Who vs Whom
In English, who and whom serve different grammatical roles: who replaces subjects while whom replaces objects. This guide explains when to use each word with clear examples.
Who
Use who when referring to the subject of a sentence or clause—that is, the person performing the action. Think of who as replacing a he/she/they that does something.
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 👩🌾 Who is planting the trees over there? | Who is the subject doing the action of planting? |
| 👨👩👧 Who brought the picnic blanket? | Who is the subject bringing the blanket? |
| 🧑💬 Who wants to share a story? | Who is the subject wanting to share? |
| 👨🏫 Who teaches the gardening class? | Who is the subject teaching? |
| 👩🚒 Who helped carry the water cans? | Who is the subject that helped? |
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Whom
Use whom when referring to an object—the recipient of an action, or the object of a preposition. Think of whom as replacing him/her/them when they receive an action.
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🧑 To whom should I give this bouquet? | Whom is the object of the preposition to. |
| 🌻 Whom did you invite to the garden party? | Whom is the direct object of invited. |
| 🧴 With whom are you sharing the sunscreen? | Whom is the object of the preposition with. |
| 📬 From whom did you receive the seed packet? | Whom is the object of the preposition from. |
| 🪴 Whom did the volunteer mentor today? | Whom is the direct object of mentored. |
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Tests
One quick test is to substitute he/him or they/them: use who if he fits and whom if him fits. Another test is to see if the word follows a preposition, which often signals whom.
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 👩🌾 Who is watering the plants? | Subject test: replace who with he/she. |
| 🌱 Whom did you ask about the compost? | Object test: replace whom with him/her. |
| 🧑🤝🧑 Who made the garden sign? | Subject test: replace who with they. |
| 🧴 With whom did you share the seeds? | Object test: replace whom with them. |
| 🧑🌾 I don’t know who planted the roses. | Indirect question: who stays. |
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Usage
In questions and relative clauses, choose who or whom based on whether the word functions as subject or object within the clause. When in doubt, apply the substitution tests.
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 👩🌾 Who is planting those rows? | Subject of a verb uses who. |
| 🌻 I saw someone whom you know. | Object of a verb uses whom. |
| 🧑💬 Who can I talk to about the garden schedule? | Informal after preposition often uses who. |
| 🧑🏫 To whom should I send the volunteer form? | Formal preposition + whom. |
| 🧑🌾 She is the one who organized the plant sale. | Who introduces a subject clause. |
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Summary
Who asks about or replaces a subject, while whom asks about or replaces an object. These small distinctions help sentences sound more precise and natural.
Last updated: Tue Sep 16, 2025