grammar question

Feb 22, 2007 14:47

"someone who..." or "someone that..."?

I think I know which one is correct, it's my pet peeve, but I see the other so often, maybe it's correct, too, and I just don't know that?

on writing

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Comments 8

kennahijja February 22 2007, 19:51:50 UTC
Beta-reading, I'd bitch at 'someone that'... but then I'm not a native speaker and we learned English grammar with a bit more rigidness than native speakers tend to show. But it feels wrong (not that I haven't done it before, it's a slip easily made).

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sor_bet February 22 2007, 22:31:35 UTC
I didn't want to influence responses, but it totally annoys me when people use "someone that" now. I've slipped myself once or twice, but I usually catch it on the re-read and correct it. Thanks for commenting -- I'm glad to know that "rigid" English grammar supports me. :-) Thanks!

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mnemosyne_1 February 22 2007, 21:54:47 UTC
I see a lot of people use "someone that" - I personally prefer "someone who" and "something that."

She's someone who just doesn't understand.

It's something that she just doesn't understand.

I'm not the queen of grammar, but I think it depends on your antecedents. People get who (He/she), and things (it) get that.

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sor_bet February 22 2007, 22:34:15 UTC
People get who (He/she), and things (it) get that.

Right??? I just wanted to check with people before I come down like a ton of bricks on the fic I'm beta-ing right now, that is loaded with "he was someone that" and "the person that", etc. Thanks!

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summerborn February 22 2007, 23:53:31 UTC
Erm. I'd have to see context. I beta by feel a lot of the time, to be honest. "The person that called earlier" sounds okay to me. But I think with names or "he" and "she" I'd be a lot more likely to want to change it to "who".

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sor_bet February 23 2007, 01:23:42 UTC
I know that it can depend on context. If someone is speaking casually, for example, it doesn't have to be grammatically correct. (That's why I love writing Curt Wilde in Velvet Goldmine fanfiction -- he's American!! :-D I don't have to worry about colours or trousers or any of that stuff.)

But I just wanted to make sure I wouldn't get hexed by saying that it should be "who" instead of "that". Thanks!

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amanuensis1 February 23 2007, 08:37:57 UTC
Generally go with "people who" rather than "people that." There're always exceptions that sound a little better the other way, but, generally.

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sor_bet February 23 2007, 18:18:01 UTC
That's what I was thinking. Thanks!

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