“…the person or body who…” vs. “…the person or body which…”
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When referring to both natural and non-natural persons (i.e. organisations) at the same time, is it appropriate to use 'which' or 'who'?
For example:
1.
- '... request the person or body who has the responsibility for this task..' or
- '... request the person or body which has the responsibility for this task..'
2.
- '...the person or body to whom the application was directed' or
- '...the person or body to which the application was directed'
(There is a reason that 'person' precedes 'the body')
which-who coordination
edited Mar 20 at 20:08
sumelic
45.3k7108210
asked Mar 19 at 4:05
user288487
111
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
When referring to both natural and non-natural persons (i.e. organisations) at the same time, is it appropriate to use 'which' or 'who'?
For example:
1.
- '... request the person or body who has the responsibility for this task..' or
- '... request the person or body which has the responsibility for this task..'
2.
- '...the person or body to whom the application was directed' or
- '...the person or body to which the application was directed'
(There is a reason that 'person' precedes 'the body')
which-who coordination
edited Mar 20 at 20:08
sumelic
45.3k7108210
asked Mar 19 at 4:05
user288487
111
Similar to english.stackexchange.com/q/437169/14666
– Kris
Mar 19 at 6:01
Neither would work well. That could be a possible alternative. (However, the question is not asking for alternatives, so this is not an answer.)
– Kris
Mar 19 at 6:03
Normally I despise the very idea of re-wording anything to avoid the Question but here, it seems wholly justified. What would remain unclear if you used ”… the person or body with (the) responsibility…”, please?
– Robbie Goodwin
Mar 19 at 21:24
2
As I noted under Barrie England's answer to the question that Edwin Ashworth suggests as a duplicate, "companies that" appears to be far more frequent than either "companies who" or "companies which" in U.S. English. See the Ngram chart for these three expressions for the corpus American English over the years 1880–2005.
– Sven Yargs
Mar 20 at 4:16
Why not simply the person or the body that... ?
– Jim MacKenzie
Aug 30 at 19:36
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
When referring to both natural and non-natural persons (i.e. organisations) at the same time, is it appropriate to use 'which' or 'who'?
For example:
1.
- '... request the person or body who has the responsibility for this task..' or
- '... request the person or body which has the responsibility for this task..'
2.
- '...the person or body to whom the application was directed' or
- '...the person or body to which the application was directed'
(There is a reason that 'person' precedes 'the body')
which-who coordination
edited Mar 20 at 20:08
sumelic
45.3k7108210
asked Mar 19 at 4:05
user288487
111
When referring to both natural and non-natural persons (i.e. organisations) at the same time, is it appropriate to use 'which' or 'who'?
For example:
1.
- '... request the person or body who has the responsibility for this task..' or
- '... request the person or body which has the responsibility for this task..'
2.
- '...the person or body to whom the application was directed' or
- '...the person or body to which the application was directed'
(There is a reason that 'person' precedes 'the body')
which-who coordination
which-who coordination
edited Mar 20 at 20:08
sumelic
45.3k7108210
asked Mar 19 at 4:05
user288487
111
edited Mar 20 at 20:08
sumelic
45.3k7108210
asked Mar 19 at 4:05
user288487
111
edited Mar 20 at 20:08
sumelic
45.3k7108210
edited Mar 20 at 20:08
sumelic
45.3k7108210
edited Mar 20 at 20:08
sumelic
45.3k7108210
45.3k7108210
asked Mar 19 at 4:05
user288487
111
asked Mar 19 at 4:05
user288487
111
asked Mar 19 at 4:05
user288487
111
111
Similar to english.stackexchange.com/q/437169/14666
– Kris
Mar 19 at 6:01
Neither would work well. That could be a possible alternative. (However, the question is not asking for alternatives, so this is not an answer.)
– Kris
Mar 19 at 6:03
Normally I despise the very idea of re-wording anything to avoid the Question but here, it seems wholly justified. What would remain unclear if you used ”… the person or body with (the) responsibility…”, please?
– Robbie Goodwin
Mar 19 at 21:24
2
As I noted under Barrie England's answer to the question that Edwin Ashworth suggests as a duplicate, "companies that" appears to be far more frequent than either "companies who" or "companies which" in U.S. English. See the Ngram chart for these three expressions for the corpus American English over the years 1880–2005.
– Sven Yargs
Mar 20 at 4:16
Why not simply the person or the body that... ?
– Jim MacKenzie
Aug 30 at 19:36
add a comment |
Similar to english.stackexchange.com/q/437169/14666
– Kris
Mar 19 at 6:01
Neither would work well. That could be a possible alternative. (However, the question is not asking for alternatives, so this is not an answer.)
– Kris
Mar 19 at 6:03
Normally I despise the very idea of re-wording anything to avoid the Question but here, it seems wholly justified. What would remain unclear if you used ”… the person or body with (the) responsibility…”, please?
– Robbie Goodwin
Mar 19 at 21:24
2
As I noted under Barrie England's answer to the question that Edwin Ashworth suggests as a duplicate, "companies that" appears to be far more frequent than either "companies who" or "companies which" in U.S. English. See the Ngram chart for these three expressions for the corpus American English over the years 1880–2005.
– Sven Yargs
Mar 20 at 4:16
Why not simply the person or the body that... ?
– Jim MacKenzie
Aug 30 at 19:36
Similar to english.stackexchange.com/q/437169/14666
– Kris
Mar 19 at 6:01
Similar to english.stackexchange.com/q/437169/14666
– Kris
Mar 19 at 6:01
Neither would work well. That could be a possible alternative. (However, the question is not asking for alternatives, so this is not an answer.)
– Kris
Mar 19 at 6:03
Neither would work well. That could be a possible alternative. (However, the question is not asking for alternatives, so this is not an answer.)
– Kris
Mar 19 at 6:03
Normally I despise the very idea of re-wording anything to avoid the Question but here, it seems wholly justified. What would remain unclear if you used ”… the person or body with (the) responsibility…”, please?
– Robbie Goodwin
Mar 19 at 21:24
Normally I despise the very idea of re-wording anything to avoid the Question but here, it seems wholly justified. What would remain unclear if you used ”… the person or body with (the) responsibility…”, please?
– Robbie Goodwin
Mar 19 at 21:24
2
2
As I noted under Barrie England's answer to the question that Edwin Ashworth suggests as a duplicate, "companies that" appears to be far more frequent than either "companies who" or "companies which" in U.S. English. See the Ngram chart for these three expressions for the corpus American English over the years 1880–2005.
– Sven Yargs
Mar 20 at 4:16
As I noted under Barrie England's answer to the question that Edwin Ashworth suggests as a duplicate, "companies that" appears to be far more frequent than either "companies who" or "companies which" in U.S. English. See the Ngram chart for these three expressions for the corpus American English over the years 1880–2005.
– Sven Yargs
Mar 20 at 4:16
Why not simply the person or the body that... ?
– Jim MacKenzie
Aug 30 at 19:36
Why not simply the person or the body that... ?
– Jim MacKenzie
Aug 30 at 19:36
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
up vote
0
down vote
Both forms are in regular use. In the example given either would be acceptable, and even referring to a body alone "who" is often used, but probably not in formal usage.
The vagueness over this issue can be illustrated as follows:
In English law there is not necessarily a clear-cut distinction between natural persons and bodies. Some bodies, such as certain professional partnerships, comprise a group of natural persons, and there are natural persons who in legal terms are corporations.
It used to be considered correct form to begin a letter to a company: "Gentlemen,..."
There is a related question as to whether a body should be referred to as "it" or "they". In some circumstances "it" will appear odd; in others "they". Sometimes the fact that what in legal terms is a person is over-ridden by the reality that it is composed of and directed by human beings.
answered Mar 19 at 5:54
JeremyC
2,214212
add a comment |
up vote
-2
down vote
...request the person or body which has the responsibility...
...the person or body to which the application was directed...
answered Mar 19 at 4:14
Anoop Mysore
476
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
0
down vote
Both forms are in regular use. In the example given either would be acceptable, and even referring to a body alone "who" is often used, but probably not in formal usage.
The vagueness over this issue can be illustrated as follows:
In English law there is not necessarily a clear-cut distinction between natural persons and bodies. Some bodies, such as certain professional partnerships, comprise a group of natural persons, and there are natural persons who in legal terms are corporations.
It used to be considered correct form to begin a letter to a company: "Gentlemen,..."
There is a related question as to whether a body should be referred to as "it" or "they". In some circumstances "it" will appear odd; in others "they". Sometimes the fact that what in legal terms is a person is over-ridden by the reality that it is composed of and directed by human beings.
answered Mar 19 at 5:54
JeremyC
2,214212
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
Both forms are in regular use. In the example given either would be acceptable, and even referring to a body alone "who" is often used, but probably not in formal usage.
The vagueness over this issue can be illustrated as follows:
In English law there is not necessarily a clear-cut distinction between natural persons and bodies. Some bodies, such as certain professional partnerships, comprise a group of natural persons, and there are natural persons who in legal terms are corporations.
It used to be considered correct form to begin a letter to a company: "Gentlemen,..."
There is a related question as to whether a body should be referred to as "it" or "they". In some circumstances "it" will appear odd; in others "they". Sometimes the fact that what in legal terms is a person is over-ridden by the reality that it is composed of and directed by human beings.
answered Mar 19 at 5:54
JeremyC
2,214212
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
Both forms are in regular use. In the example given either would be acceptable, and even referring to a body alone "who" is often used, but probably not in formal usage.
The vagueness over this issue can be illustrated as follows:
In English law there is not necessarily a clear-cut distinction between natural persons and bodies. Some bodies, such as certain professional partnerships, comprise a group of natural persons, and there are natural persons who in legal terms are corporations.
It used to be considered correct form to begin a letter to a company: "Gentlemen,..."
There is a related question as to whether a body should be referred to as "it" or "they". In some circumstances "it" will appear odd; in others "they". Sometimes the fact that what in legal terms is a person is over-ridden by the reality that it is composed of and directed by human beings.
answered Mar 19 at 5:54
JeremyC
2,214212
Both forms are in regular use. In the example given either would be acceptable, and even referring to a body alone "who" is often used, but probably not in formal usage.
The vagueness over this issue can be illustrated as follows:
In English law there is not necessarily a clear-cut distinction between natural persons and bodies. Some bodies, such as certain professional partnerships, comprise a group of natural persons, and there are natural persons who in legal terms are corporations.
It used to be considered correct form to begin a letter to a company: "Gentlemen,..."
There is a related question as to whether a body should be referred to as "it" or "they". In some circumstances "it" will appear odd; in others "they". Sometimes the fact that what in legal terms is a person is over-ridden by the reality that it is composed of and directed by human beings.
answered Mar 19 at 5:54
JeremyC
2,214212
edited Aug 30 at 19:34
answered Mar 19 at 5:54
JeremyC
2,214212
answered Mar 19 at 5:54
JeremyC
2,214212
answered Mar 19 at 5:54
JeremyC
2,214212
2,214212
add a comment |
add a comment |
up vote
-2
down vote
...request the person or body which has the responsibility...
...the person or body to which the application was directed...
answered Mar 19 at 4:14
Anoop Mysore
476
add a comment |
up vote
-2
down vote
...request the person or body which has the responsibility...
...the person or body to which the application was directed...
answered Mar 19 at 4:14
Anoop Mysore
476
add a comment |
up vote
-2
down vote
up vote
-2
down vote
...request the person or body which has the responsibility...
...the person or body to which the application was directed...
answered Mar 19 at 4:14
Anoop Mysore
476
...request the person or body which has the responsibility...
...the person or body to which the application was directed...
answered Mar 19 at 4:14
Anoop Mysore
476
answered Mar 19 at 4:14
Anoop Mysore
476
answered Mar 19 at 4:14
Anoop Mysore
476
answered Mar 19 at 4:14
Anoop Mysore
476
476
add a comment |
add a comment |
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Similar to english.stackexchange.com/q/437169/14666
– Kris
Mar 19 at 6:01
Neither would work well. That could be a possible alternative. (However, the question is not asking for alternatives, so this is not an answer.)
– Kris
Mar 19 at 6:03
Normally I despise the very idea of re-wording anything to avoid the Question but here, it seems wholly justified. What would remain unclear if you used ”… the person or body with (the) responsibility…”, please?
– Robbie Goodwin
Mar 19 at 21:24
2
As I noted under Barrie England's answer to the question that Edwin Ashworth suggests as a duplicate, "companies that" appears to be far more frequent than either "companies who" or "companies which" in U.S. English. See the Ngram chart for these three expressions for the corpus American English over the years 1880–2005.
– Sven Yargs
Mar 20 at 4:16
Why not simply the person or the body that... ?
– Jim MacKenzie
Aug 30 at 19:36