relative clauses (that vs. who)

[Lenka]

Jane's the best tennis player ____ has been selected from that club.

a) whose
b) which
c) that
d) who

The right answer is supposed to be c) that. However, I don't understand why "who" isn't used instead! Why?

[Casiopea]

Jane's the best tennis player ____ has been selected from that club.

a) whose
b) which
c) that
d) who

The right answer is supposed to be c) that. However, I don't understand why "who" isn't used instead! Why?

The best is a superlative.

[Lenka]

The best is a superlative.

What does it imply?

Can't "who" be used with a superlative?

[Tdol]

Normally, no.

[Casiopea]

What does it imply?

The best person is a title, a thing, so it's compatible with that, not who.


Does that help?

[engee30]

The best person is a title, a thing, so it's compatible with that, not who.


Does that help?

Then, what about Answer b) which? Would it be all right to choose it instead?

[Casiopea]

Then, what about Answer b) which? Would it be all right to choose it instead?

Good question. Take another look at this structure, Jane's the best tennis player. It's copular ('s = is). The subject complement here, a title, the best tennis palyer, refers to a person, Jane. So, the best pronoun for that referential pair would be that, not which, because that can refer to people and things, whereas which cannot.

Does that help?

[engee30]

...So, the best pronoun for that referential pair would be that, not which, because that can refer to people and things, whereas which cannot.

Does that help?

That was a very smart explanation!

[Casiopea]

Well ... thank you.

[Lenka]

Hmmm... Maybe I shouldn't try to understand it, but simply learn it...

"A tennis player" (or the best one) is a person, not a thing, so I don't understand why "who" couldn't be used here, anyway, there are things that can't be understood (when learning a language)... For me, this is probably one of them.