# whom/who: can someone please correct this sentence? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 19, 2008, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whom-who-can-someone-please-correct-this-sentence/449884 "2008-05-19T19:40:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tesseract](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@tesseract](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tesseract)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2008, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whom-who-can-someone-please-correct-this-sentence/449884/1 "2008-05-19T19:40:48Z")
I know I can look up the rule and examples on the internet but I’m on a deadline and I have to do other stuff that you guys can’t do. Is it whom or who? Thank you!! Approximately six months after Ms. X started, Mr. X recommended to her that she shift more organizational responsibility to the acting X, Ms. X, WHOM/WHO he noted had strong skills in this area. PS - this is my boss’s sentence - don’t edit the rest of it please. just need to know if it’s whom or who. love you all. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whom-who-can-someone-please-correct-this-sentence/449884/2 "2008-05-19T19:43:26Z")
The general rule is: “use who for he or she; use whom for him or her.” You are saying that Ms. X, or SHE had strong skills in the area, so I would think WHO is the right one to use. ---
**Author:** ![tesseract](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@tesseract](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tesseract)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whom-who-can-someone-please-correct-this-sentence/449884/3 "2008-05-19T19:49:03Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] The general rule is: “use who for he or she; use whom for him or her.” You are saying that Ms. X, or SHE had strong skills in the area, so I would think WHO is the right one to use. [/QUOTE] Thank you. That is an easy way to state the rule and I will pass that on to my boss – I had “who” and she changed it to “whom” (I think she just likes whom 🙂 ). She is a partner and a 15- year lawyer so I questioned myself… ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whom-who-can-someone-please-correct-this-sentence/449884/4 "2008-05-19T20:42:16Z")
Yes, **Annie-Xmas** is right, reword the question or phrase so as to make a simple statement, and use the “he/she _vs._ him/her” model. In this case, it becomes “he noted [that] **she** had strong skills…” **Who** is correct. In comparison, if the original had said “…to the acting X, Ms. X, WHOM/WHO he considered to be skillful in this area,” it would be different. Rephrased, it becomes “he considered **her** to be skillful…,” and **whom** would thus be correct. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2008, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whom-who-can-someone-please-correct-this-sentence/449884/5 "2008-05-19T20:46:18Z")
Too bad this couldn’t be an ongoing thread. Grammar help! There are times when I can use a Grammar Brain™ to assist me. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whom-who-can-someone-please-correct-this-sentence/449884/6 "2008-05-20T05:09:40Z")
_Who_ is the subject of “had strong skills” and is correct. It is not the object of “he noted” – which is almost parenthetical. – Former certified and santified English teacher