WHO or WHOM? A 90% Trick

Self | 30APR03 | bannie

[bannie]

In a recent thread, we discussed teachers' various abilities/inabilities. With the banter about math "blocks," I had to start calling people on the frequent mis-usage of the pronoun "that."

I teased others--and I hope the understood my playful intent! Even true mathematicians can make simple mistakes in math. Likewise, even true grammarians can make simple mistakes in grammar. I only made note because of the subject of the thread (An English teacher who was having trouble passing a required math test).

In the thread, I mentioned that I could give a quick-fix lesson on how to determine whether one should use the pronoun "who" or the pronoun "whom."

The Rule:
WHO = SUBJECTIVE
WHOM = OBJECTIVE
or...
While "who" holds the grammatical position of a SUBJECT, "whom" holds the grammatical position of an OBJECT.
Subject = the "doer." Object = the DIRECT OBJECT or the INDIRECT OBJECT or the OBJECT of a preposition...the "do-ee."

THE TRICK:

IF replacing the who/whom in question with HE--simply because it SOUNDS BETTER--use WHO.

IF replacing the who/whom in question with HIM--simply because it SOUNDS BETTER--use WHOM.

IE:
With the question:

To who/whom should I give the "Offed by a Clinton" Award?

Try replacing the space with each, "he" and "him."
Although it's not totally "sensical," the better sounding choice is...

To HIM should I give...

(more clearly, Should I give the "Offed by a Clinton" award to HIM?
SOOOOOooooo...since "HIM" = "WHOM,"

the correct "who/whom-ness" of the question should be:

To WHOM should I give...?

IE:
Who/Whom was the oldest goat in the pool?

Try replacing the space with each, "he" and "him."

It makes much more sense to the ear to replace the who/whom with:

He was the oldest...

than with:

Him was the oldest...

SOOOOOoooooo....since "HE" = "WHO"...

The answer is...WHO was the oldest goat in the pool?

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

While we're on this kind of thing, does anyone know the code to remember the planets?

[CharacterCounts]

While we're on this kind of thing, does anyone know the code to remember the planets?

No. But I know the code for the Great lakes: HOMES.

[rellimpank]

--Men very early made jars stand upright nicely period--

[Old Professer]

Which was the oldest goat in the pool?

A goat is not a whom or a him, sorry.

[So Cal Rocket]

My very educated mother just sent us nine pickles.

[Focault's Pendulum]

<While we're on this kind of thing, does anyone know the code to remember the planets?

There was a code??!!?

Crap...I knew that anal probe wasn't just a dream.

I haven't been able to look regularly through my telescope..since.

[Erasmus]

Actually, will and shall have always tripped me up...:-)

This probably depends on whose style manual you adhere to. Here's the way I was learnt:

When in first person (I/we), shall implies the mere intention to do or be something in the future. Will intensifies that intention. For example, 'I shall go to the store tomorrow' means a simple prediction, whereas 'I will go to the store tomorrow' implies a definite intention and commitment to do so.

When in second or third person (you/he/they), it is reversed. Will is a simple declaration of future action or being, and shall is a statement of definite intent, amounting to an imperative (command) on behalf of the speaker.

I believe the rule given above for the first person case has died due to common usage to the contrary. 'I shall go to the store' now sounds stilted in virtually every context in American English.

[Rocky]

You will be right 90% of the time if you use "affect" when you want a verb, and "effect" when you are looking for a noun. There is a verb "effect", but the occasion to use it doesn't arise nearly as often as the verb "affect".

[tje]

thanks!

[Erasmus]

This is true in the present tense. Last week my wife fell and broke her ankle. She LAY on the ground for five minutes before someone came along and found her.

Oh dear! How many eggs did she leave behind?

[Revolting cat!]

The rule is simple: it's the Who, not the Whom whom once wrote "Well, who are you? (Who are you? Who, who, who, who?)"

[Thinkin' Gal]

The Germanic word for the dative case, der Wemfall, reflects the der-to-dem change. The question word in the dative is, naturally enough, wem ([to] whom): Wem hast du das Buch gegeben?, Whom did you give book? (Who'd you give the book to?)

http://german.about.com/library/blcase_dat.htm

[doug from upland]

To whom do we give credit for this?

[Senator Pardek]

Who do they remind you of?

That's a tricky one, but you nailed it! "Who" is doing the "reminding", not "you".

[aruanan]

I after E except before C, and E before N in 'chicken'.

Isn't that supposed to be I before E except after C?

[T'wit]

A whole generation has abandoned "who" and "whom" and simply refer to people as "that." My guess is they went through public schools, taught by semi-literate teachers who, er, that, er, whom, er, which did not have a clue about it him- or herselves.

I don't suppose there's much to be done about it except use words correctly ourselves.

[Ditter]

Maybe you can answer my question. Who is this "noone" guy I keep hearing about. example: I went to the door but noone was there. ;9}

[Senator Pardek]

Uselves, T'wit - uselves.

[T'wit]

Try it: "Of whom do they remind you?"