Correct Usage of Who, Whom, and Whose in English Grammar

Grammar can often seem daunting, but knowing the proper usage of who, whom, and whose can greatly improve your communication. Whether you are a student, a professional, or a language enthusiast, understanding these can make your writing and speech clearer and more precise.

The Basics: Who

Who is a subject pronoun used to refer to a person who is the subject of the sentence. For example, in a sentence like "Who made this food?", "who" is the subject that performed the action of making the food.

Examples:

The person who made this food is an excellent cook. Who is coming for dinner?

The Basics: Whom

Whom is an object pronoun, used in place of a name or names in sentences where "who" would appear. "Whom" is the object of a verb or preposition. For example, in the sentence "He does not know whom to believe," "whom" is the object of the verb "to believe."

Examples:

He does not know whom to believe. To whom am I speaking?

The Basics: Whose

Whose is a possessive adjective, used in questions to ask about ownership. It is placed before a noun to indicate possession, similar to "my," "your," "his," "her," "its," "our," or "their." For example, "Whose book is this?"

Examples:

The girl whose work got the prize is the youngest in her class. I know whose coat this is.

Advanced Usage and Common Errors

These pronouns can sometimes confuse even the most seasoned writers and speakers, especially when dealing with more complex sentences. Here are some advanced tips to help avoid common errors:

Use Whose when asking about ownership:

Whose car is this? I need to know whose responsibility this is.

Use Whom when it's the object of a verb or preposition:

To whom does the book belong? With whom did you go to the party?

Use Who when it’s the subject of a verb:

Who made this food? Who is the manager of this company?

Using Who in Relative Clauses:

A relative clause (also known as a relative clause) is an adjective clause that modifies a noun in the main clause. Here, "who" is used as the subject of the relative clause. For example, "The man who runs the local store has been here for over 20 years."

Examples:

The person who provides the best service is rewarded. Whoever wins the competition gets a prize.

Whose Versus Whosever

Whoever is used in a sentence where the identity of the person is not important, but their ability or quality is. "Whosoever" is the archaic form of "whoever." For example, "The job goes to whoever answers the ad first." Here, you cannot easily rephrase the sentence by substituting a subject pronoun.

Examples:

A prize will be given to whoever solves the riddle. I’ll come around tomorrow to see whoever will be here.

Summary and Tips

In summary, the key to correctly using "who," "whom," and "whose" lies in understanding their roles in a sentence:

Who is used as the subject of a sentence or clause. Whom is used as the object of a verb or preposition. Whose is used to indicate ownership or possession.

To practice, try to identify "who," "whom," and "whose" in the following sentences:

The man who we hired last year has moved to a new city. Whom did you whom see at the party yesterday? Whose coat whose is this? She is considering whom to invite to the party.

Conclusion and Additional Resources

Correctly using "who," "whom," and "whose" can enhance your writing and communication skills, making it easier for readers and listeners to understand your intended meaning. To further improve your understanding, consider consulting grammatical guides, practicing with exercises, and reading articles on these topics.

For more resources and exercises, you can visit:

Grammarly’s blog on who vs. whom ThoughtCo’s article on who’s vs. whose

Stay safe, stay healthy, and continue to improve your language skills!