Use relative pronouns: who and whom

Key Notes:

What are Relative Pronouns?

  • Relative pronouns connect a clause or phrase to a noun or pronoun. They help provide more information about the noun or pronoun in the sentence.

Who:

  • “Who” is used as a subject pronoun. It refers to people (or sometimes animals) and is used when the person/subject in the clause is the doer of the action.
  • Example:
    • The teacher who teaches math is very kind. (The teacher is the subject who does the action “teaches.”)
  • Usage:
    • “Who” refers to the subject of the relative clause.
    • Example: The girl who helped me was very nice.

Whom:

  • “Whom” is used as an object pronoun. It refers to people (or sometimes animals) and is used when the person/subject in the clause is the receiver of the action.
  • Example:
    • The girl whom I met at the park was very nice. (The girl is the object of the action “met.”)
  • Usage:
    • “Whom” is used to refer to the object of the verb or preposition in the relative clause.
    • Example: The person whom I called did not answer.

Important Notes:

  • “Who” is much more commonly used than “whom” in everyday speech and writing.
  • The word whom is more formal and used less frequently in modern language.

Quick Test to Decide Between “Who” and “Whom”:

  • Try replacing the relative pronoun with “he/she” or “him/her.”
    • If he/she fits, use who. (Example: The boy who is playing outside is my brother.)
    • If him/her fits, use whom. (Example: The person whom I saw yesterday is my friend.)

Let’s practice!