Who and Whom

Who and whom are pronouns that are used either to ask questions or to introduce clauses.

To use who and whom correctly in a sentence, you must understand how the word functions in the question.

Who and whom in questions

Who is the nominative form. It is used as the subject of the verb or as a predicate nominative.

Whom is the objective form of the pronoun. It is used as the direct object or as the object of a preposition

Who wrote the novel? (Who is the subject)

Whom will you choose? (whom is the direct object.

With whom did you dance? (whom is the object of the preposition)

Examples

As explained in the clause unit, who, whose, and whom are often used to introduce dependent clauses.

As a part of a clause, any of these pronouns has two jobs:

1. it introduces the clause 2. it has a role within the clause

Who and whom is clauses

A pronoun in the nominative form (who, whoever) can act as the subject or the predicate pronoun of the clause.

Example – Galileo is the scientist who invented the thermometer.

The coach decided who would play goalie.

A pronoun in the objective form (whom, whomever) can act as a direct object or object of preposition.

Example – Pearl Buck is an author whom I admire.(whom is the direct object of the verb admire)

Venus was a Roman goddess for whom a planet was named. (whom is the object of preposition)

1. (Who, Whom) plays the leading role in the play?

2. (Who, Whom) will the director choose? 3. (Who, Whom) knows how to figure skate? 4. The student (who, whom) found my

watch turned it in at the office. 5. The President (who, whom) initiated the

New Deal was Roosevelt.

Practice