Is "people that. . . " correct?

[Marijn]

Is "people that. . ." ok now? I think it should always be "people who. . . " But I've seen "people that. . . " written so often now, in books, magazines, everywhere. Maybe it's acceptable now or possibly something loads of people get wrong. Perhaps the word "definately" will replace "definitely", as it's used more often than the correct spelling.

[Quizmonkey]

I agree: I do a lot of proofreading and am always correcting 'that' to 'who'.

[Quizmonster]

Gowers' Complete Plain Words gives an example: "There are still some people that try to insist..." with the comment that it (quote) "would not be wrong, but who is more natural."
Fowler's modern English Usage says much the same but adds, "Either who or that may be used when the antecedent...is human but representative of a class." I'd say 'people' is a class-word.

I doubt whether I would ever write 'people that', but it seems it cannot truly be said to be incorrect.

[fredpuli47]

Well, I'd always write "People who think I'm a pedant are wrong" because there I'm thinking of people as individuals, as humans, who happen to be several in number. "People that think..." is patently wrong because things don't think, unless they are computers that 'think'.

However, I might well write "people that" when they are not being considered primarily as sentient humans whose humanity, emotions or thoughts are the subject. of my thinking e.g. coldly, as the subject of some article in economics where they are no more than a sector or group 'that' is subject to analysis.

That said, 'people that' has history. The hymn "All people that on Earth do dwell" was written in 1571 and has been in English hymnals ever since ! .

[jno]

yes, it seems wrong because it makes people sound like things. But it is quite common. I tripped over it in a Graham Greene book once.

[Marijn]

So, are you saying that it's definitely not wrong, but it just sounds a bit discourteous? Thank you all for your answers.

[coccinelle]

Well, as an English person who teaches English as a second language People that is correct.
I was taught that we use who for people and which for things and that can replace them both!!

[Marijn]

Thank you. When I switched on the computer yesterday morning there was a photo of Harry Potter and other celebrities. The caption underneath said "Stars that should run for government". This is what prompted my question.
When I switched my computer on in the evening the same photo was there but the caption had been changed from "that" to "who". It was a coinicidence as I had been wondering if it was wrong or right.

[heathfield]

Then there's ''..., that's who...''

[Marijn]

And