Note 117 – The difference between ‘who’ and ‘whom’

Graham King in Collins Improve your Grammar explains that who is a subject pronoun and whom is an object pronoun.  Before looking at today’s examples, you must first remember the following:

• Who must match similar subject pronouns: he/she/they 
• Whom must match similar object pronouns: him/her/them

Here are some examples to illustrate what is meant by this:

EXAMPLE 1

Which one of the following is correct?

(a) Who is going to the park? Is she going to the park?
(b) Whom is going to the park? Is her is going to the park?

Explanation: In the second sentence in each example, I have substituted matching subject and object pronouns, e.g. she matches who (as mentioned in the introduction).  By reading both (a) and (b), it it clear that sentence (a) is the correct one.

EXAMPLE 2

Which one of the following is correct?

(a) I don’t know who are going.  Are they going?
(b) I don’t know whom are going.  Are them going?

Explanation: In the second sentence in each example, I have substituted matching subject and object pronouns, e.g. them matches whom (as mentioned in the introduction).  By reading both (a) and (b), it it clear that sentence (a) is the correct one.

Now a couple for you to try…

TEST 1

She isn’t going to be at the park.

Based on the above sentence, is (a) or (b) correct?:

(a) Who isn’t going to be in the park?
(b) Whom isn’t going to be in the park?

TEST 2

Please get in the car with her.

Based on the above sentence, is (a) or (b) correct?:

(a) Get in the car with who?
(b) Get in the car with whom?

The answers are the end of the blog.

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Until tomorrow…

Sandra

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Reference list:

Graham King The Collins Improve your Grammar, UK

Answers to test

Test 1 is (a) Who isn’t going to be in the park?

Test 2 is (b) Get in the car with whom?