IXL | Identify and correct pronoun errors with "who"

Click to correct the pronoun if needed.

The wildlife researchers who found the injured mountain zebra were unsure whether it had been attacked by a predator or injured in a battle for leadership of the herd.

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Learn with an example

question

Click to correct the pronoun if needed.

I'm going to an audition with my friend Ivan, whom does stand-up comedy. If it goes well, he will be featured on a TV talent competition.

key idea

The pronouns who and whoever are subject pronouns. They act as subjects of sentences or clauses. The pronouns whom and whomever are object pronouns. They act as objects of action verbs or prepositions.

To figure out whether to use who/whoever or whom/whomever, restate the sentence or clause with a personal pronoun. If the personal pronoun is a subject pronoun (he, she, or they), use who/whoever. If the personal pronoun is an object pronoun (him, her, or them), use whom/whomever.

Who/Whom painted this beautiful mural?
green checkmark, She painted this beautiful mural.
red X symbol, Her painted this beautiful mural.
The subject pronoun who should be used.

Peter, who/whom you met yesterday, has four brothers.
green checkmark, You met him yesterday.
red X symbol, You met he yesterday.
The object pronoun whom should be used.

Do not confuse whose with who's. Whose shows possession. Who's is a contraction for who is or who has.

Whose jacket is on the floor?

Who's at the door?

solution

Look at the clause containing the pronoun.

who/whom does stand-up comedy

Restate the clause using a personal pronoun.

green checkmark, he does stand-up comedy
red X symbol, him does stand-up comedy

The restated clause uses the subject pronoun he, so the subject pronoun who is correct.

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Z.1Identify and correct errors with subject and object pronouns

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