Who x whom

Who vs Whom: The Difference Explained

The difference between "who" and "whom" lies in their grammatical functions. "Who" is a subjective pronoun, while "whom" is an objective pronoun.

When to Use "Who"

"Who" is used as the subject of a sentence or clause, referring to the person performing the action. For example:

• "Who is going to the store?" (Here, "who" is the subject of the sentence.)
• "Who ate the last cookie?" (Again, "who" is the subject performing the action of eating.)

When to Use "Whom"

"Whom" is used as a direct or indirect object of a verb or preposition, referring to the person receiving the action. For example:

• "To whom should I address this letter?" (Here, "whom" is the indirect object of the preposition "to".)
• "Whom did you invite to the party?" (In this case, "whom" is the direct object of the verb "invite".)

Easy Trick to Remember the Difference

To determine whether to use "who" or "whom", try replacing the word with "he" or "him" in the sentence. If "he" sounds correct, use "who". If "him" sounds correct, use "whom".

For instance:

• "Who/whom ate the last cookie?" -> "He ate the last cookie." (So, the correct sentence is "Who ate the last cookie?")
• "To who/whom should I address this letter?" -> "To him should I address this letter." (So, the correct sentence is "To whom should I address this letter?")

Conclusion

In summary, "who" is used as the subject of a sentence or clause, while "whom" is used as a direct or indirect object of a verb or preposition. By using the trick mentioned above, you can easily determine the correct usage of "who" and "whom" in any sentence.