Who or Whom? It’s Not As Hard As You Think

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Who or whom? It’s not as hard as you think. Who and who are both pronouns that we use to refer to people, but there is a big difference between the two. Who is used when we are referring to the subject of a sentence, whereas whom is used when we are referring to the object of a sentence.

For example, take the sentence “I saw the man who stole my bike.” In this sentence, “I” is the subject, “saw” is the verb, and “the man who stole my bike” is the object. Therefore, we use “who” because it is referring to the subject (the man). Now let’s look at another sentence: “Whom did you see?”

In this sentence, “you” is the subject, “saw” is the verb, and “whom” is the object. Therefore, we use “whom” because it is referring to the object (you). Who or whom? It’s not as hard as you think!

Who or Whom? It's Not As Hard As You Think

When to Use Who and When to Use Whom

It can be a bit tricky, but there is a simple trick that you can use to help you remember. Just ask yourself if you can replace the word with “he” or “him.” If you can, then you should use “who.” For example, in the sentence “I saw the man who stole my bike,” you could say “I saw him,” so we use “who.” On the other hand, in the sentence “Whom did you see?” you cannot say “I saw him,” so we use “whom.”

How to Determine Which Word to Use

Now that you know the difference between who and whom, you might be wondering how to determine which word to use. Generally speaking, if you can replace the word with “he” or “him,” then you should use “who.” If you can replace the word with “himself” or “herself,” then you should use “whom.”

Who or whom? Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, so it’s important to pay attention to how the word is being used in a sentence. For example, take the sentence “To whom did you give the book?” In this sentence, we cannot replace “whom” with “he” or “him,” but we can replace it with “himself.” Therefore, we use “whom.”

When in doubt…

It’s always best to err on the side of caution and use “whom.” After all, using “whom” is not going to make you sound foolish (unlike using “who” when you should be using “whom”). So when in doubt, go with “whom”!

Examples of How to Use Who and Whom Correctly

Here are a few examples of how to use who and whom correctly in a sentence:

  • Who is your best friend? ( subject )
  • To whom did you give the book? ( object )
  • I saw the man who stole my bike. ( subject )
  • The woman whom I spoke to was very nice. ( object )
  • Do you know the girl who lives next door? ( subject )
  • He is the boy whom I spoke to yesterday. ( object )

As you can see, it’s not as hard as you think to use who and whom correctly! Just remember that “who” is used when referring to the subject of a sentence and “whom” is used when referring to the object of a sentence. And if you’re ever in doubt, just use “whom”!

Conclusion

Who or whom? It’s not as hard as you think! Just remember that “who” is used when referring to the subject of a sentence and “whom” is used when referring to the object of a sentence. And if you’re ever in doubt, just use “whom”! With a little practice, using who and whom correctly will become second nature. So go out there and show the world that you know your stuff!

FAQs

Who or whom?

It’s not as hard as you think. Just use “who” when the subject is doing the verb, and use “whom” when the object is doing the verb. For example:

  • Who/Whom wrote the book? He did. (Subject)
  • Who/Whom did you give the book to? I gave it to her. (Object)

Who or whom should I use in a sentence like “To who or whom shall I address this letter”?

In this sentence, “whom” is correct. Remember, you use “who” when the subject is doing the verb, and “whom” when the object is doing the verb. In this sentence, “to whom” is the object of the verb “shall address.”

I still don’t get it. Can you give me another example?

Sure. Compare these two sentences:

  • Who/Whom did you see at the party? I saw him. (Subject)
  • Who/Whom did you tell about the party? I told her. (Object)

In the first sentence, “who” is correct because the subject (“you”) is doing the verb (“saw”). In the second sentence, “whom” is correct because the object (“her”) is doing the verb (“told”).

What about a sentence like “I gave the book to he or him”?

In this sentence, “him” is correct. Remember, you use “he” when the subject is doing the verb, and “him” when the object is doing the verb. In this sentence, “to him” is the object of the verb “gave.”

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