“Whom” is not always used when it should be.
Who and Whom are
Relative Pronouns
, and
pronouns have cases
— different versions, depending on how they are used.
Who
” is the nominative case, used as a subject or a predicate noun:
Who is he?
Is she who we think she is?
(The verb “to be” is a linking verb and NEVER takes an object, always a predicate noun or predicate adjective.)
Whom
” is the objective case, used whenever you need an object in a sentence — Direct Object, Indirect Object, Object of Preposition:
Whom did you give it to? (“whom” is I.O., “it” is D.O.)
To whom is he speaking? (“whom” is I.O.)
They are the people from whom I received the gift. (“whom” is object of preposition “from”), (“gift” is D.O.)
You gave the present to WHOM? (incredulous) (“present” is D.O.; “whom” is I.O.)
In a sentence with both a direct and an indirect object,
you may give something (D.O.) to someone/thing/a pet (I.O.), or you may do something (D.O.) for someone (I.O.).
A couple more examples of nominative case pronouns versus objective case pronouns:
I gave the book to him/her. (“I” is nominative case; “him/her” are objective case.)
She/He gave the book to me. (“She/He” are nominative case; “me” is objective case.)
” is also an
Interrogative pronoun
— used to ask questions and can be singular or plural:
Who are they?
Here is a partial pronoun chart from the site http://www.learnbritishenglish.co.uk/english-pronouns-visual-chart/
that shows the different versions of the
Personal Pronouns
Here’s an image from the Bogota Post that adds the Relative Pronouns “Who” and “Whom” in the last two columns:
Sorry if this is too long. Hope it’s helpful.
They have a magnificent team. These people are always kind and willing to listen to your concerns or issues. Better yet, your assignment is always ready before the time, they usually send you a draft to double-check before they finalize your paper.
Delivering a high-quality product at a reasonable price is not enough anymore.
That’s why we have developed 5 beneficial guarantees that will make your experience with our service enjoyable, easy, and safe.
You have to be 100% sure of the quality of your product to give a money-back guarantee. This describes us perfectly. Make sure that this guarantee is totally transparent.
Read moreEach paper is composed from scratch, according to your instructions. It is then checked by our plagiarism-detection software. There is no gap where plagiarism could squeeze in.
Read moreThanks to our free revisions, there is no way for you to be unsatisfied. We will work on your paper until you are completely happy with the result.
Read moreYour email is safe, as we store it according to international data protection rules. Your bank details are secure, as we use only reliable payment systems.
Read moreBy sending us your money, you buy the service we provide. Check out our terms and conditions if you prefer business talks to be laid out in official language.
Read more