RedPen Editing
Who or Whom

Home > RedPen Editing Who or Whom

To work out whether you should be using ‘who’ or whom’, try this simple rule and see what seems to makes sense.

  • Try replacing WHO with HE.
  • Try replacing WHOM with HIM.

Notice the two Ms – it helps you to remember the pairs: WHO/HE and WHOM/HIM.

  • RIGHT: Who killed Cock Robin? He killed Cock Robin.
  • WRONG: Whom killed Cock Robin? Him killed Cock Robin.
  • RIGHT: To whom should I send the bill? I should send the bill to him.
  • WRONG: To who should I send the bill?  I should send the bill to he.

If you feel uncomfortable with ‘whom’, it’s usually possible to rephrase the sentence to avoid using this perhaps old-fashioned term.

Don’t write this though:

Who should I send the bill to?

Otherwise, you are ending the sentence with a proposition! That will never do!

Instead, add more information:

Should I send the bill to you?