Transcript Pronoun Problems Who vs. Whom and Incomplete Construction

Pronoun Problems
Who vs. Whom and
Incomplete Construction
When do I use each one?
 Who = Nominative
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Who will be attending the meeting? (Subject)
He is who? (Predicate Nominative)
 Whom = Objective
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To whom did you give the money? (Object of
prep)
She gave whom the money? (Indirect Object)
He kissed whom? (direct object)
The Challenge
 The use of who and whom in a subordinate
clause is determined by the pronoun’s
function IN THE CLAUSE ONLY
Steps
1. Pick out the subordinate clause
2. Decide how the relative pronoun functions
in the clause.
3. Determine case of pronoun according to
function.
4. Select the correct form of pronoun.
Rule
 No words outside the clause affect the case
of the pronoun.
Try it out!
 Alex is the student (who/whom) got a perfect
score
 Clause: (who/whom) got a perfect score
 Use: subject of the clause
 Case: subjects are nominative case
 Form: who, because who is nominative
Try again!
 I saw Ellen (who/whom) I knew from school.
 Clause: (who/whom) I knew from school
 Use: direct object: I knew (who/whom)
 Case: objects use objective case
 Form: whom
One more time!
 Do you know (who/whom) she is?
 Clause: (who/whom) she is
 Use: predicate nominative: she is
(who/whom)
 Case: pred noms are the nominative case
 Form: who
 Remember- no words outside the clause
count; Do you know can NOT be considered.
Incomplete construction
 A sentence that is not finished, but is not
grammatically incorrect as a result-“Than”
and “As”
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She is taller than I.
She is taller than I am.
 After than and as in an incompletely
constructed sentence, use the form of the
pronoun you would use if you finished the
sentences
Examples-Incomplete Construction
 The news surprised her more than me.
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(more than the news surprised me)
 I understand Jim better than he.
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(better than he understands Jim)
 I understand Jim better than him.
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(better than I understand him [some other guy]).
Incomplete Split Construction
 A thought that is interrupted must be finished
 Maintaining a stable share is as important, if
not more important than, making a profit.

As important as, if not more important than…
 Her colleagues always speak of Professor
Collins as a person who has and will always
be sensitive.
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Should be who has been and always will be