TheWritersBag.com

One of the most commonly abused rules in the English language relates to the proper use of “who” and “that.” You will frequently find these words improperly interchanged in the written word and in speech.

Quiz time. Which of the following sentences use the words “who” and “that” correctly?

1. She was the type of woman who collected men’s hearts like trophies.
2. Bob and Ted were the only members of the council that ever resisted her.
3. They were people that grew up in difficult times and learned to survive.
4. The boys were of the caste who were looked down upon by “cultured” folk.

Your answer?

All four of the sentences were wrong. Here’s how they should have been written:

1. She was the type of woman that collected men’s hearts like trophies.
2. Bob and Ted were the only members of the council who ever resisted her.
3. They were people who grew up in difficult times and learned to survive.
4. The boys were of the caste that was looked down upon by “cultured” folk.

Here’s the rule:

Use “who” when referring to one or more individuals. Use “that” when referring to a type, class or species.

The way I remember this rule is to always use “who” when referring to an individual or group of individuals, and use “that” when referring to the group itself.

So in the first sentence, “that” is correct because the phrase “that collected men’s hearts like trophies” directly describes the group (the type of woman) itself. “She” is merely a representative of that type

The last phrase in the second sentence (“who ever resisted her”), refers to two individuals who belong to a council – not to the council itself.

The third sentence talks about individual people, so “who” is used. True, you could argue that those people form a type, class or species, but we didn’t mention a type, class or species – just people.

In the fourth sentence, the phrase “that was looked down upon by ‘cultured’ folk” refers directly to the caste and not to the boys. The boys were members of that caste. So “that” is right.

It can be a fine line. But that’s English. And that’s why people who write get paid the big bucks.

PS. Learn more. Get a manual … or three. Click here.

Years ago I was standing in a line at a bank in El Salvador waiting for a teller. The customer at the teller’s window was an American. There was a man behind him. I was third in line. The American, obviously upset about something, was brutally berating the teller.

As this went on, the man standing between the abusive customer and me turned to me, cocked one eyebrow, and in an English accent whispered, “A decidedly unpleasant individual!”

I’ll never forget how effective his comment was. It had much more impact on me than if he had said, “What a jerk!”

Yesterday Michelle posted a comment asking, “What would be one way that a person could increase their vocabulary? Since I have no formal training as a writer (but love to write) and am a busy parent right now with no time for school, is there something that I might do? I feel like if I had more words to use, my writing would be better.”

Good question. Having a strong vocabulary is definitely important to your writing, no matter what sort of writing you do. It’s wonderful to be able to come up with just the right word at just the right time. It’s frustrating and time-consuming when you can’t. Plus, it interrupts the flow of your writing.

Here are a few good ways to build your vocabulary:

1. Keep a small notebook with you at all times. Whenever you hear or read a word you don’t know, write it down. Then, when you are home or at the office, pull out your dictionary (or bring it up on your computer) and write down the meaning of the word. It will also help to jot down a sentence that uses the word properly. Review your list of words regularly. Use them in your writing and speech when appropriate. When you are sure you have mastered a particular word, place an “x” by it.
2. Go online. There are many Web sites for vocabulary building (such as www.vocabulary.com) that offer interactive learning experiences.
3. Buy a vocabulary calendar – the kind with a new word for each day of the year – and be disciplined enough to use it.
4. Buy any of the number of “30 Days to a New Vocabulary”-type books. Again, use it.

Of these four methods of building vocabulary, I think the first is the most effective because it helps you learn the words that are actually being used. (If you ran into them once, you’ll likely run into them again.) There’s nothing wrong with learning tons of new words that you may never again hear or read, but learning vocabulary that is actually being used will be a more profitable use of your time.

One last tip: Learn the common roots of words. This will help you understand their meanings. I once read that at least half the words in the English language are derived from Latin and Greek roots. Learn these roots and you can often guess the meanings of words you don’t know. Here are a few examples of these roots to show you what I mean:

• audi = to hear (audience, audible)
• bene = good, well (beneficial, benevolent)
• bio = life (biology, biography)
• dic, dict = to speak (dictate, dictator)
• graph = to write (graphic, pictograph, epigraph)
• log, logue = word, speech, thought (dialog, monolog)
• logy = study of (psychology, biology)
• manu = hand (manufacture, manuscript)
• phil = love (philosophy, philanthropy)
• sopho, sophy = knowledge (theosophy, sophist)
• theo = god, divinity (theology, theocracy)

One word of caution: As you build your vocabulary, beware of using “big, fancy” words just to show off your knowledge. In my next article, I’ll discuss this common writing mistake.

We’ve discussed semicolons before, but when I read what Bill Walsh, of the Washington Post, said about them, I knew I had to take another shot. In his book, Lapsing Into a Comma, he wrote:

The semicolon is an ugly bastard, and thus I tend to avoid it.

This is what I’ve always wanted to say about semicolons. But I’ve never managed to say it with such eloquence. Thank you, Bill.

Is there even the slightest place in the written language for the semicolon? Lamentably, yes. If you’re cruising along writing a sentence that contains a series of things, and at least one of those series contains a comma, use a semicolon for clarity’s sake. Like this:

• Joe jumped over the fence; kissed Jill, Stephanie and Ann; and ran off laughing.

There is another acceptable use for a semicolon, but I personally don’t think it holds water. I’m referring to the rule that states you can use one to join two related sentences together without a conjunction. For example …

• I reached the cliff and looked down; what I saw terrified me.

I believe sentences like that are better off split into two. In fact, I’ve run into very few sentences that have been glued together with these ugly little punctuation marks that wouldn’t have been improved by chopping them neatly in two at the semicolon.