Understanding Who and Whom Usage

Mary Norris, known as the 'comma queen', explains the difference between 'who' and 'whom'. She uses a song example to illustrate the concept and provides a simple trick to determine the correct usage by rearranging the sentence. The video covers subjective and objective cases, offering examples to clarify the rule. Norris advises using 'who' in casual conversation if unsure, and concludes with a practical application from The New Yorker.

What is the main topic Mary Norris introduces in the video?

• The difference between who and whom

• The importance of punctuation

• The use of commas in sentences

• The history of English grammar

What are who and whom classified as?

• Adjectives

• Relative pronouns

• Conjunctions

• Interjections

Which case is used for the subject of a sentence?

• Dative case

• Objective case

• Possessive case

• Subjective case

Which pronoun is in the subjective case?

• Her

• They

• Him

• Us

Which pronoun is in the objective case?

• She

• We

• They

• Us

What is the trick to determine whether to use who or whom?

• Check the sentence length

• Identify the verb

• Turn the clause around

• Count the number of words

In the song example, which pronoun would replace 'whom'?

• He

• She

• Her

• They

What is the general advice given for using who and whom in conversation?

• Always use whom

• Use who when unsure

• Avoid using both

• Use whom when unsure

In the New Yorker example, which pronoun correctly completes the sentence?

• Whose

• Which

• Who

• Whom