He is the only girl who/ that won first prize.

[wotcha]

1) She is the only girl that won first prize.

2) She is the only girl who won first prize.


I've learned (and taught) that only the 1) sentence is correct because
the antecedent has a modifier - the only.

But I've just read a post about this rule on the web and it said
sentence 2) is acceptable and grammatically correct in American English.

Is it true?

If it is

Can 'Anyone who comes first shall be given the ticket' and
'Anyone that comes first shall be given the ticket' be used interchangeably?

Thx. ㅠ.ㅠ


P.S. Then... how about in British English? Do you say 'He is the only girl that won first prize' in England?

[shannico]

Could it be
He is the only boy who/that won first prize.
or
She is the only girl who/that................

[bhaisahab]

1) She is the only girl that won first prize.

2) She is the only girl who won first prize.
Both of the above are correct in BrE.

[Barb_D]

If it's first prize, isn't there only one winner, period?

She's the only girl who won, but there are five boys who won? Not if there is only one first prize. So this entire sentence is confusing to me!

[wotcha]

Could it be
He is the only boy who/that won first prize.
or
She is the only girl who/that................

Thank you ^^;;. I corrected.

[wotcha]

If it's first prize, isn't there only one winner, period?

She's the only girl who won, but there are five boys who won? Not if there is only one first prize. So this entire sentence is confusing to me!

Argh.....ㅠㅠ....I'm confused too. ㅠㅠ

'She is the only person who won first prize' sounds better (?)

ㅠㅠ

[emsr2d2]

If there's an annual competition and it has only been won by a female once then you might say "She is the only girl who has ever won first prize [in that competition]."

[Barb_D]

Argh.....ㅠㅠ....I'm confused too. ㅠㅠ

'She is the only person who won first prize' sounds better (?)

ㅠㅠ

In a contest, don't you have ONE winner first-prize winner, ONE second-prize winner, ONE third-prize winner, etc?

I completely see how it could work as ems says: every year, we have a contest. It was one by a boy in 2001, a boy in 2002, a boy in 2003, a boy in 2004, etc. The only time a girl won was in 2008. She is the only girl who has ever won first prize.

[wotcha]

Attachment 1236Attachment 1236

In a contest, don't you have ONE winner first-prize winner, ONE second-prize winner, ONE third-prize winner, etc?

I completely see how it could work as ems says: every year, we have a contest. It was one by a boy in 2001, a boy in 2002, a boy in 2003, a boy in 2004, etc. The only time a girl won was in 2008. She is the only girl who has ever won first prize.

I feel I'm very stupid tonight. ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

[Barb_D]

No need to feel stupid! You do much better in English than I do in any other language. I just want to help you and I can't because I'm not following you!