When to Use Who and Whom?

Every week, we ask students and readers to ask their English questions using the #saywhatABA, and then we answer them during our Say What Show on youtube. One of our readers asked when to use who or whom. Do you know when to use each one?

Who and whoever are subjective pronouns, whom and whomever are objective pronouns. What does this mean? Well, it means that who is subject to a verb and whom is the direct object, so they occupy different functions within a sentence.

There is a very simply rule to know when to use each one:

Who = He / She
Whom = Him / Her

Try substituting who or whom for he/she or him/her. If he/she sounds better, then the correct option is who. If him/her sounds better, you should use whom. Easy, right?

Examples: 

Alexa is the girl who got the job in New York = She got the job in New York

To whom should I complain about the service? = You should complain to him.

It is also important to indicate that whom is more formal and often not used in spoken English. In a day to day conversation, most people would probably say “to who should I complain?”.

If you have any more questions regarding this topic, let us know!