Common Mistake: Who (Whom)

In English grammar, the misuse of the pronouns who and whom is a common mistake that often leads to confusion and incorrect sentence structure. Understanding when to use who and whom correctly is essential for clear and effective communication.

Who

The pronoun who is the subject form and is used when referring to the subject of a sentence or clause. It is used to ask questions about people and is followed by a verb.

• Who is going to the party tonight?
• She is the one who won the singing competition.

In these examples, who is used to ask about the subject of the sentence or to refer to someone as the subject of an action.

Whom

The pronoun whom is the object form and is used when referring to the object of a verb or preposition. It is also used in formal writing and in more formal spoken English.

• To whom did you give the book?
• The manager, whom I respect, praised my work.

In these examples, whom is used to refer to the object of the verb or preposition.

It is important to note that in informal contexts, the use of whom is becoming less common and is often replaced by who. However, in formal writing or when a more precise and formal tone is required, it is still important to use whom correctly.

That being said, it can be challenging to determine when to use who or whom in certain sentence constructions. To avoid confusion, you can use a grammar checker tool like Linguix grammar checker to ensure that your writing is grammatically correct and free of such mistakes.