SAT Who vs. Whom: Selecting the Correct Relative Pronoun and Avoiding Case Errors

"Who" and "whom" are relative pronouns that introduce clauses referring to people. "Who" functions as a subject (it performs the action), while "whom" functions as an object (it receives the action or follows a preposition). The confusion arises because relative clauses can appear in the middle of sentences, making it hard to see what role the pronoun plays. The fastest way to decide: substitute "he/she" (subject) or "him/her" (object) for the pronoun. If "he/she" sounds right, use "who." If "him/her" sounds right, use "whom."

Example: "The professor who/whom gave the lecture was awarded a grant." Substitute: "He gave the lecture" sounds right, so use "who." Example 2: "The professor who/whom the dean praised won an award." Substitute: "The dean praised him" sounds right, so use "whom." The he/him substitution test works because "he" and "who" are both nominative (subject) forms, while "him" and "whom" are both objective (object) forms.

Whenever "who" or "whom" follows a preposition, "whom" is always correct, because prepositions require object pronouns. Examples: "to whom it may concern," "with whom she studied," "from whom the gift came." A common SAT error is using "who" after a preposition. However, if the preposition is not immediately before the pronoun (it appears elsewhere in the clause), apply the substitution test rather than automatically choosing "whom."

Tricky structure: "Give the award to whoever/whomever finishes first." Here the clause "whoever finishes first" is the object of "to," but within the clause itself, "whoever" is the subject of "finishes." When the pronoun serves as the subject of its own clause, use "whoever" (not "whomever"), even if the entire clause is an object. For whoever/whomever, apply the substitution test to the role the pronoun plays within its own clause, not to its role as the overall object of the main verb or preposition.

Micro-example 1: "She is the candidate who/whom I believe will win." Step 1: find the clause: "who/whom will win." Step 2: substitute: "She will win" (he/she fits). Conclusion: "who." Micro-example 2: "He asked who/whom the committee had selected." Step 1: find the clause: "who/whom the committee had selected." Step 2: substitute: "The committee had selected him" (him fits). Conclusion: "whom." Micro-example 3: "Award the prize to who/whom scores highest." Step 1: the clause is "who/whom scores highest." Step 2: substitute: "He scores highest" (he fits). Conclusion: "whoever" (subject within the clause).

When in doubt, write the inner clause alone, apply the substitution test, and commit to "who" or "whom" based only on that isolated test, ignoring the surrounding sentence structure that can mislead your instinct. Isolation is the key step that makes the test reliable even in complex sentences.

Days 1-2: write five sentences using "who" correctly and five using "whom" correctly. Apply the substitution test to verify each. Days 3-4: take sentences with "whoever/whomever" and apply the within-clause substitution test. Day 5: review any errors and identify which structure type caused the mistake. After five days, most students have no further errors on straightforward who/whom questions.

To check yourself on test day, the routine takes about five seconds: (1) isolate the clause containing who/whom; (2) substitute he or him; (3) match the appropriate pronoun. Students who practice the substitution test until it becomes automatic report that they no longer feel uncertain about who/whom on the SAT, because the mechanical test removes the need to rely on instinct or "what sounds right."