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B1 pronoun 3 min de lecture

whom

Entraîne-toi

§ Understanding 'Whom'

The pronoun 'whom' often causes confusion, but it's actually quite straightforward once you understand its role. Simply put, 'whom' is the objective case of 'who'. This means it functions as the object of a verb or a preposition, much like 'him' or 'her'. Think of it as the receiver of the action, rather than the doer.

§ 'Whom' vs. 'Who'

This is the most common point of confusion. 'Who' is the subjective case pronoun, meaning it acts as the subject of a verb (the one performing the action). 'Whom', on the other hand, is the objective case pronoun, meaning it acts as the object of a verb or a preposition (the one receiving the action).

Subject vs. Object

Who: He called the doctor. (He is the subject)
Whom: The doctor called him. (Him is the object)

Let's look at some examples to solidify this understanding:

Who is coming to the party?

In this sentence, 'who' is the subject of the verb 'is coming'. You could replace it with 'she' ('She is coming to the party?').

To whom did you give the book?

Here, 'whom' is the object of the preposition 'to'. You could replace it with 'him' ('You gave the book to him?').

§ 'Whom' After Prepositions

One of the clearest indicators that you should use 'whom' is when it follows a preposition. Prepositions such as 'to', 'for', 'with', 'by', 'from', etc., always take an object, and that object in this case would be 'whom'.

Common Prepositions with Whom

To whom it may concern.
For whom the bell tolls.
With whom did you speak?

She is the person with whom I shared my secret.

In this instance, 'whom' is the object of the preposition 'with'.

§ When 'Whom' Feels Formal (and Alternatives)

While grammatically correct, 'whom' can sometimes sound very formal, especially in casual conversation. In many spoken contexts, or even in less formal writing, people often use 'who' even when 'whom' would be technically correct. However, in formal writing or speeches, adhering to the 'who'/'whom' distinction is generally expected.

Formal vs. Informal

Formal: To whom did you address the letter?
Informal: Who did you address the letter to? (Note the preposition at the end)

The director, whom I met yesterday, is very kind.

Here, 'whom' is the object of the verb 'met'. While 'who I met yesterday' is common in spoken English, 'whom' maintains a more formal tone.

§ Similar Words and Avoiding Common Mistakes

There aren't direct 'similar words' in terms of function for 'whom' as it's quite unique in its objective pronoun role when referring to people. However, understanding its relation to other pronouns is key:

Who: Subjective (he, she, they)
Whom: Objective (him, her, them)
Whose: Possessive (his, hers, theirs)

A common mistake is using 'whom' when 'who' is required, especially in questions. For example, 'Whom is responsible?' is incorrect; it should be 'Who is responsible?' because 'who' is the subject.

In summary, while 'whom' might seem intimidating, remembering its role as the objective case of 'who' and utilizing the 'him/her' test can greatly simplify its correct usage. Pay particular attention when it follows prepositions or acts as the object of a verb, especially in formal contexts.

Pratique dans la vie réelle

Contextes réels

When 'whom' is the object of a verb or preposition. This often happens in more formal writing or speech.

To whom it may concern,
With whom did you speak?
Whom do you trust?

In questions where the answer would be an object pronoun (him, her, them).

Whom are you referring to?
For whom is this gift?
Whom did they invite?

After prepositions like 'to,' 'with,' 'for,' 'by,' 'from,' etc.

To whom did you send the email?
With whom are you going?
From whom did you receive this message?

In more formal or literary contexts, 'whom' is sometimes used when 'who' would be considered less formal, even if technically correct.

He is a man whom I greatly admire.
The person whom we met was very kind.
She spoke to an expert, whom she found very helpful.

In subordinate clauses, especially after verbs like 'know,' 'believe,' 'say,' where the 'whom' is the object of the clause.

I know whom you mean.
They believe whom to be the best candidate.
Tell me whom you saw at the party.

Amorces de conversation

"Can you think of a situation where you might use 'whom' in a very formal way?"

"What's a common mistake people make when trying to use 'whom'?"

"In your opinion, is 'whom' becoming less common in everyday conversation?"

"Do you find it easy or difficult to decide when to use 'who' versus 'whom'?"

"Can you share an example of a sentence where 'whom' feels natural to you?"

Sujets d'écriture

Write about a time you had to formally address someone, using 'whom' in your writing.

Reflect on the difference between 'who' and 'whom' and try to come up with five sentences using each correctly.

Imagine you're writing a letter to a very important person. How would you use 'whom' to maintain a respectful tone?

Describe a situation where you've heard someone use 'whom' incorrectly and explain why it was incorrect.

Explore the reasons why 'whom' might be perceived as a more difficult pronoun to use compared to 'who'.

Teste-toi 12 questions

sentence order B1

Touche les mots ci-dessous pour construire la phrase

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : The person to whom I spoke was very helpful.

This sentence correctly uses 'whom' as the object of the preposition 'to'.

sentence order B1

Touche les mots ci-dessous pour construire la phrase

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : She is the friend with whom I went on vacation.

'Whom' is the object of the preposition 'with' in this sentence.

sentence order B1

Touche les mots ci-dessous pour construire la phrase

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : To whom should I address this letter?

Here, 'whom' is the object of the preposition 'to' and starts the question.

listening C1

Consider the formal context and the recipient of the complaint.

Correct ! Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : To whom should I address this formal complaint regarding the service discrepancy?