Who or whom?

Who is communicating whom?

The choice between "who" and "whom" in English depends on their grammatical roles within a sentence, specifically as relative pronouns in interrogative (question) or relative clauses.

Here's a simple guide:

"Who" as the Subject:

• Use "who" when referring to the subject of a sentence or clause.

• Example: Who is coming to the party?

"Whom" as the Object:

• Use "whom" when referring to the object of a verb or preposition.

• Example: Whom did you invite to the party? (You invited whom?)

How to Decide:

• If you can replace the word with "he," "she," or "they," use "who."

• If you can replace it with "him," "her," or "them," use "whom."

Examples:

Who:

• Who is that?

• The man who called is my friend.

• The students who passed the exam are happy.

Whom:

• Whom did you see at the park?

• To whom did you give the book?

• The person whom I admire is my teacher.

The use of "whom" has become less common in informal contexts, and for the sake of simplicity (and the risk of being confidently incorrect) most English speakers might use "who" instead, especially in spoken language.