WHO or WHOM? | What is the Difference?

Direct link to YouTube video: https://youtu.be/KLlmeJQ_ie4


Explanations + Extra Practice Activities!

WHO vs WHOM – Easy English Lesson

πŸ“ In modern English, WHOM is not used much anymore. Most people prefer WHO in everyday speech. βœ…
WHOM is still used in formal writing, for example:

  • βœ‰οΈ Formal letters / Business writing
  • πŸŽ“ Academic papers / Research
  • βš–οΈ Legal documents
  • πŸ“– Literature / Books

In this lesson, you’ll learn:

  • When to use WHO (subject)
  • When to use WHOM (object)
  • Easy tricks for questions, prepositions, and relative clauses
  • Many examples so you can practice

1️⃣ WHO = Subject

  • Who is the person doing the action.

Examples:
πŸ‘¨β€πŸ¦° Who is calling? β†’ He is calling.
πŸ‘©β€πŸ¦° Who wrote this book? β†’ He wrote it.
πŸ§‘ Who is coming to the party? β†’ He is coming.

βœ… Trick: Answer the question β†’ He = WHO


2️⃣ WHOM = Object

  • Whom is the person receiving the action.

Examples:
πŸ‘¨β€πŸ¦° Whom did you call? β†’ I called him.
πŸ‘©β€πŸ¦° Whom are you waiting for? β†’ Waiting for him.
πŸ§‘ To whom should I give this letter? β†’ Give it to him.

βœ… Trick: Answer the question β†’ Him = WHOM


3️⃣ WHO vs WHOM in Questions

QuestionCorrectTrick
πŸ‘¨β€πŸ¦° ___ is coming to the meeting?WhoHe β†’ WHO
πŸ‘©β€πŸ¦° ___ did you meet yesterday?WhomHim β†’ WHOM
πŸ§‘ ___ called you last night?WhoHe β†’ WHO
βœ‰οΈ To ___ should I send the email?WhomHim β†’ WHOM

πŸ’‘ Spoken English: Most people say who instead of whom in casual speech:

  • Who are you talking to? βœ…

4️⃣ WHO vs WHOM after Prepositions

  • Prepositions = to, for, with, by…
  • Use WHOM in formal English.

Formal examples:

  • βœ‰οΈ To whom did you speak?
  • 🎁 For whom is this gift?
  • 🧳 With whom are you going?
  • πŸ“– By whom was this book written?

Casual English: Move the preposition to the end and use WHO:

  • Who did you speak to? βœ…
  • Who is this gift for? βœ…
  • Who are you going with? βœ…

5️⃣ WHO vs WHOM in Relative Clauses

Relative clause = extra information about a noun

Advanced trick:

Cannot remove β†’ WHO (subject)
Can remove β†’ WHOM (object, often removed in casual English)

Examples:

WHO = Subject (cannot remove)
πŸ‘¨β€πŸ¦° The man who called me is my teacher β†’ Cannot remove β€œwho”
πŸ‘©β€πŸ¦° The girl who is singing is my friend β†’ Cannot remove β€œwho”

WHOM = Object (can remove)
πŸ‘¨β€πŸ¦° The man whom I met is my teacher β†’ Can remove “whom” β†’ Can say β€œThe man I met is my teacher”
πŸ‘©β€πŸ¦° The girl whom we invited is coming β†’ Can remove “whom” β†’ Can say β€œThe girl we invited is coming”

βœ… Casual English tip: If the relative pronoun “who/whom” can be removed, native speakers usually remove it:

  • The man whom I met is my teacher. βœ…β†’ The man I met is my teacher. βœ…

6️⃣ Quick Summary Table

FunctionUseExampleSpoken English
SubjectWhoπŸ‘¨β€πŸ¦° Who is calling?Same
ObjectWhomπŸ‘©β€πŸ¦° Whom did you call?Often WHO
After prepositionsWhomβœ‰οΈ To whom did you speak?Who did you speak to?
Relative clause (subject)WhoπŸ‘©β€πŸ¦° The girl who is singingSame
Relative clause (object)Whom (can remove)πŸ§‘ The girl whom we invited β†’ The girl we invitedOften WHO

7️⃣ Easy Trick for Students

  • Questions & objects: Answer the question β†’ He = WHO, Him = WHOM
  • Relative clauses:
    • Cannot remove β†’ WHO (subject)
    • Can remove β†’ WHOM (object, often dropped in casual English)

Examples:

  • The person ___ I met was kind β†’ I met him β†’ whom
  • The person ___ called me was kind β†’ He called me β†’ who

Extra Practice Activities

WHO vs WHOM Quiz – Beginner Level (10 Questions)

Instructions: Choose WHO or WHOM.

  1. ___ is calling?
  2. ___ wrote this book?
  3. To ___ should I give this letter?
  4. ___ are coming to the party?
  5. ___ did you meet yesterday?
  6. ___ is your best friend?
  7. For ___ is this gift?
  8. ___ called you last night?
  9. ___ is singing in the classroom?
  10. ___ do you want to invite?

Answer Key:

  1. Who
  2. Who
  3. Whom
  4. Who
  5. Whom
  6. Who
  7. Whom
  8. Who
  9. Who
  10. Whom

WHO vs WHOM Quiz – Intermediate Level (10 Questions)

Instructions: Fill in the blank with WHO or WHOM.

  1. The man ___ is standing over there is my teacher.
  2. The woman ___ I met yesterday is very kind.
  3. ___ do you usually talk to at school?
  4. To ___ should I send this email?
  5. The boy ___ plays football is my brother.
  6. ___ did you call last night?
  7. The girl ___ we invited is coming to the party.
  8. ___ is responsible for this project?
  9. With ___ are you going to the cinema?
  10. The person ___ helped me was very friendly.

Answer Key:

  1. Who
  2. Whom
  3. Who
  4. Whom
  5. Who
  6. Whom
  7. Whom
  8. Who
  9. Whom
  10. Who

WHO vs WHOM Quiz – Advanced Level (10 Questions)

Instructions: Choose WHO or WHOM. Pay attention to formal vs casual English and relative clauses.

  1. The professor ___ we spoke with yesterday is an expert in law.
  2. To ___ it may concern: please find the report attached.
  3. The writer ___ wrote this novel won a prize.
  4. The candidate ___ we interviewed will start next week.
  5. ___ do you think will win the competition?
  6. The lawyer ___ handled my case was excellent.
  7. With ___ are you discussing the contract?
  8. The person ___ called me last night was my old friend.
  9. For ___ is this document intended?
  10. The scientist ___ discovered this formula is famous worldwide.

Answer Key:

  1. Whom
  2. Whom
  3. Who
  4. Whom
  5. Who
  6. Who
  7. Whom
  8. Who
  9. Whom
  10. Who

WHO vs WHOM Quiz – Formal / Professional Level (10 Questions)

Instructions: Fill in the blank with WHO or WHOM. Focus on formal English.

  1. To ___ it may concern: please find the enclosed report. βœ‰οΈ
  2. The researcher ___ conducted the experiment published her findings in the journal. πŸŽ“
  3. The lawyer ___ represented the client successfully is highly experienced. βš–οΈ
  4. The candidate ___ the committee interviewed will begin next month.
  5. To ___ should we address this official letter? βœ‰οΈ
  6. The professor ___ the students consulted about their thesis provided detailed feedback. πŸŽ“
  7. The judge ___ presided over the case retired last year. βš–οΈ
  8. The scientist ___ the team invited to the conference gave an important presentation. πŸŽ“
  9. With ___ should I coordinate the legal documents? βš–οΈ
  10. The author ___ the editor contacted revised the manuscript promptly. βœ‰οΈ

Answer Key:

  1. Whom
  2. Who
  3. Who
  4. Whom
  5. Whom
  6. Who
  7. Who
  8. Who
  9. Whom
  10. Whom

WHO vs WHOM Quiz – Formal / Professional Level 2 (10 Questions)

Instructions: Fill in the blank with WHO or WHOM. Focus on formal English usage.

  1. The committee ___ reviewed the proposal provided valuable feedback. πŸŽ“
  2. To ___ it may concern: we request your urgent attention regarding this matter. βœ‰οΈ
  3. The attorney ___ represented the client argued the case brilliantly. βš–οΈ
  4. The editor ___ we contacted requested further revisions to the manuscript. βœ‰οΈ
  5. The researcher ___ the team cited in the article received an award. πŸŽ“
  6. The judge ___ presided over the trial delivered a fair verdict. βš–οΈ
  7. With ___ should we discuss the contractual terms? βš–οΈ
  8. The author ___ submitted the paper last week will present it at the conference. πŸŽ“
  9. For ___ should this official notification be sent? βœ‰οΈ
  10. The advisor ___ guided the students through their thesis was highly appreciated. πŸŽ“

Answer Key:

  1. Who
  2. Whom
  3. Who
  4. Whom
  5. Whom
  6. Who
  7. Whom
  8. Who
  9. Whom
  10. Who

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