How to Use Who and Whom Correctly

Ways to Identify the Subject and Object and Use the He/Him Method

Sep 20, 2008

Understanding when to use who and whom is as simple as using he and him. It's all a matter of learning how to identify the subject and object of the sentence.

Let’s face it: the reason deciphering when to use who or whom is so difficult is because very few people use the word whom when they speak. Initially learning the difference between who and whom and when to use each might seem confusing, but once you understand the difference, your papers – and even speech – will be grammatically correct.

Identifying the Subject and Object

But that nice rule doesn't help most of us because most of us don't remember the difference between the subject and object of a sentence.

The subject is always the person or thing that performs the action (or lack of action) of the sentence.

The subject in the sentence is Stan because he went. Similarly, you can phrase a question out of the sentence by asking: Who went to the store? Stan.

The object is what the subject of a sentence acts upon (even indirectly). Keep in mind that not every sentence will have an object, but most will.

Gum is the object of the sentence. An easy way to decide if gum is the object is to ask the question: What did Stan buy? Gum.

Longer and passive sentences can make identifying the subject and object more difficult, but for now, we’ll stick to the basics.

Using the He/Him Method

He is a subject, and him is an object. Therefore, in most cases, simply replacing he or him where you’re unsure of whether who or whom should be used is an easy solution. In many cases you can place he directly in place of who, but in most cases, you will have to rearrange a few words to place him in place of whom.

A Few Tricks to Remember for Those Difficult Sentences

While the him/her trick works most of the time, it really comes down to understanding the subject and objects of sentences, which in certain circumstances can be difficult. Eventually, you might get stuck, unable to figure out what the subject and object of the sentence are or how to rephrase the sentence to replace the who/whom with he/him. Don't panic! Just remember these rules.

2. If that doesn't work, or you're unsure whether you rephrased the statement correctly, try to identify the subject and verb of each part of the sentence. Remember that each verb must have a subject, even if it's implied. This means there might be a second (possibly a third) subject hidden in the sentence.

This sentence is tricky because the first subject is an implied "You." This makes the verb discover belong to the implied subject. The second part of the sentence has another verb, stole. There is no obvious subject (no easily identified person, place, or thing that belongs to stole.

The second part's subject must be who (which is always a subject). You can still use the he/him trick to check your choice. He stole her purse.

3. Often times when whom is used, it is preceded by the words with or for. Don't rely on this rule, only use it if you're found at a complete loss of which word to use..

4. If none of the rules above helped, follow your instinct (or ear). If it sounds right, chances are it is. Only follow instinct if you've made a genuine effort to figure it out using other techniques.

Remember that the use of who/whom is difficult for even the greatest grammar-lovers. Try to dissect each sentence to reveal the subjects and objects and try replacing each who or whom in question with he or him. If all else fails, just remember that it's one small word in all of your paper, essay, or story, and most people will trust your authority as long as it's not a blatant error.

The copyright of the article How to Use Who and Whom Correctly in Editing is owned by Megan B. Wyatt. Permission to republish How to Use Who and Whom Correctly in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.