Grammar with styleGrammar
e-book


  • Free with the online grammar program.
  • Or buy the book for A$19.95.

grammar e-bookStyle guide
e-book


  • A useful guide for modern business writing styles
  • Or buy the book for A$24.95

Student Login

e-newsletter sign-up


Subscribe and receive two e-newsletters a month: Grammar Factor and Factorial. Read sample issue.
Your email address:

who and whom

Who and whom are pronouns we use to refer to people.

You need to understand about subjects and objects to distinguish between who and whom. The subject performs the action of the verb and the object is the receiver. For example:

I like grammar. (I = subject, like = verb, grammar = object)

      She misses him. (She = subject, misses = verb, him = object)

who

Use who when the person you mentioned previously in the sentence is the subject.

The man who won the prize didn’t come. ( man = subject.)

You can use either who or which to refer to collectives, such as group, team.

It was the group who decided
.
It was the group which decided.

whom

Use whom to refer to the person previously mentioned in a sentence when they are the object, not the subject. 

The man whom I invited couldn’t come. (The man = object, I = subject)

Whom is a relative pronoun when it refers to a noun preceding it. If you use whom in a question, it becomes an interrogative pronoun.

Whom does he most admire? (Whom is still the object.)

I think this usage may be declining. I think it is okay to say:

Who does he admire most?

More grammar tips, grammar e-book and e-newsletter

If you found this tip useful, you might like to read more grammar tips, buy the grammar e-book and sign up for the e-newsletter.

Other grammar tips include:
me, myself, I am
prepositions - in and at
dangling modifiers
subjunctive - recommend that

home | online grammar program | in-house grammar courses | grammar presentations | grammar tips |writing styles guide | grammar ebook | about online grammar| contact | blog


©2008 Online Grammar, all righss reserved