who - whom

who - whom
Who and whom are pronouns.
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◊ asking for information
You use who when you are asking about someone's identity. Who can be the subject, object, or complement of a verb. It can also be the object of a preposition.

Who invited you?

Who are you going to invite?

Who are you?

Who did you dance with?

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Note that when who is the object of a verb or preposition, it is followed by an auxiliary verb, the subject, and then the main verb. Note also that when who is the object of a preposition, the preposition must go at the end of the clause. You do not use it in front of who.
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Whom is a formal word which is sometimes used instead of `who'. Whom can only be used as the object of a verb or preposition.

Whom shall we call?

By whom are they elected?

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Note that when whom is the object of a preposition, the preposition must go in front of whom. You do not use it at the end of a clause.
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◊ used in reported clauses
Who is often used in reported clauses.

She didn't know who I was.

Have you found out who Hegel is yet?

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For more information, see entry at ↑ Reporting.
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◊ used in relative clauses
Who and whom are used in both defining and non-defining relative clauses.

He's the man who I saw last night.

Joe, who was always early, was there already.

...two girls whom I met in Edinburgh.

...Lord Scarman, for whom I have immense respect.

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In relative clauses, you can use either who or which after a collective noun such as `family', `committee', or `group'. After who you use a plural verb.

There are a large group of people who qualify by reason of income and social habits.

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After which you use a singular verb.

He is chairing a scientific group which has set itself the task of preventing liver cancer.

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When who is the subject of a non-defining clause, you do not use another pronoun after it. You do not say, for example, `He told his mother, who she was very shocked'. You say `He told his mother, who was very shocked'.
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Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • who, whom — No situation in English speech and writing causes more difficulty for more persons than choosing between who and whom (and whoever, whomever when they are used). Current usage studies indicate that the distinction between these forms is breaking… …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • who, whom —    For those who are perennially baffled by the distinction between these two relative pronouns, it may come as some comfort to know that Shakespeare, Addison, Ben Jon son, Dickens, Churchill, and the translators of the King James Bible have… …   Dictionary of troublesome word

  • who, whom —    For those who are perennially baffled by the distinction between these two relative pronouns, it may come as some comfort to know that Shakespeare, Addison, Ben Jon son, Dickens, Churchill, and the translators of the King James Bible have… …   Dictionary of troublesome word

  • Who (pronoun) — The pronoun who , in the English language, is the interrogative and relative pronoun that is used to refer to human beings. The corresponding interrogative pronouns for non sentient beings are what and which , and the relative pronouns are that… …   Wikipedia

  • who */*/*/ — UK [huː] / US [hu] pronoun Summary: Who can be used in the following ways: as a question pronoun (introducing a direct or indirect question): Who s going to drive? ♦ I wonder who they chose to be captain. ♦ Who did you give the money to? as a… …   English dictionary

  • whom — /hoohm/, pron. 1. the objective case of who: Whom did you call? Of whom are you speaking? With whom did you stay? 2. the dative case of who: You gave whom the book? [bef. 900; ME; OE hwam, dat. of hwa WHO] Usage. See who. * * * …   Universalium

  • who — [OE] Who goes right back to Indo European *qwos, *qwes (source also of Russian kto ‘who’), whose neuter form *qwod gave English what. Its prehistoric Germanic descendant was *khwaz, *khwez, which has evolved into German wer, Dutch wie, Danish hvo …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • who — [OE] Who goes right back to Indo European *qwos, *qwes (source also of Russian kto ‘who’), whose neuter form *qwod gave English what. Its prehistoric Germanic descendant was *khwaz, *khwez, which has evolved into German wer, Dutch wie, Danish hvo …   Word origins

  • who — See that, which, who See who, whom …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • whom — See who, whom …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

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