Question with "Who"

[kenthoang28]

The question with who is asked about person.

There are two types of question with who:

Type 1: Single

      Question: Who + is + this/ that/ he/ she/ it?

      Answer: This/ That/ She/ He / It + is + noun.

  Example: Who is he?

                He is Chris.

Type 2: Plural

      Question: Who + are + these/ those/ they?

      Answer: These/ Those/ They + are + noun.

  Example: Who are they?

                They are university students.

Note: Who is = Who's

   

[pandandesign]

True. "Who" is use to ask about a person or people. It is a straightforward word to use such as asking the name of the person or people regarding whether or not you're using a single term or a plural term. Thank you for sharing it!

[Eudora13]

These tips are good for beginners. English is easy that way. You can learn the basics through such "question" words who, what, where, etc. I wish French was equally easy!

[xxxxxx]

The above information given is such a good reference for those who are studying the English language for the first time and this is great!

[Denis Hard]

Sounds simple yes but what of when we add a word that complicates matters? The word is "whom."

There’s a continuing debate in English usage about when you should use who and when to use whom. According to the rules of formal grammar, who should be used in the subject position in a sentence, while whom should be used in the object position, and also after a preposition.

Just wondering, is it better to use "who" all the time instead of "whom" wherever it might apply to avoid getting confused? 

[Korsakoff]

I'm sorry to interrupt this conversation, but I have a question that links up to this topic. I know the difference between who and who's, I know in what occasions you use it, that's not a big deal for me. But I do have my problems with the word "whom". When can I use it, when am I pretty much obligated to use it and what does it exactly mean?

[Denis Hard]

Since the two word are almost similar, their usage tends to confuse most people. Therefore; it would be best to differentiate the two:

Who- Used to show who is doing something in a sentence.

example:

Who stole the tarts?

Whom - Used to show the object against which something is done [in a sentence].

example:

The girl whom I hit fell in love with me.

[littleredcookbook]

Sounds simple yes but what of when we add a word that complicates matters? The word is "whom."

Just wondering, is it better to use "who" all the time instead of "whom" wherever it might apply to avoid getting confused?

People do all the time. "Whom" is the dative or indirect object, i.e., "to whom" "of whom" you don't say "to who" or "of who". "Who" is the subject and direct object, "whom" is the indirect object, and "whose" is the possessive.

[Rosa]

The way you explained it is perfect. I don't think it could be done any simpler. Great tip for those learning English language as a new language and for English natives who may have had problem with the usage.

[Aishe]

Since the two word are almost similar, their usage tends to confuse most people. Therefore; it would be best to differentiate the two:

Who- Used to show who is doing something in a sentence.

example:

Who stole the tarts?

Whom - Used to show the object against which something is done [in a sentence].

example:

The girl whom I hit fell in love with me.

I love this explanation, thank you!

Even as someone who's spoken English all their life I'm still struggling with who/whom.

[sidney]

Nice tip, I bet this will be helpful for people who are learning the basics of English. Regarding the usage of who and whom, I never really bothered to look up how those 2 are used, but I do agree with the given example.

[justusforus]

I found this thread and the building of explanations in the responses quite interesting.  I do note a lot of native English speakers do not use whom correctly or for the most part at all.

[littleredcookbook]

Since the two word are almost similar, their usage tends to confuse most people. Therefore; it would be best to differentiate the two:

Who- Used to show who is doing something in a sentence.

example:

Who stole the tarts?

Whom - Used to show the object against which something is done [in a sentence].

example:

The girl whom I hit fell in love with me.

I'm just going to say I hope you don't actually hit girls and expect them to fall in love with you because that's abusive.

Also in your example you wouldn't even need to use "whom" because if you say "The girl I hit" the word order already indicates that the girl is the person you hit.

[AnnyIngram]

According to my suggestion most of the "?" sentence is starting with "W" word. It can be useful to ask someone about the thing, about any person or time etc.

[1inamillion]

Sounds simple yes but what of when we add a word that complicates matters? The word is "whom."

Just wondering, is it better to use "who" all the time instead of "whom" wherever it might apply to avoid getting confused?

Both who and whom are pronouns, however, who is used as the subject of a sentence or phrase, to denote who is doing something. (like he or she) Whom is used when referring to the object of a verb.  When trying to decide whether who are whom is correct, simplify the sentence to include just the basic, subject, verb and object. It helps to move the words around in your head to identify the word relationship.

[mikka254]

This is actually a good example. I am sure a beginner learning the English language will appreciate this information.

[SmartPea85]

Both the who and whom questions were answered very clearly. I was also a little confused about proper use of "whom". I was taught when in doubt of which "whose" or "who's" is which, always remember to separate the conjunction and see if the two words still work in the sentence. If it does, then you're good to go.

Example:

Who's shoes are those? = Who is shoes are those? (Doesn't work)

Who's coming to the party? = Who is coming to the party? (This works! Thus you are using the correct "Who's)