Quiz created: 2023-10-23
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Who-Whom Quiz 4

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The objective (accusative) form “whom” is rapidly being displaced by the nominative form “who” is most sentences. It rarely leads to confusion, since English generally depends on word order rather than inflection to show case, but formal, especially written, English still makes the distinction. Although a subordinate clause as a whole can function as a subject or object or modifier, the structure of the subordinate clause itself, not how it is used, is what governs the cases of its constituent words . For example, “He gave brochures to whoever attended.” “Whoever” is the subject of “attended,” not the object of “to”; the object of “to” is the full clause “whoever attended.” Hence “whomever” would be inappropriate. “Ellen is the woman WHOM I met at work.” “Whom” is the object of “met”; the whole clause “whom I met at work” simply modifies “woman.” Some of the following writers got it right and some screwed it up. For each of the following quoted sentences select the “proper” form and the logic that makes it the correct choice. The abbreviation “SDUT” stands for San Diego Union-Tribune.
1. “After wild speculation over WHOM it might be, Twitter’s billionaire owner confirm last week that his pick was Linda Yaccarino …”(2023-05-26, The Week, p. 24)
The word should be
who because it is the subject of “might be.” 
who because it is the complement of “it.” 
whom because it is the object of the preposition “over.” 
No Answer
2. “A review of the below and attached will make clear my client is not only the victim of fraud but so are the additional payees listed below and WHOM received the attached checks.” (2023-02-10 SDUT, p. A6)
The word should be
who because it is the subject of “so are.” 
who because it is the subject of “received.” 
whom because it is the object of “listed.” 
whom because it is the object of “received.” 
No Answer
3. “… lawmakers of both parties said it would be wise for the White House to carefully screen candidates before deciding on WHOM to nominate.” (2019-05-03-SDUT-A4)
The word should be
Who because it deciding-on is a verb, not a verb plus preposition. 
Whom because it is the object of “on.” 
Whom because it is the object of “nominate.” 
No Answer
4. “… the clash also went to the heart of the Democrats’ debate over WHOM to nominate.” (2019-06-28-SDUT-A8)
The word should be
Who because “over” refers to a whole clause, not merely to the object who/m. 
Whom because it is the object of the preposition “over.” 
Whom because it is the object of the verb “to nominate.” 
No Answer
5. “Bert Baier asked all the candidates onstage if they would endorse the eventual Republican nominee, WHOMEVER that might be, and rule out running as an Independent. Trump alone declined … .” (2023-03-13, New Yorker, p. 15)
The word should be
whoever because it is the subject of “might be.” 
whoever because it is the complement of “that,” which is the subject of “might be.” 
whomever” because it is the object of “endorse.” 
whomever in order to agree with the case of “nominee,” which is the object of “endorse. 
No Answer
6. “San Diego’s Jewish community … objected to having Walker speak at the event. They claimed that Walker had expressed public support for David Icke, WHOM they believed had made demeaning remarks about Jewish people.” (2023-05-04, SDUT, p. A8)
The word should be
who because it is the subject of “had made.” 
whom because it is the object of “believed.” 
whom to agree with the case of David Icke, the object of “for.” 
No Answer
7. “The special counsel has brought new charges against the campaign chairman and a longtime associate WHO prosecutors have said has ties to Russian intelligence.”
The word should be
Who because it is the subject of “has.” 
Whom because it is in apposition with “associate,” an object of “against.” 
Whom because it is the object of “said.” 
No Answer
8. “In her CBS interview [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi vowed to protect the whistleblower, WHOM [President] Trump has said should be forced to come forward despite longstanding whistleblower protections.” (2019-11-18-AP via SDUT-A7)
The word should be
Who because it is the subject of “come forward.” 
Who because it is the subject of the passive verb phrase “should be forced.” 
Whom because it is the object of the passive verb phrase “should be forced.” 
Whom because it is in apposition with “whistleblower,” the object of “protect.” 
No Answer
9. “Canada on Monday imposed more sanctions on the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, WHO it blames for the country’s deteriorating economic situation.” (2019-04-16-SDUT-A3)
The word should be
Who because it is the subject of “blames.” 
Whom because it is the object of “blames.” 
Whom because it is the object of “on.” 
Whom because it is apposition with “Maduro.” 
No Answer

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