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How to Choose Between Who and Whom
A simple technique to help you decide
I recently posted something online that contained the following sentence:
“In the end, the fortune went to the sisters, neither of who was married.”
I was tempted to use the word whom, as it seems to go better than who in that particular case. But recalling a simple technique I picked up many years ago, I was able to decide which form to use. And while whom seemed to me a better fit on that occasion, I overrode that instinct and happily posted my article using who, with every confidence that it was correct.
And yet incorrect use of who or whom is one of the most common mistakes in English, and I’ve seen it crop up in some well established places, such as national newspapers and radio broadcasters. Indeed, I recently noticed a pane on Twitter that offers suggestions under the heading Who to follow. As this article demonstrates, technically it should say Whom to follow, although I don’t think there is much outcry at this minor faux pas. But there are other scenarios when it is necessary to use the correct term, such as when applying for a job, or submitting work for publication.
To get all technical for a moment, the correct choice can be made by adhering to the rule that who refers to the…
