• Home
  • Admission
    • Canada
    • United States
    • United Kingdom
  • Learning
    • Teachers
    • Courses
    • Student Journals
    • Testimonials
    • Testimonials in Chinese
    • Bill's English Clinic
  • Study Tours
    • US University Tour
    • US High School Tour
    • UK University Tour
    • CA University Tour
    • Australia Music Festival
    • Study Tour Testimonials
    • Photos
    • Q & A
  • Activities
    • Shaolin Kung Fu Club
    • Teach Seniors Tech!
    • BMO Marathon Run
    • Volunteering
  • Events
  • Contact
    • About IWE
    • Careers
  • 中文
IWE Study | College Planning & Learning Centre & Study Tours

"Who" vs. "Whom"

4/30/2019

0 Comments

 

Bill Situ

English and ESL Instructor

What is the difference between "who" and "whom"? The answer is more straightforward than you think: "Who" refers to a subject while "whom" refers to an object. An easy trick you can use is, "he" or "she" replaces "who" while "him" or "her" replaces "whom":

     Who put this on my desk? (He/she put this on my desk.)

     Whom do I give this to? (I give this to him/her.)

This same rule applies for "whoever" and "whomever":

     Whoever wins the competition gets $1000. (He/she wins the competition and gets $1000.)

     I will give this to whomever needs it. (I will give this to him/her.)

In spoken English, many people do tend to misuse "who" for "whom", but in written English, it is important to remember the distinction between the two:

     Who do I contact if I have any questions? (incorrect)

     Whom do I contact if I have any questions? (correct)

Now that you have a clearer idea how to use "who" and "whom", see if you can figure out the meaning this joke:

     A: Knock, knock!

     B: Who's there?

     A: To.

     B: To who?

     A: To whom.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Bill Situ

    Bill Situ is an instructor at IWE Study and Consulting Inc. He specializes in English and ESL.

    Archives

    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Home​
Admissions
CA Schools
US Schools
UK Schools
Learning
Teachers
Courses


Study Tours
US University Tour
US High School Tour
UK University Tour
CA University Tour
AUS Music Festival

Testimonials
Gallery

FAQ


Events
Free Tech Lessons for Seniors

BMO Vancouver Marathon 
Volunteering

News

Contact
About IWE
Careers



IWE Study & Consulting Inc. © 2013 |  Suite #130, 5611 Cooney Road, Richmond, BC, Canada  V6X 3J6  | Created by Rio Ye