For example:Īsk whoever reads that book to answer the question. Note: Related to this rule is one that says: The subject of a clause is always attached to that clause - no matter what. This rule supersedes the first rule as it relates to “who and whom.
Even though you can read the first sentence as I decided to vote for him (which would make it whomever), the entire clause (he) called me first is the object of the preposition for. So, it's whoever. It's the same for the second example: .he deserves it wins out. I decided to vote for whoever/whomever called me first. (object)Īnd, now, for a really tough test (or, at least, most people trip up on it): The men, four of whom are ill, were indicted for fraud. Substitution is particularly helpful in cases such as this. Here the entire clause is the object of the preposition. The delegates differed as to who they thought might win. Whom can we turn to in a time of crisis? (Can we turn to her?) Jones is the man whom I went fishing with last spring. Dimwit consulted an astrologer whom she met in Seattle.
This technique of substituting a personal pronoun for the relative pronoun works nicely whenever you have difficulty deciding whether to use who or whom, assuming that you have no difficulty using the proper form of personal pronouns.Įven when the word order must be altered slightly, you can use the technique: Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States.Īs a ready check in such sentences, simply substitute the personal pronoun he/him or she/her for who/whom. If he or she would be the correct form, the proper choice is who. If him or her would be correct, use whom. The proper name, Thomas Jefferson, could be substituted for who to make a perfectly good sentence: Notice that who, not whom, is still the correct form as the subject of the clause that follows. It was Thomas Jefferson, I think, who was the third president of the United States. When “who” is not the main subject of the sentence, however, many people become confused. Who is that masked man? (“Who” / subject ) In such simple cases, virtually everyone can determine the proper choice: The two sentences below illustrate the easy usage in which who is clearly the subject and whom is clearly the object. As simple and important as that distinction is, many people have difficulty deciding on the proper usage of who and whom in sentences.
That simply means that “who” (and the same for “whoever) is always subject to a verb, and that whom (and the same for whomever) is always working as an object in a sentence. Who and “whoever are subjective pronouns whom and whomever are in the objective case. Yes, though it may depend on whom you ask!
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