Who cares about the difference between WHO and WHOM?

1. Who cares about the difference between WHO and WHOM? Those to whom grammar matters, as well as those who care about ACT scores!

2. Whom • Let’s face it. This word is a problem! • Few use it correctly. • Many who KNOW the difference between who and whom don’t use it because it sounds “stuffy” or too scholarly. • Whom are you calling, dear?

3. Who still cares about WHOM? • The makers of the ACT • English teachers….like Ms. Signorino • People who wish to sound credible when speaking in professional settings. • Show-offs • Michael cares! • So should you!

4. WHO • Who is a SUBJECT pronoun. • It can ONLY be used in the SUBJECT spot in a sentence. • Who is coming to dinner? • Notice that “who” can be replaced by another subject pronoun….like “he”

5. Examples • It was Thomas Jefferson who was the third president of the United States. • Say to yourself..”he was president” He is a subject pronoun. You would never (I hope) say “Him was president” • Who called so late last night? • Who is the subject doing the calling

6. Well…what about whom then? • WHOM is always, always, always the OBJECT • OBJECT of the sentence or OBJECT of a preposition • Remember OBJECTS receive the action of the sentence.

7. Ok, show me some objects! • My sister called her boyfriend to tell him she loved him? • “boyfriend” is an object because he is not the caller, but the one being called. He is receiving the action. • Your sister called WHOM?

8. More sentences with WHOM • Whom are you calling a wimp? • Whom do you sit near in Ms. Lormeau’s fabulous English class? • Whom are you texting? • I would like to dedicate this lesson to whomever loves WHOM as much as I do! • Whom can we turn to for help?

9. Your Turn • Jones is the guy (who/ whom) I went to a concert with last week. • (Who/Whom) is that masked man? • I always buy candy from (whoever/ whomever) asks me first. • Ask (whoever/ whomever) read that book to answer the question.