Grammar

Question

He is the only one who /that  can help me .....Who or that which one  is correct...?

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

In general, who is used for people, and that for things.

The wrench is the only tool that can remove the bolt.

Mark is the only one who can help me with my homework.

Cool Breeze · Answer

AnonymousHe is the only one who /that can help me .....Who or that which one is correct...?

Both are correct. Many grammarians advise that that should be used if the antecedent includes the only but this rule isn't always adhered to.

That has been used as a relative pronoun to refer to both animate and inanimate antecedents for as long as the English language has existed. In fact, it was the only relative pronoun in Old English and thus it was used to refer to people for hundreds of years before who was even used as a relative at all.

CB

CalifJim · Answer

Cool BreezeMany grammarians advise that that should be used if the antecedent includes the only

Interesting. I had never heard this.

CJ

Cool Breeze · Answer

CalifJim
Cool BreezeMany grammarians advise that that should be used if the antecedent includes the only
Interesting. I had never heard this.

CJ

On second thought, perhaps "should" is too strong a word here. Maybe is often used would have been a better choice of words. This quotation is from A Handbook of English Grammar by R.W. Zandvoort:

"That is especially used with reference to persons in clauses that are distinctly classifying, consequently in such clauses as define an antecedent qualified by a superlative, or by any or only."

There are actually more words after which that is often used, such as all and few, for example.

CB

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On second thought, perhaps "should" is too strong a word here. Maybe is often used would have been a better choice of words. This quotation is from A Handbo

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