English Language Arts
Grade 9
15 min
Identify and correct pronoun errors with "who"
Identify and correct pronoun errors with "who"
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Distinguish between subjective and objective case pronouns.
Define 'who' as a subjective case pronoun and 'whom' as an objective case pronoun.
Identify the grammatical function (subject, direct object, object of a preposition) of a 'who/whom' clause in a sentence.
Apply a substitution test (he/him) to determine the correct pronoun choice.
Correct sentences containing errors in 'who' and 'whom' usage.
Construct complex sentences that correctly use 'who' and 'whom' in analytical writing.
Ever hesitated between 'who' and 'whom' in a formal essay, worried you'd make the wrong choice? 🤔 Let's eliminate that uncertainty for good.
This tutorial breaks down the r...
2
Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
PronounA word that is used instead of a noun or noun phrase.In 'The author wrote the book; he is famous,' the word 'he' is a pronoun that replaces 'The author'.
CaseThe grammatical function of a noun or pronoun in a sentence, which determines its form.The three cases are subjective (I, he, she, who), objective (me, him, her, whom), and possessive (my, his, her, whose).
Subjective Case ('Who')The case used for a pronoun that acts as the subject of a verb. The subject is the person or thing performing the action.'Who wrote this novel?' (The pronoun 'Who' is the subject performing the action 'wrote').
Objective Case ('Whom')The case used for a pronoun that acts as the object of a verb or a p...
3
Key Rules & Conventions
The Subject Rule: Use 'Who'
Use 'who' (or 'whoever') when the pronoun is the subject of a verb.
If the pronoun is performing the action in its clause, it must be in the subjective case. Ask yourself: is this pronoun doing the verb's action? If yes, use 'who'.
The Object Rule: Use 'Whom'
Use 'whom' (or 'whomever') when the pronoun is the direct object of a verb or the object of a preposition.
If the pronoun is receiving the action of the verb or follows a preposition (like to, for, with), it must be in the objective case. Ask: is the action being done *to* this pronoun? If yes, use 'whom'.
The He/Him Substitution Test
Mentally replace 'who/whom' with 'he' or 'hi...
5 more steps in this tutorial
Sign up free to access the complete tutorial with worked examples and practice.
Sign Up Free to ContinueSample Practice Questions
Challenging
Choose the option that correctly fills both blanks in the sentence: 'The detective, ___ was known for his insight, questioned the witness ___ he suspected of the crime.'
A.who, whom
B.whom, who
C.who, who
D.whom, whom
Challenging
A student writes the following sentence in a literary analysis: 'The antagonist is a character who I feel the audience has little sympathy for.' The use of 'who' is incorrect. Which specific rule has the student failed to apply correctly?
A.The Subject Rule, because 'who' is not the subject of 'feel'.
B.The Object Rule, because the pronoun is the object of the preposition 'for' and must be 'whom'.
C.The rule for interrupting phrases, because 'I feel' should not affect the pronoun choice.
D.The He/Him Substitution Test, because 'he has little sympathy' would make 'who' correct.
Challenging
Consider the sentence: 'The council will give the award to whoever finished the project first.' How could you rewrite this sentence to correctly use the pronoun 'whomever' while keeping the meaning the same?
A.The council will give the award to whomever the judges choose.
B.Whomever finished the project first will receive the award from the council.
C.The person whomever finished the project first will get the award.
D.This sentence cannot be rewritten with 'whomever' as it is already correct.
Want to practice and check your answers?
Sign up to access all questions with instant feedback, explanations, and progress tracking.
Start Practicing Free