Using Who and Whomp. 185 - 187

Forms of Who and Whoever

Nominative who, whoever

Objective whom, whomever

Possessive whose, whosever

Who and whom can be used to ask questions and to introduce subordinate clauses.

Who in Questions

In a question, who is used as a subject or as a predicate pronoun (follows a linking verb).

Subject Who wrote the song “This Land Is Your Land”?

Predicate Pronoun The writer was who?

Whom in Questions

In a question, whom is used as a direct or indirect object of a verb or as the object of a preposition.

Direct Object

Whom did you ask?

Object of a Preposition

From whom did you get the

information?

Choosing Who or Whom

1. Rewrite the question as a statement.

(Who, Whom) are you speaking to? You are speaking to (who, whom).

2. Figure out whether the pronoun is a subject, an object, a predicate pronoun, or an object of a preposition.To is a preposition.

To whom are you speaking?

Subordinate Clauses

A subordinate clause contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought and cannot stand alone as a sentence.

Today is the day when I will win an award.

Subject = I

Verb = will win

Who in Subordinate Clauses

Who should be used when the pronoun functions as the subject of a subordinate clause.

Pete Seeger is a singer who cares about the environment.

Whom in Subordinate Clauses

Whom should be used when the pronoun functions as a direct object, an indirect object, or an object of a preposition.

Direct Object

Bob Dylan is one singer whom Pete Seeger influenced.

(Pete Seeger influenced whom).

Choosing Who or Whom

1. Identify the subordinate clause in the sentence.

Pete Seeger is a singer (who, whom) I admire.

2. Figure out how the pronoun is used in the sentence.

I admire (who, whom).

Direct Object

Practice & Apply p. 187 Ex. A

For # 1-5, who the correct form of the pronoun and identify how the pronoun functions in the sentence.

Subject

Direct/indirect object

Object of a preposition

Predicate Pronoun