Who vs Whom? The Answer Might Surprise You!

If you've ever asked yourself, "Who vs whom?", you might be surprised to find that it's not as straightforward as it seems. Although both words are pronouns, they're used differently in English grammar. Knowing the difference between who and whom can be the difference between sounding like a native speaker and sounding like a non-native speaker. In this blog post, we'll explain the difference between who and whom so that you can confidently use them in your writing and conversation.

What is the difference between who and whom?

The words who and whom are both pronouns that are used to refer to people or groups, but they have different uses. The difference between who and whom is important to understand in order to use English grammar correctly.

Who is a subjective pronoun, which means it is used as the subject of a sentence or clause. For example: "Who ate all the cookies?" 

Whom, on the other hand, is an objective pronoun, which means it is used as the object of a sentence or clause. For example: "Whom did you give the cookies to?" 

When using who vs whom, remember that who is used when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence and whom is used when the pronoun is the object of the sentence. It can be helpful to try to substitute he or she and him or her in place of who and whom, respectively. If he or she works, use who; if him or her works, use whom.

When should you use who and when should you use whom?

Who and whom both refer to people, but when should you use which one? Understanding the difference between who and whom can be a bit tricky, as many English speakers are unsure when to use each word. To better understand the difference between who and whom, let’s look at the main differences between them. 

The difference between who and whom lies in the function each word serves. Who is used as the subject of the sentence, while whom is used as the object of a sentence or as the object of a preposition. In other words, who refers to the person performing an action, while whom refers to the person receiving the action. For example, you would say “who called me?” since you (the subject) are asking about the person (the object) who called you. You would also say “whom should I call?” since you (the subject) are asking about the person (the object) whom you should call. 

To remember when to use who and when to use whom, try this quick trick: substitute “he/him” for “who/whom”. If “he” fits in the sentence, then “who” is correct; if “him” fits in the sentence, then “whom” is correct. For example, in the sentence “who called me?”, you could substitute “he called me” and it still makes sense; therefore, “who” is correct. In the sentence “whom should I call?”, you could substitute “I should call him” and it still makes sense; therefore, “whom” is correct. 

By understanding the difference between who and whom and using the quick trick mentioned above, you can easily determine when to use each word correctly.

Examples of who and whom in a sentence:

Examples of who in a sentence:

1. Who ate all the cookies?

2. Who do you think will win the race?

3. Who is singing that song?

4. Who can answer this question?

5. Who will be attending the party?

6. Who is calling me?

7. Who is going to the beach?

8. Who should I call for help?

9. Who wants to come over tonight?

10. Who is the author of this book?

Examples of whom in a sentence:

1. To whom was the letter addressed?

2. Whom do you think I should ask for advice?

3. With whom did you spend your time yesterday?

4. Whom are you talking about?

5. Whom do you believe won the game?

6. Whom should I call first?

7. Whom is he taking to the dance?

8. Whom did they invite to the wedding?

9. To whom should I give this gift?

10. Whom are you trying to impress?

Understanding the difference between who and whom is essential to using proper English grammar. Learning when to use each word can be tricky, but knowing the difference between who and whom can help you sound more professional and confident when speaking or writing in English. The key takeaway is that who is used to refer to the subject of the sentence, while whom is used for the object of a verb or preposition. When in doubt, try using who in place of whom and vice versa, and see which word sounds more natural in the sentence.

A quick trick to remember when to use who and whom

The difference between who and whom can be confusing to understand. Who is used as the subject of a sentence, while whom is used as an object. To remember when to use who and whom, try using the simple trick of replacing the words with he or him. If he fits in the sentence, use who. If him fits in the sentence, use whom. 

Who should I talk to? -> He should I talk to? -> Who should I talk to? 

To whom should I address this letter? -> To him should I address this letter? -> To whom should I address this letter? 

Another way to remember when to use who and whom is to think of the words “whoever” and “whomever”. Whoever is always followed by a verb, while whomever is always followed by a preposition. For example:

Whoever you choose will be a good choice. 

Whomever you choose will be a good choice. 

Using these tricks, it should now be easier to know the difference between who and whom in English grammar.