What is the difference between "who" and "whom"?
What is the difference between "who" and "whom"?
"Who" and "whom" are both pronouns that are used to refer to people, but they are used in different ways.
"Who" is a subjective pronoun, which means that it is used as the subject of a verb.
For example:
"Who is knocking at the door?"
"Who wrote this letter?"
"Whom," on the other hand, is an objective pronoun, which means that it is used as the object of a verb or preposition.
For example:
"To whom should I address this letter?"
"Whom did you see at the party?"
One way to determine whether to use "who" or "whom" is to consider whether the pronoun is the subject or the object of the verb in the sentence.
If the pronoun is the subject, you should use "who."
If it is the object, you should use "whom."
Another way to decide between "who" and "whom" is to try substituting "he / she" or "him / her."
If "he / she" makes sense, you should use "who." If "him / her" makes sense, you should use "whom."
For example:
"Who is knocking at the door?" (He / She is knocking at the door.)
"To whom should I address this letter?" (I should address this letter to him / her.)
VERY IMPORTANT POINT: It is worth noting that the use of "whom" is becoming less common in spoken English, and it is often replaced with "who." In written English, however, it is still considered correct to use "whom" in formal situations, such as a business email, but you can use "who" in informal writing. As a native English speaker, I can tell you that I almost never use "whom" in any situation.
Who and whom are both pronouns used to refer to people. The main difference between the two is that who is used as the subject of a clause or sentence, while whom is used as the object of a verb or preposition.
Here is a brief answer:
"Who" is a pronoun used to refer to the subject of a clause.
"Whom" is a pronoun used to refer to the object of a verb or preposition.
Here is a detailed answer:
"Who" is a pronoun that is used to refer to the subject of a clause. It is used to ask questions about the identity of the subject of a clause, such as "Who is coming to the party?" or "Who wrote this letter?" "Who" can also be used as the subject of a clause, such as in the sentence "Who is going to the store?"
"Whom" is a pronoun that is used to refer to the object of a verb or preposition. It is used to ask questions about the object of a verb or preposition, such as "Whom did you see at the park?" or "To whom did you give the book?" "Whom" can also be used as the object of a verb or preposition, such as in the sentence "I gave the book to whom?"
Here are usage examples to help you better understand this expression:
Who is coming to the party? (subject of the verb "is coming")
To whom did you give the book? (object of the preposition "to")
Whom did you see at the park? (object of the verb "did see")
I gave the book to whom? (object of the preposition "to")
Here are a few multiple choice questions to help you practice using these pronouns:
Who/Whom is coming to the party?
Who (subject of the verb "is coming")
To who/whom did you give the book?
Whom (object of the preposition "to")
Who/Whom did you see at the park?
Whom (object of the verb "did see")
I gave the book to who/whom?
Whom (object of the preposition "to")
Conclusion:
In summary, the main difference between "who" and "whom" is their function in a sentence. "Who" is used as the subject of a verb, while "whom" is used as the object of a verb or preposition. It is important to use these pronouns correctly in order to maintain proper grammatical structure in your writing.
What is the difference between who and whom?
"Who" refers the subject of a sentence, while "Whom' refers to the object of a sentence! Example sentances can be "Who would like to go to the movies?" and "I don't know with whom I will go to the movies"
Who and whom are pronouns. ... You use who when you are asking about someone's identity.
Use who when the word is performing the action. Use whom when it is receiving the action.
That's the girl who scored the goal.
“Whom do you like best?”
What is the difference between who and whom?
Who asks about a person directly. Who asks about a person indirectly.
While both whom and who can be used to mean the same thing, the term is primarily used to refer to a person and is used as a question to ask about that person. And whom can be used to ask about a person indirectly.
Who is Jane?
Whom is Jane married to?
Who is going to the wedding?
Whom is she going to meet?
Who is asking about someone directly. Whom is asking about someone indirectly.
Who vs. Whom
"Who", like other pronouns such as: I he, and she, is a subject. So, it is the person performing the action of the verb.
"Whom", acts like me, him, and her in a sentence. It is the object. Therefore, it is the person to/about/for whom the action is being done.
Maria is the one who wants to go. (He/she wants to go. Not “him/her” wants to go)
I need to know who makes the final round. (He/she makes the final round. Not “him/her” makes the final round).
With whom am I speaking? (I am speaking with him/her. Not I am speaking with he/she)
To whom this may concern. (This concerns him/her. Not this concerns he/she)
How to use who and whom correctly?
Just remember that if you can replace a word with “he” or “she” then you should use "who". However, if you can replace it with “him” or “her,” use "whom".
What to Know
Who performs the action of a verb (e.g. “Who sent us this gift?“), while whom receives the action (“We got this gift from whom?“). In grammar terms, that makes who a subject, and whom an object. When following a preposition, whom is the preferred choice (“To whom should we address our thank you note?“).
What You Really Need to Know About 'Who' and 'Whom'
Trust your instincts. The choice between who and whom can sometimes be confusing, and this has always been the case. But English is extremely flexible, and actual usage doesn’t always follow the strict rules of grammar. Our ears are our guides, and there are many constructions (like "Whom did you speak to?" vs. "Who did you speak to?") in which whom may be technically correct but still feel fussy or unnatural. In these cases, it is perfectly standard to use who.