Common grammatical mistakes made in English: which versus who.
Learning a language is a process of trial and error. Of course, as a non-native speaker, you will occasionally make mistakes; you can't avoid that.
But if you become aware of some common mistakes, you will be one step closer to professionalising your business English.
A common grammatical error made in English by non-native speakers is the use of which versus who.
Which versus who
Which and who may be similar when it comes to meaning, but there is a very important difference in usage.
Who
Who is used for people, either male or female:
- They are that people who want to buy our company.
- The new director, who started on Monday, is doing great.
Which
Which is used to describe things, objects and other living beings such as animals and plants:
- I bought a new car which was made in Germany.
- That dog, which is a labrador, is mine.
Example
- Wrong: *A person which is coming to my office.
Right: A person who is coming to my office. - Wrong: *My sisters which are living in Germany.
Right: My sisters who are living in Germany.
More tips on English grammar and common mistakes in English? These articles might also interest you:
- English grammar: If versus when
- English grammar: Fewer versus less
- English grammar: For versus since
- English grammar: Much versus many
- English grammar: Good, well or right
- English grammar: To lay versus to lie
- English grammar: Present or Present Perfect
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