Who/ Whom usage

Who/ Whom usage often confuses writers.

So here is an easy method.

Use he/him method to decide whether who or whom is correct. Check what (he or him) comes as the answer to the question.

If he comes as answer, then use who.

If him comes as answer then use whom.

Examples:

·         Who/Whom doodled here?

He doodled here. Therefore, we should use ‘who’.

Correct usage: Who doodled here?

·         Who/Whom should I invite?

I should invite him. Therefore, we should use ‘whom’.

Correct usage: Whom should I invite?

·         We all know who/whom killed that dog.

This sentence contains two clauses: we all know and who/whom killed that dog. Who/ whom confusion comes in the second clause, so we need to answer that particular clause. He killed that dog. Therefore, we should use who.

Correct usage: We all know who killed that dog.

·         We understood who/whom the movie was about.

This sentence contains two clauses: we understood and who/whom the movie was about. Now we consider second clause because it contains who/whom. The movie was about him. Therefore, we should use whom.

The traditional rules are:

·         Use who as the subject of the verb.

Example: I know a person who lives in Park Street.

·         Use whom as the object of the verb.

Example: The actor whom we adore.

·         Use whom after prepositions.

To whom have you spoken?

Nowadays ‘who’ is replacing ‘whom’ in speech and less formal writing. Many avoid using whom altogether.

  This post is a part of the APRIL A-Z Challenge