When to Use "Who" vs. "Whom"
Understanding when to use who versus whom depends on their grammatical roles in a sentence.
1. Who — Subject of a verb
- Use who when referring to the subject of a clause or sentence.
- The subject is the person or thing doing the action.
Examples:
-
Who is coming to the party?
(Who = subject doing the action "is coming") -
Do you know who called me?
(Who = subject of "called")
2. Whom — Object of a verb or preposition
- Use whom when referring to the object of a verb or preposition.
- The object is the person or thing receiving the action or linked by a preposition.
Examples:
-
Whom did you invite?
(Whom = object of the verb "invite") -
To whom should I address the letter?
(Whom = object of the preposition "to")
Quick Tip to Decide
Try replacing who/whom with he/him or she/her in the sentence:
- If he/she fits, use who (subject).
- If him/her fits, use whom (object).
Example:
-
Who/Whom did you see?
→ You saw him → Use whom : Whom did you see? -
Who/Whom is calling?
→ He is calling → Use who : Who is calling?
Summary Table
Role| Use| Example
---|---|---
Subject| Who| Who wrote this book?
Object| Whom| Whom did you meet yesterday?
Object of prep.| Whom| With whom are you going?
If you want, I can also provide exercises or more examples to practice!
