Who vs Whom – What’s the Difference

Key Takeaways

• Who is used as a subject in sentences, whereas Whom is used as an object.
• Understanding the case helps in making sentences grammatically correct and clear.
• The choice between Who and Whom depends on whether the pronoun is a subject or an object.
• In questions, Who seeks the subject position, while Whom seeks the object position.
• Knowing the difference improves formal writing and avoids common grammatical mistakes.

What is Who?

Who is a pronoun that replaces a person or people when they are performing an action in a sentence. It acts as the subject of a sentence or clause.

Subject of a sentence

When a person is doing something, Who is used to introduce that person. It answers the question, “Who is doing this?”

Used in questions

In interrogative sentences, Who asks about the subject. It begins questions seeking to identify the person involved,

Relative pronoun role

Who can connect clauses as a relative pronoun, referring back to a person or people. It introduces relative clauses providing additional info.

Examples in everyday sentences

For example, “Who is at the door?” shows Who as the subject. Another example, “The woman who called is my neighbor,” uses Who in a relative clause,

What is Whom?

Whom is a pronoun used to refer to a person who is receiving an action in a sentence. Although incomplete. It functions as the object of a verb or preposition.

Object of a verb

When someone is receiving an action, Whom is used to identify that person. It answers the question, “Whom did you see?”

Object of a preposition

Whom is used after prepositions like to, for, with, or by,joinIt indicates the person that the preposition is related to.

In questions

Questions starting with Whom inquire about the person affected by an action. For example, “To whom should I address the letter?”

Relative pronoun in sentences

Whom introduces relative clauses that describe the object. For example, “The man whom I met yesterday is a chef.”

Comparison Table

Below is a comparison of Who and Whom across different language aspects:

Aspect	Who	Whom
Case usage	Subject position	Object position
Question form	Who is coming?	Whom did you see?
Prepositional phrase	Used before prepositions in object form	Object of prepositions like to, for, with
Relative clause role	Refers to the subject in a clause	Refers to the object in a clause
Common mistake	Confusing with Whom in object position	Using Who when Whom should be used
Formality level	Less formal, informal speech	More formal, written language
Pronoun type	Interrogative and relative pronoun	Interrogative and relative pronoun
Replacing phrases	Replacing “the person who”	Replacing “the person whom”
Grammatical correctness	Requires correct subject placement	Requires correct object placement
Common in colloquial speech	Yes, more common	Less common, more formal

Key Differences

• Subject vs Object role is clearly visible in who acts as the doer, while whom receives the action in sentences.
• Question structure revolves around who asking about the person doing something, while whom inquires about the person receiving something.
• Prepositional placement relates to who appears before the verb, whereas whom commonly follows prepositions in formal contexts.
• Formality and usage relates to who used casually, and whom used in more formal, written situations.

FAQs

How can I easily determine whether to use Who or Whom in a sentence?

One method is to rephrase the sentence with “he” or “him.” If “he” fits, use Who; if “him” fits, use Whom. This helps in choosing the correct form.

Are there any exceptions where Whom is becoming outdated?

Yes, in everyday speech, many native speakers tend to replace Whom with Who, especially in informal contexts. Nonetheless, in formal writing, Whom remains correct.

Can Whom be used at the beginning of questions?

Yes, especially in formal settings, questions like “Whom did you call?” are correct. In casual speech, people might say “Who did you call?” instead.

What are some common mistakes made with Who and Whom?

Common errors include using Who when Whom is needed, particularly after prepositions, or mixing their functions in relative clauses. Learning the grammatical roles can prevent these mistakes.