Who vs. Whom – How To Distinguish These Two

When creating an academic paper, it’s typical to encounter commonly confused words. These occurrences can impact the quality of your paper, since academic writing requires clearness and precision to efficiently communicate arguments. The words “who” and “whom” are frequently confused because they are distinguished by only one letter. As a result, several writers use them interchangeably, although they cannot replace each other. Discover the distinction between “who” and “whom” now.

Definition of “who vs. whom”

The meanings of the words “who” and “whom” and their way of spelling are closely related. As they only differ by one letter, they are frequently confused words in academic writing. Both words are pronouns and are used to refer to people.

It is important to focus on the surrounding context to distinguish between the two words. The main difference between “who” and “whom” lies in their grammatical roles within a sentence. When used as the subject of a sentence or subject complement, “who” is the correct choice. On the other hand, “whom” should be used when it functions as the object of a verb or a preposition. It is essential to note that in casual spoken English, “whom” has become less common, and “who” is often used in informal situations.

Using the word “who”

The word “who” is a relative pronoun and functions as a subject or subject complement of a sentence. This will be outlined in the following.

“Who” as a subject

“Who” is used as the subject of a sentence. The subject, “who”, is either performing the action of the verb or is described in the sentence. It refers to the person that the sentence is about.

“Who” as a subject complement

“Who” may be used as a sentence’s subject complement, also called predicate nominative. When a sentence contains a linking verb such as “is,” “was,” “am,” or “are,” the word following the verb serves to rename or identify the subject of the sentence. This restatement essentially provides another indication of referring to the subject.

Tip for using “who” correctly

There are a few synonyms for the pronoun “who”. However, the sentence structure must be changed accordingly. Examples are “that one”, “which”, and “whosoever”. All the sentences are grammatically correct but may sound awkward, which is why it is best to choose “who”.

Using the word “whom”

The word “whom” functions as the object of a verb or a preposition. This grammatical function will be outlined in the following.

“Whom” as an object

“Whom” is used as the object of the verb or preposition, referring to the person receiving the action. In formal writing, use “whom”. In less formal situations, “who” is commonly accepted.

Tip for using “whom” correctly

There are also a few synonyms for the word “whom”. These include “whomever”, “whosoever”, and “whoever”. All the sentences are grammatically correct but may sound awkward, which is why it is best to choose “whom”.

Practice sheet

To evaluate your skill in distinguishing between “who” and “whom”, kindly fill in the blank spaces in the ten sentences. You can then check the second tab for the correct answers to verify your understanding.