Who and whom both ask about people, but they work differently in sentences.

The Simple Rule

WHO = subject (does the action)

• Who called you? (Who did the calling?)

WHOM = object (receives the action)

• Whom did you call? (You did the calling; whom received it?)

The Easy Trick

Replace with he/him:

• He = use WHO
• Him = use WHOM

Examples:

• Who/Whom is coming?

• Test: He is coming. (not "him is coming")

• Answer: Who is coming?

• Who/Whom did you see?

• Test: I saw him. (not "I saw he")

• Answer: Whom did you see?

When to Use WHO

As subject of a verb:

• Who lives here?
• Who made this cake?
• Who is calling?

When to Use WHOM

After prepositions:

• To whom did you give it?
• With whom are you going?
• For whom is this gift?

As object of a verb:

• Whom did you invite?
• Whom should I call?

Note: In casual English, many native speakers use WHO even as object. "Who did you invite?" is very common in speech.

Formal vs. Casual

Formal/Written English:

• To whom it may concern (letter opening)
• Whom did you see?

Casual/Spoken English:

• Who did you see? (very common, accepted in speech)

Memory Tricks

1. He/Him Trick: He = who, Him = whom
2. M for M: Whom = him (both end in M)
3. After preposition: Always whom (to whom, with whom, for whom)

Common Mistakes

❌ Whom is at the door? ✅ Who is at the door? (subject)

❌ Who did you give it to? (technically) ✅ To whom did you give it? (formal correct) ✅ Who did you give it to? (casual, widely accepted)

FAQs

Q: Is "whom" still used? A: Yes, in formal writing. In casual speech, "who" is more common.

Q: Will people correct me if I use "who" instead of "whom"? A: Rarely, especially in casual conversation.

Q: Can I always use "who" and forget "whom"? A: In casual speech, yes, mostly. But learn "whom" for formal writing, tests, and after prepositions.