Should you use who or whom? The answer depends on whether the word functions as a subject or an object, whether the word is doing the action or receiving it.
If it’s doing the action, the answer is Who; if it’s receiving the action, the answer is Whom. It’s pretty easy to learn through example, so if the technical description below confuses you, check out the examples to see how the context can help you determine the proper word.
Who and whom are called relative pronouns, which are words that connect clauses within a sentence. Who is in the nominative case and functions as the subject of the clause it appears in. Whom is in the objective case and functions as an object.
Examples of “Who” vs “Whom” in a Sentence
Use Who when it is the subject of a clause.
Charles is the one who eats pizza everyday for lunch. (Who is the subject of the relative clause, the one performing the act of eating)
Use Whom when it is the object of a verb or the object of a preposition.
Whom should I give my extra tickets to? (Or To whom should I give my extra tickets?). In this example, Whom is the object of a preposition, which functions as the indirect object of the sentence.
To Make it Easy, Use the She/Her Test
Substitute she/her for who/whom, and see if the clause still makes sense.
If She makes sense, the answer is Who
If Her makes sense, the answer is Whom
For example
Who/Whom is the person responsible for this mess?
To get the correct answer, substitute She and Her, and see which one makes sense:
a) Her is the person responsible for this mess. (Her doesn’t make sense.)
b) She is the person responsible for this mess. (She does make sense, so the correct answer is Who.):
Who is the person responsible for this mess? (correct)
Here’s one more:
Who/Whom did you ask to watch your dog?
Hint: You can change the word order of the sentence to add clarity.
a) Did you ask she to watch your dog? (She doesn’t make sense.)
b) Did you ask her to watch your dog? (Her does make sense, so the correct answer is Whom.):
Whom did you ask to watch your dog? (correct)
The same principle applies when deciding between whoever and whomever.
More Examples of “Whom” in a Sentence
- Whom would you like to take to the dance?
- I am the man whom you saw yesterday.
- The man whom I saw yesterday was very tall.
- People whom I respect are always honest with me.
- Rita had five daughters, all of whom were very successful.
More Examples of “Who” in a Sentence
- As an environmentalist, and someone who believes that everyone in this world has a right to a healthy and nutritious diet of their choosing, I could not have chosen a more counter-productive path.
- Who can blame him?
- Migrants who have permission to be in the UK are avoiding seeking vital medical treatment for fear of being arrested, a charity has warned.
- The official, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue, said photographs from North Korea showing a rocket launched from the sea appeared to be authentic.
- It was a ridiculous idea dreamed up by his advisers who have served him badly.