Login
Forgot Password?

OR

Login with Google Login with Twitter Login with Facebook
  • Join
  • Profiles
  • Groups
  • SuicideGirls
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Shop
Vital Stats

truthfatal

Canada

Member Since 2004

Followers 9 Following 22

  • Everything
  • Photos
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Groups
  • From Others

Saturday Jan 21, 2006

Jan 20, 2006
0
  • Facebook
  • Tweet
  • Email

A short cut to "who" and "whom."

* Nominative: who
* Possessive: whose
* Objective: whom

The rule:

1.

treat the "who-clause" as a mini-sentence.

If you could substitute "he" for the who-whom, it's a "who." If you could substitute "him" for the who-whom it's a "whom."

The trick is where ellipsis has occurred or where parentheticals have been inserted and the number of people in important and memorable places who get it wrong. "Who do I see?" Wrong: I see he? No. I see "him." Whom do I see?
2.

"Who" never changes case to match an antecedent. (word to which it refers)
* I blame them who made the unjust law. CORRECT.
* It is she whom they blame. CORRECT: The who-clause is WHOM THEY BLAME.
* They blame HER=him, =whom.
* I am the one WHO is at fault. CORRECT.
* I am the one WHOM they blame. CORRECT.
* They took him WHOM they blamed. CORRECT---but not because WHOM matches HIM: that doesn't matter: correct because "they" is the subject of "blamed" and "whom" is the object.
* I am he WHOM THEY BLAME. CORRECT. Whom is the "object" of "they blame."

Back to rule one: "who" clauses are completely independent in case from the rest of the sentence. The case of "who" in its clause changes by the internal logic of the clause and by NO influence outside the clause. Repeat to yourself: there is no connection, there is no connection 3 x and you will never mistake for whom the bell tolls.

The examples above probably grate over your nerves. That's why "that" is gaining in popularity in the vernacular and why a lot of copyeditors will correct you incorrectly on this point. I'm beginning to believe that nine tenths of the English-speaking universe can't handle these little clauses.


http://www.sfwa.org/writing/chadvce.htm

More Blogs

  • 12.17.05
    2

    Saturday Dec 17, 2005

    I need a website developer... A free one preferably. My HTML knowled…
  • 12.04.05
    0

    Sunday Dec 04, 2005

    Christmas shopping = Done. I rule!
  • 11.19.05
    4

    Saturday Nov 19, 2005

    I'm trying to think of something new or interesting to update this jo…
  • 11.12.05
    0

    Saturday Nov 12, 2005

    I love Station X.
  • 11.06.05
    1

    Sunday Nov 06, 2005

    The Coolest indows program I have ever downloaded: ZMatrix
  • 11.04.05
    0

    Friday Nov 04, 2005

    I learned something this week. excercize hurts.
  • 11.03.05
    0

    Thursday Nov 03, 2005

    Yay! Internet comes home tomorrow!
  • 10.12.05
    2

    Wednesday Oct 12, 2005

    I still like Pie. I also still have very little of value to say.
  • 10.09.05
    0

    Sunday Oct 09, 2005

    Oct 17 my Username should change back to truthfatal. Either that, …
  • 09.17.05
    0

    Saturday Sep 17, 2005

    I saw a SG segment on Real Sex on Showcase last night. It was kind of…

We at SuicideGirls have been celebrating alternative pin-up girls for:

23
years
11
months
3
days
  • 5,509,826 fans
  • 41,393 fans
  • 10,327,617 followers
  • 4,604 SuicideGirls
  • 1,115,148 followers
  • 14,955,457 photos
  • 321,315 followers
  • 61,480,282 comments
  • Join
  • Profiles
  • Groups
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Shop
  • Help
  • About
  • Press
  • LIVE

Legal/Tos | DMCA | Privacy Policy | 18 U.S.C. 2257 Record-Keeping Requirements Compliance Statement | Contact Us | Vendo Payment Support
©SuicideGirls 2001-2025

Press enter to search
Fast Hi-res

Click here to join & see it all...

Crop your photo