who/whom

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1

I’m frustrated that I still do not understand the difference between who vs whom clearly despite doing a lot of research on it. I know that who is for subject and whom is for the object.

My question is
is there a sentence like

blah blah blah, WHOM is a doctor? sounds very awkward and I can’t think of a situation that works.

I found the bill sale for my great-great-great grandmother Elisabeth, who is sold in 1850 in Cane River.

The sentence above always gets me! Because I thought that I was the subject, so Elisabeth is the object. Which is why I picked whom. Can someone explain this to me please?

Thanks

2

It sometimes helps to think of sentences with relative clauses as if they were separate sentences. (I am correcting the verb tense.)

I found the bill sale for my great-great-great grandmother Elisabeth. She was sold in 1850 in Cane River.

In the second sentence, “she” is the subject. So “she” must be in the subjective/nominative case. “Her” would clearly be incorrect.

When you combine the sentences by replacing “she” with a relative pronoun, the pronoun must also be in the subjective/nominative case. So “who” is required. “Whom” would be incorrect for the same reason “her” would have been incorrect.

–

“WHOM is a doctor” is always incorrect.

3

Ok thanks, that is what I needed. I wasn’t sure if there is a situation of WHOM is something. Now I know, it is so much easier for me. Thank you very much.

4

Who is the SUBJECTIVE case
Who is equivalent to: I, we, he, she

Whom is the OBJECTIVE case
Whom is equivalent to: me, us, him, her

Correct:
You went to the movie with HIM.
You went to the movie with WHOM?

Incorrect:
You went to the movie with HE.
You went to the movie with WHO?

5

As noted above, a quick way to remember the difference is that if you can answer the question with HIM, with an M, the word is WHOM, with an M.

Who did that? – He did.
You hit whom? – I hit him.

6

I have nothing else to add, but make sure that you really evaluate based on each clause. If you have a subordinate clause where the subject is either who/whom (or whoever/whomever), you need to make sure that you choose who.

For example: I want to hire whoever knows the area best.

Even though you’re hiring someone, the subordinate clause “____ knows the area best” overrides that. Even though that clause is the direct object of the verb “want,” you have a subordinate clause where whoever is the subject. If the subordinate clause acts as a DO/IO or even the object of a preposition, you may still use who if it’s the subject of that secondary clause/phrase.

7

I teach math, not English, but I agree with @bodangles.

That’s the easiest way for me to remember it, or to explain it to my own kids or the kids in my homeroom.

Turn the sentence around to make it a question.
If “he” is the answer, then it’s “who.”
If “him” is the answer, then it’s “whom.”

“Who left the water running?” He did, mom.
“To whom did you address the letter?” I addressed it to him.