Grammar Guide #4: Who vs. Whom

For as long as I can remember, my father has had a playful attitude toward words. When I would answer his phone calls from the road, he would ask in a low-pitched, official-sounding voice, “Is this the party to whom I’m speaking?” And though it made me giggle, it was grammatically correct. Many people struggle with when to use who and whom in a sentence, but there is a straightforward method to choosing the right word. Just ask yourself if the subject is he or him and you’ll have the answer. Here are some examples:

he = who
him = whom

Examples: Who/Whom wrote the proposal?
He wrote the proposal. Therefore, who is correct.

For who/whom should I reserve the conference room?
You should reserve the conference room for him. Therefore, whom is correct.

We all know who/whom included the Easter egg in the software.
He included the Easter egg in the software. Therefore, who is correct.

We want to know on who/whom the trick was played.
The trick was played on him. Therefore, whom is correct.