Let's face it, whom is a problem word.

Nobody seems to be quite sure about its proper

usage. As a matter of fact, some of the rules that have dictated its use in the past are now
considered "old fashioned" and are commonly ignored.

The truth is, very few people use whom in speech when it's technically correct. Even
scholars who know the rules don't always apply them. It just sounds too puffy sometimes.

Example

"Whom were you talking to?" just sounds a little uptight, doesn't it? Most teachers will
use the word who in this case, even if they know better.

Nonetheless, the word still exists, and some people do take all grammar rules very
seriously. Some college officials, for example, will want to see and hear excellent
grammar in your communications. It's well worth your while to understand the basic
rules underlying the use of who and whom.

Whom is used as an object.

Who is at the door?

Whom did you see at the door?

Do you understand why who is correct in one sentence and whom is correct in the other?
The answer is, who is always used as the subject of a sentence or clause, and whom is
always used as an object.

In the first sentence of the set above, who is the subject. In the second sentence, you is
the subject and whom is the direct object.

Whom did you recommend for the job?

Are there any people whom you would recommend?

Notice, in both sentences, you is the subject. Whom is the object of the verb recommend.

Whom is also used as the object of a preposition.

Prepositions include words like to, for, about, under, over, of, after, and before.

Look at these examples:

• I'll begin my letter with the phrase: To Whom It May Concern.

• I don't know from whom the love letter came.
• They fought over whom?
• After whom do I enter the stage?
Do you think these sentence sound odd? They do, indeed. That is exactly why the word
whom will probably disappear from the English language one day. It just sounds a little
awkward in many circumstances, even when it's technically correct.

So what can you do?

First of all, consider your audience. If you find yourself speaking to a person you'd like to
impress, like an admission official from Harvard University, for example, then you
should simply pause and think before you speak.

It won't sound strange. Think about it; many intelligent people pause a lot while they're
talking. They're thinking before they speak!

So if you're speaking in an important situation like the one above, stop and think before
using who or whom. Is it subjective case or objective you want to use?

If you're confused about subjects and objects and can't think fast when you find yourself
speaking in public, you can either avoid using who and whom or you can go with your
gut feeling and say whichever sounds better. You'll probably be right.

You can also use this simple test in your head.

Silently replace the word with he or him to see which sounds better. He is the equivalent
of who (subjective) and him is the equivalent of whom (objective).

For instance, if you want to decide which is correct in this sentence:

Who/Whom should I consider as a college recommendation?

Re-arrange the sentence in your head so it will make sense using him or he. You'll come
up with the following choices:

I should consider him...

I should consider he... Him is clearly better. Therefore, the correct word in the sentence
above will be whom.
Who, Whom, Whose
The following is a mini-tutorial on the uses of "who," "whom," and "whose." If you
already know how to use these words, you can skip the explanation and go directly to the
exercises.

Subjects, Objects and Possessive Forms

To understand how to use "who," "whom," and "whose," you first have to understand the
difference between subjects, objects, and possessive forms.

Subjects do an action:

• He loves movies.
• She goes to school.
• We enjoy Chinese food.

Objects receive an action:

• The teachers like him.

• Thomas knows her.
• The actor smiled at us.

Possessive forms tell us the person something belongs to:

• His bike is broken.

• I like her new book.
• The teacher graded our homework.

"Who" is a Subject Pronoun

"Who" is a subject pronoun like "he," "she" and "we" in the examples above. We use
"who" to ask which person does an action or which person is a certain way.

Examples:

• Who made the birthday cake?

• Who is in the kitchen?
• Who is going to do the dishes?

"Whom" is an Object Pronoun

"Whom" is an object pronoun like "him," "her" and "us." We use "whom" to ask which
person receives an action.
Examples:

• Whom are you going to invite?

• Whom did he blame for the accident?
• Whom did he hire to do the job?

"Whose" is a Possessive Pronoun

"Whose" is a possessive pronoun like "his," "her" and "our." We use "whose" to find out
which person something belongs to.

Examples:

• Whose camera is this?

• Whose dog is barking outside?
• Whose cell phone keeps ringing?

"Who," "Whom" and "Whose" in Indirect Questions

The sentence below contains an example of an indirect question:

• I don't know whom he invited.

Such sentences usually start with a phrase such as: "I am not sure" or "He doesn't know"
or "We don't care." Just ignore the first part of the sentence and look at the indirect
question when deciding whether to use "who," "whom" or "whose." Ask yourself if the
indirect question requires a subject, object, or possessive form.

Examples:

• He doesn't know who the boss of the company is. subject of the indirect question
• I don't care whom you invite. object of the indirect question
• She isn't sure whose car that is. "Whose" shows possession of car.

"Who," "Whom" and "Whose" in Adjective Clauses

The sentence below contains an example of an adjective clause:

• I know the man who won the contest.

Adjective clauses are used to describe a noun in the main sentence. In the example above,
the adjective clause tells us about "the man." Just ignore the main sentence and look at
the adjective clause when deciding whether to use "who," "whom" or "whose." Ask
yourself if the adjective clause requires a subject, object, or possessive form.
Examples:

• We knew the actress who starred in the movie. subject of adjective clause
• They hired the man whom we interviewed last week. object of adjective clause
• She knew the family whose house we bought. "Whose" shows possession of
house.

"Whom" Less Common

The form "whom" is becoming less and less common in English. Many native English
speakers think "whom" sounds outdated or strange. This trend is particularly common in
the United States. Especially when combined with prepositions, most people prefer to use
"who" as the object pronoun. To most native English speakers, the examples below sound
quite natural.

Examples:

• Who did you come to the party with?

• I don't know who he gave the book to.
• That is the woman who I was talking to.
• Who did you get that from?
• Do you have any idea who he sold his car to?
• That is the person who I got the information from.
tive and passive voice, direct and indirect objects, compound and complex sentences: the
odds are good that you've heard these terms before. Some you still remember, and
others--well, others may not be quite as familiar to you as they used to be. If you're in the
mood to brush up on your grammar, this page is for you: brief definitions and examples
of the two dozen most common grammatical terms.

How to Review the Top 24 Grammatical Terms

If you want to learn more about any of the following terms, click on the word to visit a
glossary page. There you will find an expanded definition of the term and several more
examples--along with its etymology (which shows where the term came from) and links
to articles that examine related grammatical concepts in more detail.

After reviewing the terms, you should be ready for the next step: putting these concepts
to work in Basic Sentence Structures.

A word of caution: learning (or relearning) these grammatical terms won't automatically
make you a better writer. But reviewing these terms should deepen your understanding of
how words are arranged in English to create sentences. And that understanding should
eventually help you to become a more versatile and confident writer.

The Top 24 Grammatical Terms

1. Active Voice
The verb form in which the subject of the sentence performs or causes the action
expressed by the verb. Contrast with Passive Voice.
Example:
"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a
nice Chianti."
(Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, 1991)

2. Adjective
The part of speech (or word class) that modifies a noun or a pronoun. See also:
Adding Adjectives and Adverbs to the Basic Sentence Unit.
Example:
"Send this pestilent, traitorous, cow-hearted, yeasty codpiece to the brig."
(Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, 2007)

3. Adverb
The part of speech that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb. See also:
Adding Adjectives and Adverbs to the Basic Sentence Unit.
Example:
"There I was, standing there in the church, and for the first time in my whole life I
realized I totally and utterly loved one person."
(Charles to Carrie in Four Weddings and a Funeral, 1994)

4. Clause
A group of words that contains a subject and a predicate. A clause may be either a
sentence (independent clause) or a sentence-like construction included within
another sentence (dependent clause).
Example:
"Don't ever argue with the big dog [independent clause], because the big dog
is always right [dependent clause]."
(Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard in The Fugitive, 1993]

5. Complex Sentence
A sentence that contains at least one independent clause and one dependent
clause.
Example:
"Don't ever argue with the big dog [independent clause], because the big dog
is always right [dependent clause]."
(Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard in The Fugitive, 1993]

6. Compound Sentence
A sentence that contains at least two independent clauses, often joined by a
conjunction.
Example:
"I can't compete with you physically [independent clause], and you're no
match for my brains [independent clause]."
(Vizzini in The Princess Bride, 1987)

7. Conjunction
The part of speech that serves to connect words, phrases, clauses, or sentences.
See also: coordinating conjunction, subordinating conjunction, correlative
conjunction, and conjunctive adverb.
Example:
"I can't compete with you physically, and you're no match for my brains."
(Vizzini in The Princess Bride, 1987)

8. Declarative Sentence
A sentence that makes a statement.
Example:
"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and
a nice Chianti."
(Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, 1991)
9. Dependent Clause
A group of words that begins with a relative pronoun or a subordinating
conjunction. A dependent clause has both a subject and a verb but (unlike an
independent clause) cannot stand alone as a sentence. Also known as a
subordinate clause. See also: Subordination with Adjective Clauses and Building
Sentences with Adverb Clauses.
Example:
"Don't ever argue with the big dog [independent clause], because the big dog is
always right [dependent clause]."
(Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard in The Fugitive, 1993]

10. Direct Object

A noun or pronoun that receives the action of a transitive verb.
Example:
"All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my uncles. I
had to fight my brothers."
(Sophia in The Color Purple, 1985)

11. Exclamatory Sentence

A sentence that expresses strong feelings by making an exclamation.
Example:
"God! Look at that thing! You would've gone straight to the bottom!"
(Jack Dawson looking at Rose's ring in Titanic, 1997)

12. Imperative Sentence

A sentence that gives advice or instructions or that expresses a request or a
command.
Example:
"Send this pestilent, traitorous, cow-hearted, yeasty codpiece to the brig."
(Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, 2007)

13. Independent Clause

A group of words made up of a subject and a predicate. An independent clause
(unlike a dependent clause) can stand alone as a sentence. Also known as a main
clause.
Example:
"Don't ever argue with the big dog [independent clause], because the big dog is
always right [dependent clause]."
(Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard in The Fugitive, 1993]
14. Indirect Object
A noun or pronoun that indicates to whom or for whom the action of a verb in a
sentence is performed.
Example:
"It's a family motto. Are you ready, Jerry? I want to make sure you're ready,
brother. Here it is: Show me the money."
(Rod Tidwell to Jerry McGuire in Jerry McGuire, 1996)

15. Interrogative Sentence

A sentence that asks a question.
Example:
"What is the name of the Lone Ranger's nephew's horse?"
(Mr. Parker in A Christmas Story, 1983)

16. Noun
The part of speech that is used to name a person, place, thing, quality, or action
and can function as the subject or object of a verb, the object of a preposition, or
an appositive.
Example:
"Waiter, there is too much pepper on my paprikash."
(Harry Burns in When Harry Met Sally, 1989)

17. Passive Voice

A verb form in which the grammatical subject receives the verb's action. Contrast
with active voice.
Example:
"Any attempt by you to create a climate of fear and panic among the populace
must be deemed by us an act of insurrection."
(First Elder to Jor-El in Superman, 1978)

18. Predicate
One of the two main parts of a sentence or clause, modifying the subject and
including the verb, objects, or phrases governed by the verb.
Example:
"I don't ever remember feeling this awake."
(Thelma Dickinson in Thelma and Louise, 1991)

19. Prepositional Phrase

A group of words made up of a preposition, its object, and any of the object's
modifiers. See also: Adding Prepositional Phrases to the Basic Sentence Unit.
Example:
"A long time ago, my ancestor Paikea came to this place on the back of a whale.
Since then, in every generation of my family, the first born son has carried his
name and become the leader of our tribe."
(Paikea, in The Whale Rider)
 20. Pronoun
A word that takes the place of a noun. See also: Using the Different Forms of
Pronouns.
Example:
"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a
nice Chianti."
(Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, 1991)

21. Sentence
A word or (more commonly) a group of words that expresses a complete idea.
Conventionally, a sentence includes a subject and a verb. It begins with a capital
letter and concludes with a mark of end punctuation. See also: Basic Sentence
Structures.
Example:
"I don't ever remember feeling this awake."
(Thelma Dickinson in Thelma and Louise, 1991)

22. Subject
The part of a sentence that indicates what it is about.
Example:
"I don't ever remember feeling this awake."
(Thelma Dickinson in Thelma and Louise, 1991)

23. Tense
The time of a verb's action or state of being, such as past, present, and future. See
also: Forming the Past Tense of Regular Verbs and The Principal Parts of
Irregular Verbs.
Example:
"Years ago, you served [past tense] my father in the Clone Wars; now he begs
[present tense] you to help him in his struggle against the Empire."
(Princess Leia to General Kenobi in Star Wars, 1977)

24. Verb
The part of speech that describes an action or occurrence or indicates a state of
being.
Example:
"Send this pestilent, traitorous, cow-hearted, yeasty codpiece to the brig."
(Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, 2007)

Are you ready to move beyond these 24 basic terms? If so, visit our discussion of Basic
Sentence Structures.
 Verb Tense Overview with Examples
Simple Present
I study English every day.
Present Continuous
I am studying English now.
Present Perfect
I have studied English in
several different countries.
Present Perfect
Continuous
I have been studying
English for five years.
Simple Past Simple Future
If you are having problems, I
will help you study English.
Two years ago, I studied
English in England.
I am going to study English
next year.
Past Continuous Future Continuous
I will be studying English
when you arrive tonight.
I was studying English when
you called yesterday. I am going to be studying
English when you arrive
tonight.
Past Perfect Future Perfect
I will have studied every
tense by the time I finish this
course.
I had studied a little English
before I moved to the U.S.
I am going to have studied
every tense by the time I
finish this course.
Past Perfect Continuous Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been studying
English for over two hours
by the time you arrive.
I had been studying English
for five years before I moved
I am going to have been
to the U.S.
studying English for over
two hours by the time you
arrive.