English Language Arts
Grade 12
15 min
Use relative pronouns: who and whom
Use relative pronouns: who and whom
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Differentiate between the subjective case (who) and objective case (whom) for relative pronouns in complex sentences.
Correctly use 'who' and 'whom' to introduce relative clauses in their own college-level writing.
Analyze sentences from British and World literature to identify the grammatical function of 'who' and 'whom'.
Deconstruct complex sentences, including those with interrupter phrases, to determine the correct pronoun case.
Revise and edit written work to eliminate common errors in 'who' vs. 'whom' usage.
Evaluate the stylistic effect of precise pronoun usage in formal academic and professional contexts.
Are you the writer *who* commands language with precision, or the one *for whom* cer...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Relative PronounA pronoun (like who, whom, which, that, whose) that introduces a dependent (relative) clause and connects it to an antecedent.In 'The author, *who* wrote the novel, is celebrated,' the pronoun 'who' introduces the clause and connects it to 'author'.
Relative Clause (Adjective Clause)A dependent clause that functions as an adjective to modify a noun or pronoun. It almost always begins with a relative pronoun.In 'The character *whom the protagonist admired* was complex,' the clause modifies 'character'.
AntecedentThe noun or pronoun to which another pronoun refers.In 'It was *Hamlet* who famously contemplated mortality,' 'Hamlet' is the antecedent of 'who'.
Subjective Case (...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Subject Rule: 'Who'
Use 'who' when the pronoun is the subject of the verb in the relative clause.
A simple test is to substitute 'he' or 'they' for the pronoun within the relative clause. If the rephrased clause makes grammatical sense, 'who' is correct. Example: The student (who) won the award. -> *He* won the award. (Correct).
The Object Rule: 'Whom'
Use 'whom' when the pronoun is the object (direct, indirect, or of a preposition) in the relative clause.
To test this, substitute 'him' or 'them' for the pronoun within the relative clause. If the rephrased clause makes sense, 'whom' is correct. Example: The artist (whom) I admire. -> I admire *him*. (Correct).
Th...
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Challenging
A student wrote the following paragraph: 'The committee selected the candidate whom they felt was best qualified. This was the person to who they awarded the grant. The person, who the board approved, will start Monday.' How many 'who/whom' errors are present?
A.Two
B.One
C.Three
D.None
Challenging
In a passage of post-structuralist critical theory, you read: 'The author, whom we can no longer consider the sole arbiter of meaning, is a construct of the reader who interprets the text.' Why is 'whom' the correct choice in this highly formal context?
A.Because 'author' is the object of the entire sentence.
B.Because the pronoun is the subject of the verb 'is'.
C.Because 'we can no longer consider' is an interrupter phrase.
D.Because the pronoun is the direct object of the verb 'consider' within its own clause.
Challenging
Which of the following sentences correctly uses 'who' as the subject of a verb that is itself part of a clause acting as the object of a preposition?
A.The administration will give the award to the student who they select.
B.The debate is about who should have the authority to make the decision.
C.The scholarship is for whomever the committee, after long deliberation, decides is the most worthy candidate.
D.We spoke to the person whom, it was rumored, had discovered the artifact.
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