Grammar choices
Who vs. Whom
Who is a subject, the person doing the action, as in who called? Whom is an object, the person receiving the action or following a preposition, as in to whom should I write? Casual speech often uses who for both.
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| who | pronoun | used as the subject of a verb, for the person doing something |
| whom | pronoun | used as the object of a verb or preposition, for the person receiving an action |
Who
pronoun: used as the subject of a verb, for the person doing something
- Who left the lights on in the garage?
- The girl who won the race lives next door.
Whom
pronoun: used as the object of a verb or preposition, for the person receiving an action
- To whom should I address the letter?
- The doctor whom we saw last week has retired.
How to remember the difference
Answer the question with he or him. If him fits, use whom: both end in M. Who called? He called. Whom did you call? I called him.
Good to know
Whom is fading from everyday speech, and who in object position (who did you call?) is widely accepted in informal English. In formal writing, and right after a preposition, use whom. Watch sentences like the woman who I think will win: who is the subject of will win, so it stays who.
Spot the mistake
WhomWho is going to pick up the kids today?Correct: Who is going to pick up the kids today?
To
whowhom should we send the invitation?Correct: To whom should we send the invitation?
Check yourself
Pick the word that fits each sentence.
1. Do you know left this umbrella by the door?
Answer: who. The word is the subject of left (he left it), so use who.
2. The coach, with I trained for years, is retiring.
Answer: whom. It follows the preposition with and is an object (with him), so use whom.
Strunk wrote about this in 1918: his note on whom in The Elements of Style.