G3-b Use who as a subject and whom as an object.
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G3-b Use who as a subject and whom as an object.
object The part of a clause that receives the action of the verb, or the part of a phrase that follows a preposition.
preposition A word (such as between, in, or of) that indicates the relation between a word in a sentence and its object.
Two strategies can help you figure out whether to use who or whom.
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- Arrange the phrase’s or clause’s words in subject-verb-object order or preposition-object order. In this standard order, a subject (who) is followed by a verb, but an object (whom) follows a subject and verb or a preposition.
- Look for the subject of the clause. If the verb in the clause has another subject, use whom; if the verb in the clause has no other subject, use who. If it is the object of a preposition, use whom.
Change who to whom when the pronoun is an object within another clause that has a subject and a verb.
Change who to whom when the pronoun is the object of a preposition.
Change whom to who when the pronoun is the subject of a clause and is followed by a verb.
