Sometimes – rarely – the ACT® asks about when to use who vs whom. A really easy way to learn when to use this is from this video from "The Office."
Who vs Whom
Watch the video above. As you do, try to answer this question: What does Pam say is the rule for when to use who vs. whom?
Video Transcript
Ryan: What I really want, honestly Michael, is for you to know it so that you can communicate it to the people here, to your clients, to whomever.
Michael: Whomever is never actually right.
Ryan: Well, sometimes it's right.
Creed: Michael is right. It's a made-up word used to trick students.
Ryan: No, it's not. It's a real word. It's just the formal version of the word.
Pam: I know what's right, but I'm not gonna say because you're all jerks who didn't come see my band last night.
Ryan: Do you really know which one is correct?
Pam: I don't know.
Toby: It's whom when it's the object of the sentence and who when it's the subject.
Ryan: That sounds right.
Toby: Well, it's a tough one. A lot of people struggle with it.
Michael: No one asked you anything ever, so whomever's name is Toby, why don't you take a letter opener and stick it into your skull.
Click for the Answer
Pam says it's who when it's the subject, and whom when it's the object.
To expand on Pam's explanation, here's a simple way to remember when to use 'who' vs. 'whom':
- 'Who' is used for the subject of a sentence - the person doing the action.
- 'Whom' is used for the object of a sentence - the person receiving the action.
An easy trick is to answer the question with 'he' or 'him'. If 'he' fits, use 'who'. If 'him' fits, use 'whom'.
For example:
- Who/Whom wrote the letter? He wrote the letter. So, we use 'Who wrote the letter?'
- To who/whom was the letter addressed? The letter was addressed to him. So, we use 'To whom was the letter addressed?'
While this distinction isn't tested frequently on the ACT®, understanding it can help you with a small but important set of questions in the English section.