Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2019 August 27
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August 27[edit]
Who or whom?[edit]
The article Maus used to say:
He displays racist attitudes, as when Françoise picks up an African American hitchhiker, who he fears will rob them.
This was later changed to:
He displays racist attitudes, as when Françoise picks up an African American hitchhiker, whom he fears will rob them.
I believe the first version was correct and this change was wrong, as the hitchhiker is the subject of the sentence "[he] will rob them", not the object. But then I'm not a native English speaker. Which version is correct? JIP | Talk 13:28, 27 August 2019 (UTC)
- The test is to reword the relevant clause with a non-relative pronoun. If "he fears he will rob them" them is good, then who is correct, while if "he fears him will rob them" them were good, then whom would be correct... AnonMoos (talk) 13:39, 27 August 2019 (UTC)
- In other words, "who" is correct here. A simpler test is to take out the "he fears" part and see how it reads then, since it is actually a kind of parenthesis. Thus, "who [he fears] will rob them" is correct, and "whom [he fears] will rob them" is incorrect. --Viennese Waltz 14:44, 27 August 2019 (UTC)
- Per the above, "who" is a subject pronoun and always plays the role that other similar pronouns would play (I, he, she, etc.). Whom is an object pronoun and plays the role that other object pronouns would play (me, him, her, etc.). As noted by both people above, remove the "he fears" clause to see its role. In this case, it is acting as the subject of "will rob them" so "who" is correct. --Jayron32 16:04, 27 August 2019 (UTC)
- AnonMoos did not say to remove the "he fears" clause. It was only me who said that. --Viennese Waltz 18:51, 27 August 2019 (UTC)
- Would you like a medallion or a certificate for your efforts? --Jayron32 00:48, 28 August 2019 (UTC)
- Neither, particularly. I was simply correcting your error. --Viennese Waltz 07:43, 28 August 2019 (UTC)
- Would you like a medallion or a certificate for your efforts? --Jayron32 00:48, 28 August 2019 (UTC)
- AnonMoos did not say to remove the "he fears" clause. It was only me who said that. --Viennese Waltz 18:51, 27 August 2019 (UTC)
- Per the above, "who" is a subject pronoun and always plays the role that other similar pronouns would play (I, he, she, etc.). Whom is an object pronoun and plays the role that other object pronouns would play (me, him, her, etc.). As noted by both people above, remove the "he fears" clause to see its role. In this case, it is acting as the subject of "will rob them" so "who" is correct. --Jayron32 16:04, 27 August 2019 (UTC)
- In other words, "who" is correct here. A simpler test is to take out the "he fears" part and see how it reads then, since it is actually a kind of parenthesis. Thus, "who [he fears] will rob them" is correct, and "whom [he fears] will rob them" is incorrect. --Viennese Waltz 14:44, 27 August 2019 (UTC)