English Language Arts
Grade 9
15 min
Use relative pronouns: who and whom
Use relative pronouns: who and whom
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1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Differentiate between the subjective case (who) and the objective case (whom) in complex sentences.
Identify the grammatical function of a relative pronoun (subject, direct object, object of a preposition) within a dependent clause.
Apply a substitution test (he/him or she/her) to accurately determine whether to use 'who' or 'whom'.
Construct sophisticated sentences using 'who' and 'whom' correctly to enhance clarity and style in their analytical writing.
Revise their own and peer writing to correct errors in 'who' and 'whom' usage.
Analyze how an author's choice of 'who' or 'whom' contributes to the formality and tone of a text.
Ever wonder if a detective should ask, �...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Relative PronounA pronoun that introduces a dependent (or relative) clause and connects it to an independent clause. 'Who' and 'whom' are relative pronouns that refer to people.In 'The student who aced the test studied for hours,' the word 'who' is a relative pronoun introducing the clause 'who aced the test'.
Dependent ClauseA group of words that contains a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought. It cannot stand alone as a sentence....whom the committee selected...
Subjective CaseThe form of a pronoun used when it is the subject of a verb (the one performing the action). 'Who' is the subjective case.He wrote the essay. -> Who wrote the essay?
Objective CaseThe form of a pronoun used w...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Subject vs. Object Rule
Use 'who' when the pronoun is the subject of the verb in the dependent clause. Use 'whom' when the pronoun is the object of the verb or the object of a preposition in the dependent clause.
This is the fundamental grammatical rule. To apply it, you must first isolate the dependent clause and then analyze the pronoun's role within that clause alone. Ask yourself: is the pronoun doing the action (subject) or receiving the action (object)?
The 'He/Him' Substitution Test
If you can substitute 'he' or 'she', use 'who'. If you can substitute 'him' or 'her', use 'whom'.
This is a practical shortcut. Isolate the dependent clause, temporarily replace 'who/who...
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Challenging
An author writes: 'The headmaster, for whom the students harbored a quiet respect, rarely smiled.' How does the author's choice of 'for whom' contribute to the tone of the text?
A.It creates a casual, informal tone.
B.It establishes a formal, educated, and slightly literary tone.
C.It suggests the narrator is unreliable and grammatically incorrect.
D.It makes the sentence feel rushed and simplistic.
Challenging
Carefully evaluate the following sentences. Which one is completely free of errors in its use of 'who' and 'whom'?
A.The prize will go to whomever finishes the race first.
B.She is the person who I believe is best for the job.
C.I need to know who I should give this report to.
D.The committee interviewed several applicants whom they thought were qualified.
Challenging
Fill in the blank: The journalist, ___ the senator accused of bias, is the same one ___ won the Pulitzer Prize last year.
A.whom, who
B.who, whom
C.whom, whom
D.who, who
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