Who At A Glance
Who is an English pronoun that points to people; you’ll meet it most as a question word and as a relative pronoun in clauses that add details about someone.✅Source
Meaning and Core Roles
What Who Refers To
Who points to a person (or a group treated as people). It doesn’t describe things or objects by default, so it naturally pairs with human identity and personal roles.
- Interrogative Use
- Who asks which person is involved.
- Relative Use
- Who connects a person to extra information in a clause.
- Case Family
- Who (subject), whom (object in formal styles), whose (possessive).
Why It Feels So Common
Who shows up where English needs a person-focused placeholder. It keeps sentences light by avoiding repetition, and it helps link a person to a detail without adding a full new sentence.
- Who can start direct questions about people.
- Who can appear inside a sentence in embedded questions.
- Who can introduce defining and non-defining relative clauses.
Who In Questions and Embedded Questions
In a direct question, who typically sits at the front because it is a wh-word. It asks for a person, not a thing, and the rest of the sentence fills in the action.
Direct Question Patterns
- Who + verb: “Who called?” subject
- Who + auxiliary + verb: “Who did you meet?” object slot
- Preposition at the end (common): “Who did you speak to?” everyday
In an embedded question, who stays inside the statement: “I wonder who is available.” The word still points to a person, but the sentence is no longer shaped like a direct question.
Common Embedded Frames
- “I don’t know who to call.” infinitive frame
- “Please tell me who you invited.” object information
- “They asked who was responsible.” subject information
Who In Relative Clauses
As a relative pronoun, who introduces a clause that describes a person. That clause attaches to an antecedent (the person word you just used) and adds identifying or extra detail.✅Source
Defining Clauses
A defining clause is essential to identify which person you mean. No commas, and the detail is part of the core meaning.
- “The guest who arrived early signed in.” identifies
- “The manager who you mentioned is on the call.” object position
Non-Defining Clauses
A non-defining clause adds extra information about a person already clear to the reader. Commas usually frame the clause, and the sentence still works without it.
- “My neighbor, who loves hiking, shared a trail map.” extra detail
- “The presenter, who joined remotely, answered questions.” aside
In defining clauses, who can sometimes be omitted when it acts like an object (“The person I met”), but it is not dropped when it is the subject (“The person who called”).
Who Vs Whom: Case and Formality
Who is the subject form, while whom is the object form in traditional grammar. In everyday English, many writers still choose who in places where older rules prefer whom, because whom can sound very formal.✅Source
| Role In The Clause | Typical Choice | Example Shape | Notes On Tone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject (does the action) | who | “Who called?” | Neutral and common |
| Direct object (receives the action) | whom (formal) / who (everyday) | “Whom did you invite?” / “Who did you invite?” | Choice signals formality |
| Object of a preposition | whom (very formal) / who (common) | “To whom did you speak?” / “Who did you speak to?” | Both exist; style varies |
A Clean Way To Think About It
If the word stands where he or they would stand, who fits the subject slot. If it stands where him or them would stand, whom is the traditional object slot, especially in formal writing.
Whose, Whoever, and Related Forms
Whose is the possessive form tied to the who family, and it introduces ownership or connection: a person whose idea, a customer whose order, a neighbor whose keys. In the same family, whoever works as an open-ended “any person who” form.✅Source
Whose Vs Who’s
Whose is possessive. Who’s is a contraction for who is or who has. They sound alike, so they get swapped in writing.
- Possessive: “The client whose file is ready will be notified.” ownership
- Contraction: “Who’s joining the meeting?” who is
Whoever and Whomever
Whoever acts like “any person who,” often as a free relative: “Whoever arrives first opens the room.” The form whomever exists as an object version, though it is rare and tends to sound very formal.
- Subject-like: “Whoever called left a message.” subject slot
- Object-like (formal): “Invite whomever you choose.” object slot
Common Mix-Ups and Editor Notes
Some phrases keep whom alive in modern writing because they are set and feel traditional. The best-known is To Whom It May Concern, where whom follows a preposition and signals a formal tone.✅Source
Places Where Writers Commonly Switch Forms
- After prepositions: “to whom” (formal) vs “who … to” (common). style choice
- Relative clauses: “the person who I met” is common; “the person whom I met” is more formal. tone shift
- Possessive vs contraction: whose vs who’s. meaning change
When a noun names a group of people, many style guides still treat it as people for relative pronouns, so who can read naturally: “The committee who reviewed the draft.” Some writers choose that in informal contexts, but who keeps the focus on the humans in the group.✅Source
Examples You’ll See In Real Writing
These examples keep the focus on grammar position. Each pair shows a clean who use, and then a nearby form that often gets mixed in when writers chase formality or copy the sound of a phrase.
Questions
- ✅ “Who is on the line?” subject
- ❌ “Whom is on the line?” case mismatch
- ✅ “Who did you call?” object slot
- ✅ “Whom did you call?” formal
Relative Clauses
- ✅ “The person who called left a note.” subject
- ✅ “The person who I met was friendly.” object slot
- ✅ “The person I met was friendly.” omission
- ✅ “The guest, who arrived early, signed in.” non-defining
A Compact Reference Table
| Form | Core Job | Typical Spot | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| who | subject or general person reference | Questions, relative clauses | “Who called?” |
| whom | object in formal styles | After verbs or prepositions | “To whom was it sent?” |
| whose | possessive | Before a noun | “The person whose key was found…” |
| whoever | open-ended “any person who” | Free relatives, emphasis | “Whoever arrives first…” |
Can who refer to animals?
Who primarily targets people. In casual writing, it can appear for a pet when the sentence treats the animal like a person (“the dog who always greets us”). In formal writing, many authors prefer that or which for animals.
Is whom still correct English?
Yes. Whom is the traditional object form. It shows up most in very formal writing, especially after prepositions (“to whom,” “for whom”), and in fixed phrases.
What is the difference between whose and who’s?
Whose is possessive. Who’s is a contraction for who is or who has. The sound is similar, but the meaning changes fast.
Can I omit who in a relative clause?
In defining clauses, omission is common when the relative word is functioning like an object (“the person I met”). When it is the subject (“the person who called”), it is typically kept.
Is “the team who” acceptable?
It can be. When a group noun is treated as people doing something, who can read naturally. Some writers choose that in informal contexts, especially when the group is treated as a unit.
Is whoever always correct, or does whomever matter?
Whoever is extremely common and often sounds most natural. Whomever exists as a more formal object form, but it is much rarer in everyday writing.