Who or That †That Is The Question

Who or That – That Is The Question Who or That – That Is The Question Who or That – That Is The Question By Guest Author This is a guest post by Charles Ray. If you want to write for Daily Writing Tips check the guidelines here. Some might think me an old fashioned, stuffy person when it comes to grammar. I realize that language, whether written or spoken, is a living thing, and that it changes with time; but, there are some modern conventions that I have problems with. Some things that young people say and write these days grate on my ear, and I resist them with all my might. One of the conventions that really gets my dander up is the use of ‘that’ in sentences when logic, and my ear, tells me that ‘who’ would be more appropriate. Here, for instance, is a sentence I encountered recently in a paper written by a college graduate: â€Å"The judge that decided the case came from the lower court.† Now, I assume the judge in this sentence is human, and when I struggled with English grammar many decades ago, this sentence would have earned red marks all over the page – and quite likely a failing grade. I would have been told in no uncertain terms that the correct formulation is, â€Å"The judge who. . .† I have been chided by many of my colleagues for my fussiness over this particular issue; and it is just one of many modern grammatical conventions that send me into orbit when I encounter them. They’ve pointed out that this is not ‘incorrect,’ and besides, it has become accepted usage among a large number of writers. Well, not this writer. Correct, it might be, and I’m not entirely convinced of that, but it just doesn’t sound right. It grates on my ear when I hear or read it. Just because a lot of people do something doesn’t make it the right and proper thing to do. In my dictionary, one of the definitions of ‘that’ is, â€Å"Adj. Being the one singled out or understood.† ‘Who,’ on the other hand, is defined as â€Å"What or which persons used as a relative pronoun to introduce a clause when the antecedent is a human, or is understood to be a human.† From these definitions, I will grant there is some merit to the argument that using ‘that’ instead of ‘who’ is not incorrect, per se. But, when we write, the purpose is to communicate, and when a ‘correct’ convention gets in the way of communication, it is ‘wrong.’ The language and its grammar are constantly changing, but this is no reason for us to blithely accept each change. We should in fact firmly resist any change until it is proven to be not merely correct, but right. I have not been convinced that substituting ‘that’ for ‘who’ is right, and until I am, I will continue to be the grammar cop who stands in the middle of the street with hands out saying, â€Å"Stop!† And, that is all I have to say about ‘that.’ Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Classes and Types of PhrasesBest Websites to Learn English30 Nautical Expressions

The Persian Immortals

The Persian Immortals The Achaemenid Empire of Persia (550 - 330 BCE) had an elite corps of heavy infantry that was so effective, it helped them to conquer much of the known world.  These troops also served as the imperial guard.  We have beautiful depictions of them from the walls of the Achaemenid capital city of Susa, Iran, but unfortunately, our historical documentation about them comes from the Persians enemies not really an unbiased source.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹ Herodotus, Chronicler of the Persian Immortals Chief among the chroniclers of the Persian Immortals is the Greek historian Herodotus (c. 484 - 425).  He is the source of their name, in fact, and it may be a mistranslation.  Many scholars believe that the actual Persian name for this imperial guard was anusiya, meaning companions, rather than anausa, or non-dying.   Herodotus also informs us that the Immortals were maintained at a troop strength of exactly 10,000 at all times.  If an infantryman was killed, sick, or wounded, a reservist would immediately be called up to take his place.  This gave the illusion that they were truly immortal, and could not be injured or slain.  We do not have any independent confirmation that Herodotuss information on this is accurate; nevertheless, the elite corps is often referred to as the Ten Thousand Immortals to this day. The Immortals were armed with short stabbing spears, bows and arrows, and swords.  They wore fish scale armor covered by robes, and a headdress often called a tiara that reportedly could be used to shield the face from wind-driven sand or dust.  Their shields were woven out of wicker.  Achaemenid artwork shows the Immortals decked out in gold jewelry and hoop earrings, and Herodotus asserts that they wore their bling into battle.   The Immortals came from elite, aristocratic families.  The top 1,000 had gold pomegranates on the ends of their spears, designating them as officers and as the kings personal bodyguard.  The remaining 9,000 had silver pomegranates.  As the best of the best in the Persian army, the Immortals received certain perks.  While on the campaign, they had a supply train of mule-drawn carts and camels that brought along special foods reserved only for them.  The mule train also brought along their concubines and servants to tend to them.   Like most things in the Achaemenid Empire, the Immortals were equal opportunity at least for elites from other ethnic groups.  Although the majority of the members were Persian, the corps also included aristocratic men from the previously-conquered Elamite and Median Empires.   The Immortals at War Cyrus the Great, who founded the Achaemenid Empire, seems to have originated the idea of having an elite corps of imperial guards.  He used them as heavy infantry in his campaigns to conquer the Medes, the Lydians, and even the Babylonians.  With his last victory over the new Babylonian Empire, at the Battle of Opis in 539 BCE, Cyrus was able to name himself king of the four corners of the world thanks in part to the efforts of his Immortals. In 525 BCE, Cyruss son Cambyses II defeated the Egyptian Pharaoh Psamtik IIIs army at the Battle of Pelusium, extending Persian control across Egypt.  Again, the Immortals likely served as the shock troops; they were so feared after their campaign against Babylon that the Phoenicians, the Cypriots, and the Arabs of Judea and the Sinai Peninsula all decided to ally themselves with Persians rather than fighting them.  This left the door to Egypt wide open, in a manner of speaking, and Cambyses took full advantage of it. The third Achaemenid emperor, Darius the Great, likewise deployed the Immortals in his conquests of Sindh and parts of the Punjab (now in Pakistan).  This expansion gave the Persians access to the rich trading routes through India, as well as the gold and other wealth of that land.  At that time, the Iranian and Indian languages were probably still similar enough to be mutually intelligible, and the Persians took advantage of this to employ Indian troops in their fights against the Greeks.  Darius also fought the fierce, nomadic Scythian people, whom he defeated in 513 BCE.  He would likely have kept a guard of Immortals for his own protection, but cavalry would have been much more effective than heavy infantry against a highly mobile foe like the Scythians. It is most difficult to evaluate our Greek sources when they recount battles between the Immortals and Greek armies.  The ancient historians make no attempt to be unbiased in their descriptions.  According to the Greeks, the Immortals and the other Persian soldiers were vain, effeminate, and not very effective compared with their Greek counterparts.  If that is the case, however, it is difficult to see how the Persians defeated the Greeks in numerous battles and held on to so much land adjacent to Greek territory. It is a shame that we do not have Persian sources to balance the Greek point of view. In any case, the story of the Persian Immortals may have been distorted over time, but it is obvious even at this distance in time and space that they were a fighting force to be reckoned with.