The difference between who and whom lies in their grammatical roles in a sentence.
Who acts as the subject of a sentence or clause. It performs the action.
Whom serves as the object of a verb or preposition. It receives the action.
How to Determine When to Use ‘Who’ or ‘Whom’
A simple trick is to substitute “he/she/they” or “him/her/them” into the sentence.
If “he/she/they” fits, use who.
If “him/her/them” fits, use whom.
Subject (who):
The manager asked who will present the quarterly report. (“He/She will present” → use who as the subject.)
Object (whom):
The CEO wondered whom we should consult for the project. (“We should consult him/her” → use whom as the object.)
Prepositional phrase (whom):
The recruiter spoke about whom they had selected for the role. (“They had selected him/her” → use whom after the preposition “about.”)
Interrogative (who):
Do you know who is leading the marketing team? (“He/She is leading” → use who as the subject.)
Relative clause (whom):
The consultant whom we hired last month gave a great presentation. (“We hired him/her” → use whom as the object of the verb “hired.”)
Informal vs. Formal English
In informal English, who is often used instead of whom. However, in formal writing or professional contexts, using whom correctly reflects precision and attention to detail. Practice identifying the roles of who and whom in sentences to improve your grammar skills!
