How do you know if you should use who or whom?
The Rule: Who functions as a subject, while whom functions as an object. Use who when the word is performing the action. Use whom when it is receiving the action.
Who vs that vs whom?
“Who” is a pronoun used as a subject to refer to people. “That” is a pronoun used for things or groups. When used as an object, “who” becomes “whom.”
Who vs whom in a question?
If the preposition is at the end of the question, informal English uses “who” instead of “whom.” (As seen in “Who will I speak with” above.) However, if the question begins with a preposition, you will need to use “whom,” whether the sentence is formal or informal. (As in “With whom will I speak?”)
Can I say people whom?
As we said above, fewer and fewer people are using the word whom; most people choose the less formal who over whom even when the context calls for an object pronoun. But the four-step trick serves us well in more formal or professional situations. When in doubt, it is usually better to choose who over whom.
How do you use whom?
Whom should be used to refer to the object of a verb or preposition. When in doubt, try this simple trick: If you can replace the word with “he”’ or “’she,” use who. If you can replace it with “him” or “her,” use whom.
Can you use whom in a question?
If the preposition is at the end of the question, informal English uses “who” instead of “whom.” (As seen in “Who will I speak with” above.) However, if the question begins with a preposition, you will need to use “whom,” whether the sentence is formal or informal.
Who vs whom for a group?
You can use either who or which to refer to collectives, such as group, team. It was the group who/which decided. Use whom to refer to the person previously mentioned in a sentence when they are the object, not the subject. Whom is a relative pronoun when it refers to a noun preceding it.
Is whom always singular?
Whom is a pronoun that replaces the singular or plural object of a sentence. With a direct object, a preposition isn’t necessary. You’ll also notice that a clause (a sentencelike phrase including both a subject and a verb) follows whom. Let’s look at using whom in a sentence.