Mekita Rivas, SNR communications associate, publishes a biweekly feature called "Grammar Guru."
Every other week, the Grammar Guru will share writing tips to help make your work as polished as possible. Some of these tips may address common spelling errors, while others will examine the many nuances of the English language.
Grammar Guru Tip #21
Use "who" when talking about a person and "that" when talking about an object.
Example:
NOT: Doug is the guy that fixes computers.
BUT: Doug is the guy who fixes computers.
NOT: The desk whose top is cluttered with envelopes.
BUT: The desk's top that is cluttered with envelopes.
Pro tip: There are gray areas and exceptions to this rule. When referring to something animate that isn't human, like an animal, the wordage could go either way and be acceptable.
Need some grammar guidance? The UNL Style Guide (http://unlcms.unl.edu/ucomm/styleguide/) is a great resource for all university employees. If you have writing questions that the style guide doesn't answer, feel free to email the Grammar Guru at mrivas@unl.edu.