Understanding the distinction between “who” and “whom” can be difficult, but it is a necessary skill for anyone seeking to improve their English grammar. We’ll explain the differences between the two pronouns and show you when to use each one properly in this guide. To help you avoid common mistakes, we’ll also provide instances of both correct and incorrect usage. Understanding “who” verses “whom” will help you communicate more effectively and confidently, whether you’re writing an essay or merely having a conversation with friends. So let’s get started and learn this essential grammatical concept together.
“Who” is used as a subject pronoun when referring to the person or thing doing the action in a sentence. For instance:
“Who is knocking on the door?” Here, “who” is the subject of the verb “is banging.” It’s asking about the person doing the action of knocking on the door.
“Who ate the last piece of pie?” Here, “who” is again the subject of the sentence, referring to the person who did the action of eating the last piece of pie.
“Whom,” on the other hand, is used as an object pronoun and used when referring to the person or thing receiving the action in a sentence. For example:
“Whom are you inviting to the group?” In this sentence, “whom” is the object of the verb “inviting.” It’s asking about the person receiving the action of being invited.
“To whom should I address this note?” Here, “whom” is the object of the preposition “to.” and refers to the person receiving the note.
Here’s another way to think about it: If you can replace “who” with “he” or “she,” use “who.” If you can replace “whom” with “him” or “her,” use “whom.”
For example:
“Who is coming to the party?” can be replaced with “He is coming to the party,” so “who” is correct.
“Whom did you give the textbook to?” can be substituted with “You gave the textbook to him,” so “whom” is correct.
However, it’s worth noting that “whom” is becoming less common in modern English and can often sound overly formal. Using “who” instead of “whom” is usually acceptable in everyday conversation in many cases.
Correct usage:
“Who is your favourite writer?” (“Who” is the subject of the verb “is.”)
“Whom did you ask for guidance?” (“Whom” is the object of the verb “ask.”)
“To whom it may concern,…” (“Whom” is the object of the preposition “to.”)
Incorrect usage:
“Whom is going to the store?” (It should be “Who is going to the store?” because “who” is the subject of the verb “is going.”)
“Who did you give the gift to?” (It should be “Whom did you give the gift to?” because “whom” is the object of the verb “give.”)
“To who it may concern,…” (Should be “To whom it may concern,…” because “whom” is the object of the preposition “to.”)
Remember, if you’re unsure which to use, you can always try rephrasing the sentence to see if it makes more sense to you or not. For example, swap the words’ order to see which sounds correct. Also, as said earlier, it’s becoming more acceptable to use “who” in place of “whom” in everyday conversation, so don’t worry too much about using it “incorrectly” as long as your meaning is clear.
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