tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post1325287733951744246..comments2023-07-19T01:13:09.713-07:00Comments on Grammar Gang: Does "Whom" Still Exist?The Purdue and UniSA Connectionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01873311749547093059noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-61971368091597966422010-05-19T01:24:30.602-07:002010-05-19T01:24:30.602-07:00Hi - I indadvertently deleted a comment which I di...Hi - I indadvertently deleted a comment which I distinctly remember had a reference to the use of 'whom' as being 'academic BS'. I wonder if whoever (note, I did not say 'whomever' or 'whomsoever' wrote it could post it again because it was a feisty and useful post - I thought.<br /><br />Cheers<br />AndreaAndrea Duffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15765014126812043135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-2573617713247436722010-05-17T04:49:36.663-07:002010-05-17T04:49:36.663-07:00This is a situation that really does not have a go...This is a situation that really does not have a good answer. Both sentences seem awkward, but there really aren't any other options. The first recommendation is to substitute "what" for "who/m," because "who/m" should really be used in place of persons, and (argue with me if you like) organizations are not people. Secondly, the best advice is to select another, non-phrasal verb like "mean," as in, "What does NGO mean?"<br /><br />Hope this helps,<br />BradyBrady Spangenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00648894778162563282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-47847080095286497582010-05-12T01:01:26.331-07:002010-05-12T01:01:26.331-07:00Which of the following two sentence is correct and...Which of the following two sentence is correct and does use of a phrasal verb (stand for) make a difference to the usual rule of "whom" after a preposition?:<br /><br />1. Who do NGOs really stand for?<br />2. For whom do NGOs really stand for?<br /><br />(NGO = non-government organisation (a charity in everyday parlance).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-31231206023754770772009-03-28T11:21:00.000-07:002009-03-28T11:21:00.000-07:00I love your German instructor's definition of a di...I love your German instructor's definition of a direct object as something that's being <I>verbed</I>. lol<BR/><BR/>I not only use <I>whom</I>, but I also know when to use it and why. More and more I hear bombastic people using the word when they want to sound important and knowledgeable. Instead, they just sound stupid. And no, I don't sound like a Victorian escapee; I sound like someone who paid atten in third grade. It's not that complicated.<BR/><BR/>This was a good post, mostly. However, the statement that "Secondly, <I>whom</I> provides a signal that the person in question is the direct object of the verb. In other words, whomever (see!) the <I>whom</I> refers to is receiving the action of the verb (not performing the action)" was incorrect. <I>Whom</I> <B>can</B> signal that the person <B>may be</B> a direct object. It can also be an indirect object, or more commonly, the object of a preposition, the prepositional phrase serving as an indirect or direct object. Your final question (And to whom shall I reply?) is an example of the latter. But <I>whom</I> is always an object of something, be it verb or preposition.<BR/><BR/>A related pair of words that are very often misused is <I>whoever</I> and <I>whomever</I>. People often assume that the word form after a pronoun has to be the object <I>whom</I> or <I>whomever</I>. But when there is a <I>whomever</I> clause serving as the object of a preposition, then <I>whomever</I> is not the object itself; then entire clause is. <I>Whoever</I> would be the subject of the verb in the clause, so using <I>whomever</I> is a mistake. <BR/><BR/>Example: I will give the pen to <B>whoever</B> raises her hand first. (Not <I>whomever</I>.)Karlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17377414299863095608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-79633220399094093412009-02-23T21:24:00.000-08:002009-02-23T21:24:00.000-08:00I'm with Susanna on this one. Sometimes you're on ...I'm with Susanna on this one. Sometimes you're on the phone and you expect the caller or receiver to identify themselves as a matter of courtsey, but they don't! It then sounds rather rude to ask, 'Who am I taking to?'. However, asking 'To whom am I speaking?' makes the point politely and achieves the required response.<BR/>I think this is the only context where I use 'whom'.<BR/>VirginiaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-69794120568446424322009-02-06T09:05:00.000-08:002009-02-06T09:05:00.000-08:00Great blog! I really enjoyed this post on the use...Great blog! I really enjoyed this post on the use of <I>whom</I> and whether it still exists. I used to be intimidated by the word and avoided using it, but once I finally understood the rules of usage, I started to use it more often. <BR/> <BR/>Dianna Booher's book, <I>Booher's Rules of Business Grammar: 101 Fast and Easy Ways to Correct the Most Common Errors</I> (McGraw-Hill) has an easy memory tip that has helped me. <BR/> <BR/>Substitute <I>he</I> (the subject word) and <I>him</I> (the object word) for <I>who</I> and <I>whom</I> and let your ear do the rest. If <I>he</I> sounds right, use <I>who</I> or <I>whoever</I>. If <I>him</I> sounds right, use <I>whom</I> or <I>whomever</I>. <BR/><BR/>I know the word is fading and in most cases can be avoided, but it never hurts to know the proper usage. <BR/> <BR/>To your continued success,<BR/>Rachel Randolph<BR/><BR/>www.boohersrules.comRachel Randolphhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09102272983577873785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-26167137726550938752009-01-26T08:23:00.000-08:002009-01-26T08:23:00.000-08:00Great point, Rachel. "One" is another pronoun tha...Great point, Rachel. "One" is another pronoun that is falling into daily usage oblivion. I think the loss of the indefinite third person pronoun is even more lamentable than "whom," mostly because "one" is being replaced by "you." It is possible to avoid "whom" in one's writing, mostly because it is only used in a few specific cases. On the other hand, there are many more instances that require "one/you." As most of us have come to learn, it only takes one "you" to wreck a perfectly good paper in the eyes of our readers.Brady Spangenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00648894778162563282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-31533278988457190982009-01-25T17:04:00.000-08:002009-01-25T17:04:00.000-08:00I'm erratic about whether I use it in speech. I av...I'm erratic about whether I use it in speech. I avoid it in my writing (unless editorial guidelines dictate otherwise) because I would prefer to be consistent, and being consistently correct requires much more effort than a simple search/replace at the end to remove any 'whom's which have crept in.<BR/><BR/>Does anyone apart from me still use 'one'? I got mocked for that at school but I still say it instinctively.Rachel Cotterillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08969719330048416996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-80776958131660086642009-01-18T16:47:00.000-08:002009-01-18T16:47:00.000-08:00'To whom it may concern'I think that 'whom' is bec...'To whom it may concern'<BR/>I think that 'whom' is becoming unfashionable in everyday English speech but is still used in formal writing like the phrase above in letters of introduction or references.<BR/>I like to use whom when I am looking to emphasise a point when speaking. For example: 'To whom am I speaking?'<BR/>Great grammar point Brady!<BR/><BR/>SusannaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-62252425477974675622009-01-18T02:21:00.000-08:002009-01-18T02:21:00.000-08:00I seldom use the word "whom", except in formal sit...I seldom use the word "whom", except in formal situations. I occasionally speak the word but almost never write it.med tutorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16234748546797445829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714518845507850015.post-153586115109387202009-01-17T07:22:00.000-08:002009-01-17T07:22:00.000-08:00First of all, thanks for the good explanation of w...First of all, thanks for the good explanation of whom.<BR/><BR/>I still use this word, instinctively. But I tell my French students who are learning English to forget about it in day-to-day use. I want them to recognize the word but I'm less concerned if they learn to use it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com