Who or Whom?
- hbkiser
- Oct 12
- 1 min read
The simplest test I know is to substitute "he/him" or "she/her" (or a person's first name) in the sentence.
If "he" or "she" fits, use "who." If "him" or "her" fits, use "whom."
Example: "The person (who/whom) called didn't leave a message." Test it: "He called" or "Him called"? Obviously "He called," so use "who."
Another: "The author (who/whom) I interviewed was fascinating." Test it: "I interviewed she" or "I interviewed her"? It's "her," so use "whom."
The trick works because "who" and "he/she" are subjects, while "whom" and "him/her" are objects.
When in doubt, rewrite to avoid the issue entirely: "The author I interviewed was fascinating." But hopefully your rewritten sentence will be far more interesting than that one.
