By the way, the words you are asking about are relative, not reflexive, pronouns.

Oh! Yes. I made a mistake. I'm extremely sorry for that.

 

[TheParser]

1) He is the only man that can do it.

2):He is the only man 'who' can do it.

NOT A TEACHER



Barman, the teachers have given us the answer that most native speakers use today and that English learners should also use.

But I thought that you would like to know the "rule" that some other English speakers (especially older people, such as I) try to follow: If the antecedent is "it" or the antecedent "has attached to it a superlative or other word of exclusive meaning," then "that" may be used. Here are my source's examples.

1. "The most impartial critic that could be found."
2. "The only man that I know of."
3. "Any one that knows anything knows this." [When the book was written, "anyone" was spelled as two words by many writers.]
4. "It was you that said so."

You may occasionally find some sentences such as these in contemporary (present-day) writing by some authors.

Source: H.W. Fowler and F.G. Fowler, The King's English (1906), page 92.

 

[GoesStation]

1. "The most impartial critic that could be found."
2. "The only man that I know of."
3. "Any one that knows anything knows this." [When the book was written, "anyone" was spelled as two words by many writers.]
4. "It was you that said so."

I'd use that in number one, that or nothing in two, and who in three and four. I think most Americans would do the same.

 

[jutfrank]

If the antecedent is "it" or the antecedent "has attached to it a superlative or other word of exclusive meaning," then "that" may be used.

I think that could be misleading. The antecedent doesn't have to satisfy those conditions for permissibility of that. I think you meant to say that that is more likely when those conditions are satisfied, right? Is that what Fowler is saying? Or is he saying that that should be used in such cases?

 

[TheParser]

I think that could be misleading. The antecedent doesn't have to satisfy those conditions for permissibility of that. I think you meant to say that that is more likely when those conditions are satisfied, right? Is that what Fowler is saying? Or is he saying that that should be used in such cases?

NOT A TEACHER

The Fowlers say (on page 91) that those examples are "the only case in which it ["that"] is now [in 1906] to be preferred [my emphasis] to 'who.' "

 

[Tarheel]

The word that has been used a relative pronoun that way for many years. Example:

He's the only man that I know that does that.

 

[emsr2d2]

I know that 'only', 'any', 'it is', and 'all' are usually followed by 'that' in place of 'who' or 'which'.

In the following sentence, can I use 'who' instead of'that'?

1) He is the only man that can do it.
2) no colon here He is the only man no quotation mark here who no quotation mark here can do it.

Note my corrections above.

I'd use "who" there but you'll hear both from native speakers.

 

[jutfrank]

I know that 'Only', 'Any', 'It is', 'All' are usually followed by 'that' in place of 'who' or 'which'.

As you've hopefully noticed from our replies, we're doubting that that's true for who, though it certainly is true for which.