▁Modern ▁English ▁Us age ▁of ▁ 1 9 2 6 , ▁H .   W . ▁F ow ler ▁der ided ▁those ▁who ▁pres cribed ▁against ▁the ▁in animate ▁whose , ▁writing : ▁" in ▁the ▁st arch ▁that ▁st iff ens ▁English ▁style ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁effective ▁ing red ients ▁is ▁the ▁rule ▁that ▁whose ▁shall ▁refer ▁only ▁to ▁persons "; ▁he ▁assert ed ▁that ▁the ▁alternative ▁adds ▁flex ibility ▁to ▁style ▁and ▁proc laimed : ▁" Let ▁us , ▁in ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁common ▁sense , ▁prohib it ▁the ▁prohib ition ▁of ▁in animate ▁whose ". ▁ ▁The ▁re vised ▁versions ▁of ▁that ▁style ▁guide ▁by ▁Robert ▁B urch field ▁( 1 9 9 6 ) ▁and ▁Jer emy ▁But ter field ▁( 2 0 1 5 ) ▁called ▁the ▁avoid ance ▁of ▁the ▁in animate ▁whose ▁a ▁" folk - bel ief ". ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁P lain ▁W ords ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁Ernest ▁G ow ers ▁calls ▁the ▁" gram m ari ans ' ▁rule " ▁that ▁whose ▁" must ▁not ▁be ▁used ▁of ▁in animate ▁objects   ... ▁a ▁cr amp ing ▁one , ▁product ive ▁of ▁ugly ▁sentences ▁and ▁a ▁tempt ation ▁to ▁mis pla ced ▁comm as ". ▁ ▁He ▁states ▁that ▁" sens ible ▁writers ▁have ▁always ▁ignored ▁the ▁rule , ▁and ▁sensible ▁gr amm ari ans ▁have ▁now ▁abandoned ▁it ". ▁ ▁A ▁survey ▁conducted ▁by ▁Ster ling ▁A . ▁Leonard ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁found ▁that