Who vs Which vs That: Person, Thing, or Identifying Detail
In TOEIC Part 5, who, which, and that can connect a person or thing to important identifying information.
A useful question is: does the blank point back to a person, a thing, or a detail that identifies exactly which one?
The quick choice
Check the word immediately before the blank. Then check whether commas separate the added information.
Who
Points back to a person or people: the manager who called, employees who travel.
Which
Points back to a thing, system, report, product, or company. It is especially common after a comma.
That
Often introduces the detail needed to identify exactly which person or thing the sentence means.
The signal to remember
This is the MTC move. Look left for the person or thing, then check the commas.
The blank points back to a person. Choose who.
The blank points back to a thing, and commas mark added information. Choose which.
The detail identifies exactly which equipment must be returned. Choose that.
What to notice
This decision can appear inside company announcements, staff profiles, product descriptions, policies, and project updates.
A person follows the description.
A thing is followed by extra information separated by commas.
The detail identifies the exact thing or group.
Use the comma signal
Commas can be a useful signal in this topic.
With commas
The information is added after the person or thing is already clear. Use who for people and which for things.
Without commas
The information often identifies exactly which person or thing is meant. Who is common for people; that is common for things and groups.
The name already identifies the person; the middle detail is additional.
The platform is already identified; the launch detail is additional.
The detail identifies the exact information included.
Under pressure, ask two questions: person or thing, and are there commas?
Quick TOEIC check
Choose first. Then read the feedback. Use the quick check: person, thing, or identifying detail?
1. The technician ___ inspected the equipment will submit a written report.
2. The renovated lobby, ___ now includes a visitor lounge, reopened Monday.
3. Everything ___ was discussed during the meeting will remain confidential.
4. The mobile application, ___ was updated last week, now supports digital receipts.
The mistake to avoid
Do not focus only on whether the word before the blank is a person or thing and miss the comma signal.
Weak choice
Choose from memory without checking punctuation or whether the detail identifies the exact person or thing.
Better choice
Look left for person or thing, then scan for commas.
Keep the sentence structure clear
More than one form can be possible in ordinary English, so use punctuation and clear word patterns to identify the intended relationship.
Do not rely on a single memorised rule. Use the person-or-thing signal together with the commas.
Continue building fast sentence decisions
These pages also train the test-taker to use visible sentence patterns instead of translating every word.
Use review to choose the next practice
If a question feels clear during review but was difficult during practice, compare the person-or-thing signal, punctuation, and the choice you made.
The Learning Block Diagnostic reviews six MTC study patterns: Speed Trap, Memoriser, Over Thinker, Translator, Passive Listener, and Burnout.
Continue reading
Use these pages for more grammar and review practice.