English Language Arts
Grade 7
15 min
Use relative pronouns: who and whom
Use relative pronouns: who and whom
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1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify relative pronouns 'who' and 'whom' in sentences.
Distinguish between the subject and object functions of pronouns within a dependent clause.
Correctly apply the 'he/him' test to determine whether to use 'who' or 'whom'.
Construct grammatically correct sentences using 'who' and 'whom' as relative pronouns.
Revise sentences to correct errors in the usage of 'who' and 'whom'.
Explain the grammatical role of 'who' and 'whom' in a sentence.
Recognize when 'whom' is used after a preposition.
Ever wondered if you should say 'Who did you see?' or 'Whom did you see?' 🤔 Getting 'who' and 'whom' r...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Relative PronounA pronoun (like who, whom, whose, which, that) that introduces a dependent clause and connects it to an antecedent (a noun or pronoun) in the main clause.The student *who* studied hard passed the test.
AntecedentThe noun or pronoun that a relative pronoun refers back to and replaces in a sentence.The *girl* whom I met is friendly. ('Girl' is the antecedent for 'whom')
SubjectThe noun or pronoun that performs the action of the verb in a sentence or clause.*She* sings beautifully. ('She' is the subject of 'sings')
ObjectA noun or pronoun that receives the action of a verb or is the object of a preposition.I saw *him*. ('Him' is the object of 'saw') / I gave the book to *her*. ('Her' i...
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Key Rules & Conventions
Rule 1: Use 'Who' for Subjects
'Who' acts as the subject of the verb within its own dependent clause.
If the relative pronoun is performing the action in the dependent clause, use 'who'. Think of 'who' as replacing 'he' or 'she'.
Rule 2: Use 'Whom' for Objects
'Whom' acts as the object of the verb or the object of a preposition within its own dependent clause.
If the relative pronoun is receiving the action of the verb or comes after a preposition, use 'whom'. Think of 'whom' as replacing 'him' or 'her'.
The 'He/Him' Test (Trick)
To decide between 'who' and 'whom', isolate the dependent clause and replace the relative pro...
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Challenging
A student needs to combine two sentences: 'The programmer is my cousin. The programmer designed the app.' Which combined sentence is grammatically correct and best structured?
A.The programmer whom designed the app is my cousin.
B.The programmer, who designed the app, is my cousin.
C.My cousin is the programmer whom designed the app.
D.The programmer is my cousin, who designed the app.
Challenging
Consider the sentence: 'Give the award to whoever you think is most deserving.' Why is 'whoever' correct here instead of 'whomever'?
A.'Whoever' is the object of the preposition 'to'.
B.'Whoever' is the subject of the verb 'is' in the clause 'whoever... is most deserving'.
C.'Whomever' is not a real word.
D.The phrase 'you think' requires the use of 'whoever'.
Challenging
In which sentence is the use of 'who' or 'whom' determined by its role as the object of a verb in a dependent clause?
A.The person who is in charge will help you.
B.I know the family with whom you are staying.
C.The author whom the book club invited gave a great talk.
D.Who left the lights on in the classroom?
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