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Merriam-Webster's Visual Dictionaries. The new edition of the remarkable reference features 8, illustrations. Join Us. Learner's Dictionary on Twitter ». Learner's Dictionary on Facebook ». NOTE: While teams and organizations are composed of people, they are considered groups. However, this matter is not always clear-cut.
In cases like this, you may use your own judgment. You may be asking whether there are any rules guiding when to use the word that and when to use the word which. The answer is yes. That introduces essential clauses and which introduces nonessential clauses. Pop Quiz 1. Pop Quiz Answers 1. Was it Marguerite who organized the surprise party for Johann? Kepler is the scientist who proposed the laws of planetary motion. I do not want to go on any amusement park rides that involve sudden drops.
Oliver is the president of the association that nurses injured wild animals back to health. Most of the members of the board who voted against the motion to change the bylaws were present at the meeting. Advertisement If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.
Share Tweet Who vs. Well, it does evince a certain lack of respect for the rules of grammar. In quiz examples, the first three are correct, although it would be better to say that who is strongly preferred. Example number five shows a good way of discussing group members. Your explanation agrees with what I learned in grade school. Thank you for your analysis. Please see our post Old Superstitions Die Hard.
I often see things written that avoids the use of that where, according to what I was taught long ago, requires a that. For example: John said he was not going to the party.
John said that he was not going to the party. Your example concerns using that as a subordinating conjunction instead of as a relative pronoun.
It is also an example of an omission, a topic addressed in our post Overseeing Omissions in Writing. Rule 5.
I wonder if you could review your work here, so that students are not confused. I teach graduate students and I do not permit the distinctions you are making re this particular word usage. I cannot refer my students to your site for that reason. I went to your site, hoping to obtain clarification for a student, and I am afraid that I found that error, so I do apologize if you are offended.
This error is widespread; you are not its only well-meaning victim; and we would be interested if you could name even one reputable English scholar who would back your position.
We understand that long-standing habits die hard, and we do not blame you for being headstrong, but you are fighting a battle you cannot win. You have been sold a myth, not unlike the myths about split infinitives and prepositions ending sentences.
The point is elementary and needs no elaboration. Assuming you have no opposing evidence at hand to counter the eminent Mr. Their arguments in favour of it being a subordinator are compelling and well worth taking a look at. Subordinators introduce adverbial clauses. By definition, that is a relative pronoun that introduces a subordinate clause; therefore, it is both a relative pronoun and a subordinator.
As an English teacher who is trying to preserve what is left of our language, I heartily agree with you. Our post That vs. In my view, it is not completely unambiguous whether in 4 it is Oliver who nurses or the association that nurses. For example, in the company of a group of association presidents, one might ask which association president is the one who nurses injured wild animals back to health. I respectfully thank you for your time.
The word that is unnecessary in your sentence. You were the first kindred spirit I ever met. I find it unnecessary most of the time and for some reason it drives me nuts along with improper use of ensure and insure. For example, a general contractor may be responsible for building a residential development, but may need to hire an electrical contractor, a plumbing contractor, etc.
It is possible that the contractor could be a one-man operation. More frequently though, the contractor is a company with several employees who will be assigned the specific work tasks. Without knowing which is the case, is it preferable to say: I hired a contractor who will be roofing the buildings or I hired a contractor that will be roofing the buildings?
Do you first need to know if the contractor is one person or a company with several employees? It is likely that either one is incorporated and licensed. You would be safe using that in your examples since that can be used for people or companies. We doubt many people would find fault with using who since we tend to think of contractors as people even if they represent a larger company.
Or just revise the sentence: I hired a contractor to roof the buildings. Thanks very much for this. I was surprised that this is acceptable. We like to let these students work in groups whenever possible.
A select group of scientists has been invited to the conference. The disease was seen in all age groups.
Full Definition of group Entry 1 of 2. Air Force higher than a squadron and lower than a wing. Definition of group Entry 2 of 2. Synonyms for group Synonyms: Noun array , assemblage , band , bank , batch , battery , block , bunch , clot , clump , cluster , clutch , collection , constellation , grouping , huddle , knot , lot , muster , package , parcel , passel , set , suite Synonyms: Verb assort , break down , categorize , class , classify , codify , compartment , compartmentalize , digest , distinguish , distribute , grade , peg , place , range , rank , relegate , separate , sort , type Visit the Thesaurus for More.
Examples of group in a Sentence Noun It'll be easier if we go there as a group. She belongs to an environmental group. She joined a discussion group. Verb you should first group the invertebrates by genus group the kids together and we'll see who's missing. First Known Use of group Noun , in the meaning defined at sense 1 Verb , in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1.
Which and that are used when referring to places, objects, and animals. Which is always used to introduce nonessential clauses, and that is ordinarily used to introduce essential clauses. Which, that, and who may be used to refer to organizations. When you are referring to the organization as a single entity in other words, as it , then use which or that. However, when you are thinking of the organization in terms of the individuals who make up the organization in other words, when you think of the organization as they , you may use who or that.
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