Yes, I would probably have written "who", but would anyone not have
understood the original sentence? Which prompts the question: what's the
real issue: communicative success or conservative snobbishness?
Why must "that" and "which be reserved for non-humans and "who" for humans"?
Will our culture collapse if the distinction is not maintained? Will
communication be thwarted?
I was taught that possessive apostrophes can only be used in relation the
higher animals ("The horse's mane is brown"), but not the lower ( "The
slug's coat is slimy": WRONG). Where did this nonsense (and the
that/which/who nonsense) come from? Is it really worth preserving? Do we
alienate the young writer by foisting on them rules that contribute
nothing to the communicative force of our writing?
Cheers
Geoffrey Marnell
Principal Consultant
Abelard Consulting Pty Ltd
P: 03 9596 3456
M: 0419 574 668
F: 03 9596 3625
Web: <http://www.abelard.com.au/> www.abelard.com.au
From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Neil Maloney
Sent: Thursday, 11 June 2015 5:59 PM
To: Austechwriter
Subject: atw: OT: How Many Soldiers have Died on the Battlefield of Waterloo
this Year? ...
I don't usually post about "newspaper grammar", but this one got to me.
From the London Telegraph:
" The bronze plaque, measuring 65cm across, depicts Nike the Greek goddess
of Victory and has been cast by the London Mint Office to commemorate the
soldiers that died on the battlefield at Waterloo in its 200th anniversary
year."
N.
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