Other Common Pronoun Usage Problems

Does using who and whom confuse you? Do your English teachers roll their eyes when you don’t use these pronouns properly? It’s really easy when you think about it this way: in a sentence, who operates like he, and whom operates like him. To correctly choose between who and whom, think about choosing between he or him.

Who is staying at home tonight? (he works, so the correct choice is who)

She’s throwing the party for whom? (him works, so the correct choice is whom)

Has someone ever said to you, “Just between you and I, that man looks familiar”?

Something is said to be between you and me, not between you and I. So just between you and me, this brief section is finished!

For some fun with antecedents and pronouns, watch this classic Abbott and Costello routine, “Who’s on First?