| |
The choice between who or whom perplexes many writers, but the rules governing their use are straightforward. Follow these steps:
Isolate the clause in which who or whom occurs.
Example: Ethel gave the bird to Fred, (who/whom) kept it in the bathroom.
Step 1. The clause is (who/whom) kept it in the bathroom?
Determine whether the person represented by who or whom is the subject or object of the verb in the clause. If you're not sure, continue to step 3. If you do know, skip to step 4.
Step 2. Does who/whom represent a subject or an object in the clause?
-
If the clause is not part of a question:
Plug in another first- or third-person pronoun—I/me, we/us, he/him, she/her, or they/them—for who/whom. You'll be able to tell immediately if the new pronoun doesn't work. (See the "Fred and Ethel" example below for proof.)
If the clause is part of a question:
Answer the question with one of the first- or third-person pronouns above.
Example: Who/Whom is driving? "He is driving" sounds fine; "Him is driving" is obviously wrong.
Step 3. Try the he/him pronoun test:
He kept it in the bathroom.
OR
Him kept it in the bathroom.
He is correct.
If he or she works in either a question or a non-question, the pronoun is the subject. If him or her works, the pronoun is the object. The plural they is a subject; them is an object. For first-person pronouns, I and we represent the subject and me/us represent the object.
If the pronoun is the subject, the correct choice is who. If the pronoun is the object, the correct choice is whom.
Step 4. Because he can be substituted, the person represented is the subject. The correct choice is who.
Remember: Follow this simple rule: who = subject; whom = object.
|
