Who or Whom | Master English Grammar Easily for 2026

Confused about who or whom? You’re not alone! 

Many English learners struggle with this common grammar question. Using who vs whom correctly can make your writing professional and your speech polished. 

In this guide, we’ll show simple rules, real-life examples, and tips so you’ll never mix them up again.

---

Quick Answer: Who or Whom?

Pronoun	Use	Example
Who	Subject of a sentence or clause	Who is calling you?
Whom	Object of a verb or preposition	To whom should I send this email?

💡 Memory tip:

• Replace with he/she/they → use who
  
• Replace with him/her/them → use whom
  

Examples in sentences:

• “Who wrote this book?” ✅ (subject)
  
• “She is the person whom I met yesterday.” ✅ (object)
  
• “To whom it may concern” ✅ (preposition + object)
  

---

Why Do We Use Who and Whom?

Who and whom come from Old English:

• hwā → who (subject)
  
• hwām → whom (object)
  

Over time, English evolved, but the subject-object rule stayed. Knowing this helps understand why whom sounds formal today. In casual conversation, many native speakers use who for both subjects and objects but in writing, whom is still preferred for correctness.

---

Who vs Whom: Subject and Object Made Easy

Sometimes, it’s confusing to identify subject vs object. Here’s a quick trick:

• Subject = who / he/she/they → does the action
  
• Object = whom / him/her/them → receives the action
  

Examples:

• “Who is coming to the party?” → Who = subject
  
• “Whom did you call last night?” → Whom = object
  
• “The teacher, who loves reading, inspires students.” → Who = subject of clause
  
• “The person whom I thanked smiled.” → Whom = object of verb
  

---

Real Life Examples

Emails / Formal Writing:

• To whom it may concern… ✅
  
• Please send the report to whom it may concern. ✅
  
• Incorrect: Please send the report to who it may concern. ❌
  

Conversation / Social Media:

• “Who’s joining us for dinner?” ✅
  
• “Whom should I invite to the party?” ✅
  
• Casual version: “Who should I invite to the party?” ✅ (informal)
  

Everyday Sentences:

• “Do you know who is responsible for this?” ✅
  
• “Do you know whom I should ask for help?” ✅
  

---

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Using who as an object
   ❌ “Who did you meet yesterday?” → correct: Whom did you meet yesterday?
   
2. Using whom as a subject
   ❌ “Whom is calling?” → correct: Who is calling?
   
3. Skipping the preposition
   ❌ “Whom should I give this?” → correct: To whom should I give this?
   
4. Overusing whom in casual speech
   
   • “Whom should I text?” sounds formal
     
   • “Who should I text?” is natural in conversation
     

---

Easy Tips and Tricks

1. He/She/They vs Him/Her/Them Test
   
   • “Can you help him?” → use whom
     
   • “He can help you” → use who
     
2. Preposition Clues
   
   • If a preposition comes before the pronoun (to, for, with, by), whom is correct
     
3. Formal Letters / Emails
   
   • Classic: “To whom it may concern”
     
   • Professional tip: Use whom to sound polished
     
4. Questions Made Simple
   
   • Who/whom at the start of a question: check if it’s subject or object
     
   • Object → whom, Subject → who
     

---

Advanced Tips for ESL Learners

• Relative clauses:
  
  • “The person who helped me” ✅ (subject)
    
  • “The person whom I helped” ✅ (object)
    
• Ending sentences:
  
  • “Who are you talking to?” ❌ (informal okay in speech)
    
  • “To whom are you talking?” ✅ (formal)
    
• Mixing casual and formal contexts
  
  • Social media → “Who should I tag?” ✅
    
  • Business emails → “To whom should I address this?” ✅
    

---

Who vs Whom Explained

Many learners search “who vs whom explained”. Here’s the short guide:

• Who = subject (performs the action)
  
• Whom = object (receives the action)
  
• Quick test: he/she/they = who, him/her/them = whom
  

---

Difference Between Who and Whom

Users often want clear distinctions.

• Who: I asked who called me. ✅
  
• Whom: I asked whom you called. ✅
  
• Key tip: If unsure, swap pronoun with he/she or him/her to test
  

---

Whom vs Who in Questions

• Correct: “Whom should I contact for help?” ✅ (formal)
  
• Casual: “Who should I contact for help?” ✅ (informal)
  
• Remember: subject = who, object = whom
  

---

When to Use Whom

• Use whom:
  
  • After prepositions → to, for, with, by
    
  • As object of verbs → “I met the person whom I mentioned”
    
• Use who:
  
  • As subject → “Who is coming to dinner?”
    

---

Examples of Who and Whom in Sentences

• Who is responsible for this task? ✅
  
• Whom did you see at the party? ✅
  
• To whom should I send the invitation? ✅
  
• The teacher, who is very kind, helps students. ✅
  
• The student whom I advised got top marks. ✅
  

---

Who or Whom After Prepositions

• Always check for prepositions: to, for, with, by
  
• Correct: “To whom it may concern” ✅
  
• Incorrect: “To who it may concern” ❌
  
• Tip: Preposition + object = whom
  

---

FAQs

Q1: Can I always use “who” instead of “whom”?
A1: Yes, in casual conversation. But in formal writing, it’s better to use whom correctly.

Q2: Is “whom” disappearing from English?
A2: Not completely. It’s less common in speech, but still important in formal writing and professional emails.

Q3: How can I identify who vs whom quickly?
A3: Use the he/she/they vs him/her/them test. If it fits him/her/them, use whom.

Q4: Can a sentence start with whom?
A4: Yes, especially in formal contexts:

• “Whom should I contact about this matter?” ✅
  

Q5: Should I use whom after prepositions?
A5: Yes, especially in formal writing:

• “To whom it may concern.” ✅