Are you unsure when to use ‘people who’ or ‘people whom’? Don’t worry; you’re not alone. It can be tricky to remember the rules for using these two words correctly.
This article will explain the differences between them, provide examples of correct usage, and highlight common mistakes to avoid.
Be sure to read on and get a better understanding of ‘people who’ or ‘people whom’.
Key Takeaways
- ‘People who’ is a subject pronoun used to refer to people performing an action or being described.
- ‘People whom’ is an object pronoun used to refer to people receiving some kind of action.
- ‘Who’ is used for the subject of a sentence, while ‘whom’ is used as an object.
- ‘Whom’ can often be replaced with ‘that’.
What Is the Difference Between ‘People Who’ and ‘People Whom’
You might be wondering what the difference is between ‘people who’ and ‘people whom’.
‘People who’ is a subject pronoun and is used to refer to people performing an action or being described. For example, ‘The people who attended the meeting were very engaged.’ In this sentence, ‘the people’ are the subject of the sentence and they are performing the action of attending.
On the other hand, ‘people whom’ is an object pronoun that refers to people receiving some kind of action. For example, ‘The people whom I spoke with at the meeting were very friendly.’ Here, ‘the people’ are receiving actions from someone else – in this case, being spoken to by ‘I’.
Grammatical Rules for Using ‘People Who’ and ‘People Whom’
Using contractions when referring to people can be tricky, but it’s important to know the difference between ‘who’ and ‘whom’.
‘Who’ is used for the subject of a sentence, while ‘whom’ is used as an object. For example, ‘People who came to the party’ uses ‘who’ because it’s referring to those who were doing the action.
Meanwhile, ‘I invited people whom I knew’ uses ‘whom’, since it’s referring to those receiving the action.
It’s also important to note that you can often replace ‘whom’ with ‘that’, such as in ‘People that I invited’. However, using proper grammar means using both correctly in their appropriate context.
Examples of Correct Sentences Using ‘People Who’
You’ll often hear the phrase ‘people who’ used correctly in conversation. For example, you might hear someone say ‘I know people who are really good at chess.’ Here, the use of the word ‘who’ is correct because it is referring to individuals, making it a subject pronoun.
Other examples include sentences such as ‘The people who lived here before us were very friendly’ and ‘People who volunteer for charity are kind-hearted.’ In each of these cases, using ‘who’ is correct because it refers to specific persons or groups.
As long as you remember that ‘who’ is used for subjects and not objects, you can use this phrase correctly in conversation.
Examples of Correct Sentences Using ‘People Whom’
You’d often hear the phrase ‘people whom’ used correctly in conversation. The term is typically used when referring to someone who has been affected by a particular situation, action, or event.
For example, ‘The people whom have been displaced by the war need our help.’ Here, the word ‘whom’ refers to those affected by the war.
Another example is, ‘The people whom were taken advantage of should be compensated for their suffering.’ Again, ‘whom’ refers to those who experienced harm due to another person’s actions.
Other correct uses include: ‘The people whom benefited from this policy should be acknowledged,’ and ‘We must remember the people whom have sacrificed for us.’
In each case, ‘whom’ references individuals that are impacted in some way.
Common Mistakes When Using ‘People Who’ and ‘People Whom’
People often mistakenly use ‘who’ instead of ‘whom’, and vice versa. Misusing these two words can lead to awkward or incorrect sentences.
When using ‘people who’, the following points should be taken into consideration: it should only be used when referring to the subject of a sentence; it should never follow an introductory preposition, like in ‘the people who on the bus’; and it should never be used as an object in a sentence.
On the other hand, when using ‘people whom’, you must remember that this word is always used as an object in a sentence, and it follows an introductory preposition. Furthermore, both words should not be preceded by articles such as ‘a’ or ‘an’.
Conclusion
You know the difference between ‘people who’ and ‘people whom’ now, so make sure to use them correctly in your writing.
Remember that ‘people who’ is used when referring to the subject of a sentence, while ‘people whom’ is used when referring to an object.
Don’t forget that contractions can be used in formal writing as long as they’re appropriate for the context.
Keep these tips in mind and you’ll be able to write accurately and clearly in no time!