📘 Difference Between Who, Whom and Whose (With Examples & Tables)

Understanding the correct use of who, whom, and whose is essential for clear English communication. These words often confuse learners because they look similar but play different grammatical roles.

This guide will explain each one in detail using rules, examples, and comparison tables to make it simple and SEO-friendly.

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🔹 Quick Comparison Table

Word	Role in Grammar	Function	Replaceable With	Example
Who	Subject Pronoun	Refers to the person doing the action	He/She/They	Who is singing?
Whom	Object Pronoun	Refers to the person receiving the action	Him/Her/Them	Whom did you call?
Whose	Possessive Pronoun	Refers to ownership or belonging	His/Her/Their	Whose pen is this?

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🔹 Rule for Using Who

Feature	Details	Example
Position	Subject of a verb	Who is teaching the class?
Function	The doer of the action	Who opened the door?
Replace Test	Replace with he/she/they	He opened the door → Who opened the door?

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🔹 Rule for Using Whom

Feature	Details	Example
Position	Object of verb or preposition	Whom did you meet?
Function	Receiver of the action	To whom should I send this email?
Replace Test	Replace with him/her/them	I met him → Whom did you meet?

⚡ Note: In casual English, people often use who instead of whom, but whom is still preferred in formal writing.

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🔹 Rule for Using Whose

Feature	Details	Example
Position	Possessive pronoun	Whose car is parked outside?
Function	Shows ownership	Whose phone is ringing?
Replace Test	Replace with his/her/their	Their car → Whose car is this?

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🔹 Difference Between Who, Whom, Whose (Detailed Table)

Pronoun	Type	Role	Test Word	Example Question	Example Answer
Who	Subject	Doer of the action	He/She/They	Who wrote this book?	She wrote it.
Whom	Object	Receiver of the action	Him/Her/Them	Whom did you invite?	I invited him.
Whose	Possessive	Shows ownership	His/Her/Their	Whose bag is this?	It’s her bag.

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🔹 Common Mistakes (Table)

Incorrect Usage	Correct Usage	Why?
❌ Whom is at the door?	✔️ Who is at the door?	Subject is needed, not object
❌ Whose are you talking about?	✔️ Whom are you talking about?	Asking about a person, not possession
❌ Who should I give this file to? (informal)	✔️ To whom should I give this file?	Object of preposition

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🔹 Practice Table (Test Yourself)

Sentence (Fill in the blank)	Answer
___ is calling you right now?	Who
To ___ should I hand over the documents?	Whom
___ shoes are lying on the floor?	Whose
___ wants to join the game?	Who
With ___ are you going to the party?	Whom
___ notebook is missing?	Whose

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🔹 FAQs About Who, Whom, and Whose

Question	Answer
Can “who” replace “whom”?	Yes, in casual speech, but not in formal writing.
Is “whose” only for people?	No, it can also refer to objects. Example: Whose car is outside?
Which is correct: “Who are you talking to?” or “Whom are you talking to?”	Both forms are widely used, yet the correct version is ‘Whom are you talking to?’” is grammatically correct.
What is the easiest way to remember?	Use who for subject, whom for object, whose for possession.

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✅ Final Summary (Table)

Word	Function	Example
Who	Subject pronoun → doer of action	Who is speaking?
Whom	Object pronoun → receiver of action	Whom did you meet?
Whose	Possessive pronoun → shows ownership	Whose pen is this?

👉 Rule of Thumb:

Whose = His/Her/Their (possession)

Who = He/She/They (subject)

Whom = Him/Her/Them (object)