English writers often wonder whether to use who or which when describing people or things. Understanding the distinction helps you communicate more clearly and avoid reader confusion.
These guidelines are especially important for professional, academic, and technical content. The table below summarizes the core rules for quick reference.
| Word | Used for | Clause type | Punctuation |
|---|---|---|---|
| who | People and human groups | Defining and non-defining | Commas in non-defining clauses |
| which | Things, animals, organizations | Defining and non-defining | Commas in non-defining clauses |
| that | People or things (restrictive only) | Restrictive only | No commas |
| whose | Possession for people or things | People or things | No commas for restrictive |
Using Who for People and Human Groups
Subject or object reference
Use who when the relative pronoun refers to people and acts as the subject or object in the clause. Examples include employees, teams, audiences, and classes.
Groups considered as people
Treat teams, committees, and organizations as collective people when you focus on the individuals within them. In these cases, who is often the better choice.
Using Which for Things and Animals
Non-human entities
Use which for animals, organizations, systems, products, and concepts. This keeps your phrasing precise and avoids mixing people with objects.
Defining versus non-defining clauses
In non-defining clauses, which is followed by a comma and adds extra information. In defining clauses, which can appear without commas to limit the meaning.
Grammar Rules and Exceptions
Formality and style choices
Formal writing prefers strict who/which separation. In less formal contexts, writers sometimes blur the line when the meaning remains clear.
That as an alternative
That can replace who or which in restrictive clauses, especially in news and business English. It is not used in non-defining clauses.
Best Practices and Style Tips
- Always match the pronoun to the noun it refers to, not to nearby words.
- Use commas correctly to signal non-defining information.
- Prefer who for people and which for things in formal contexts.
- Read the sentence aloud to test whether the pronoun and reference align naturally.
FAQ
Reader questions
Should I use who or which in a sentence about a company?
Treat a company as an organization, so use which unless you emphasize the people inside it. For example, 'NeoTech, which released the update, saw growth' focuses on the company as a whole.
Can who refer to a class of people in a headline?
Yes, headlines often use who to save space and sound direct. In a full sentence, you would still apply the same grammatical rules for clarity.
What if the sentence has both people and things?
Choose the relative pronoun based on the closest noun. If the nearest antecedent is people, use who; if it is things, use which.
Is it acceptable to start a relative clause with whom in modern writing?
Whom is correct as the object of a verb or preposition, but it appears mainly in formal or edited writing. In most modern text, who is commonly used instead.