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sabretoothpick
PostPosted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 10:56 am 
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It's probably the least of my grammar problems :) , but I'm not sure when to use whom.

Example: I'd love to hear Miller's words and who he called out.

In this case I would prefer whom but it doesn't sound right.
What's the rule for who vs. whom? I would use it for the Dative cases, but that's just transferred from German.

I'm considering retaking grammar school :)

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icehound
PostPosted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 11:05 am 
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I believe the "who" is subjective, and the "whom" objective:

Miller, who called out the team.

To whom it may concern.


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Crosscheck
PostPosted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 11:34 am 
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http://web.ku.edu/~edit/whom.html

/Ice has it right, whom is objective.

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sabretoothpick
PostPosted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 11:45 am 
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Oh right :doh: , it's so easy. Thanks

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PuckSniperPensel
PostPosted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 11:45 am 
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When you say whom is objective, does that mean you use whom when you aren't sure who the whom is?

If that's the case, I can't even think of another use for whom outside of the example posted above.

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Wyohomeboy
PostPosted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 11:46 am 
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I'll never get it right more than 50% of the time, DOH!! :think: :think:

High school honors English class and two semesters college english, plus technical writing classes, all wasted!!! My rule - use who, unless it sounds really awkward!!! :D

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icehound
PostPosted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 11:56 am 
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"To whom are you referring?" - The speaker cannot specifically identify the subject.

"Who was at the party?" - The speaker compels the naming of the subject(s.)

Messy.

My rule is: If addresses any and all - It's "whom". If it addresses a particular name, place, face, thing - It's "who".


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Wyohomeboy
PostPosted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 12:06 pm 
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icehound wrote:
"To whom are you referring?" - The speaker cannot specifically identify the subject.

"Who was at the party?" - The speaker compels the naming of the subject(s.)

Messy.

My rule is: If addresses any and all - It's "whom". If it addresses a particular name, place, face, thing - It's "who".


That's better :clap: :clap:

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acrossthelines
PostPosted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 9:49 pm 
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"Who" is subjective, as in it is the subject of the clause. "Whom" is objective; it is the direct or indirect object of the clause, or the object of the preposition within the clause.

Direct object, indirect object, subject:
I gave him the ball.

Object of the preposition:
I gave the ball to him; to him I gave the ball.

Edit:
Messed up the formatting on the object of the preposition. :lol: Forgot what example i was giving as I typed it. What.

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Montalo
PostPosted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 10:17 pm 
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i thought whom was becoming a dead word, and who is becoming correct 100% of the time

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acrossthelines
PostPosted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 11:38 pm 
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Montalo wrote:
i thought whom was becoming a dead word, and who is becoming correct 100% of the time


I hadn't heard that, and I just graduated high school two years ago, so I don't think it's been that long. Haha.

It's not really confusing, if you're taught grammar in school and are not dyslexic. (Though I know that not everyone is taught grammar... I know five people from a district in WNY who all either graduated or left that district who were not taught any grammar whatsoever after fifth grade, which is absurd because that age is when children begin conversing over the internet and, in many cases, are given cell phones; it's when they need direction the most. One of the kids I graduated with left that school district to be in my class our junior year, and he was absolutely lost in English class.)

Language changes naturally over time, but it seems that any decision to discard "whom" in the USA is more a reflection on the failure of our educational system than on the fact that everything is dynamic.

I really hadn't heard that, though.

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Montalo
PostPosted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 11:40 pm 
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acrossthelines wrote:
Montalo wrote:
i thought whom was becoming a dead word, and who is becoming correct 100% of the time


I hadn't heard that, and I just graduated high school two years ago, so I don't think it's been that long. Haha.

It's not really confusing, if you're taught grammar in school and are not dyslexic. (Though I know that not everyone is taught grammar... I know five people from a district in WNY who all either graduated or left that district who were not taught any grammar whatsoever after fifth grade, which is absurd because that age is when children begin conversing over the internet and, in many cases, are given cell phones; it's when they need direction the most. One of the kids I graduated with left that school district to be in my class our junior year, and he was absolutely lost in English class.)

Language changes naturally over time, but it seems that any decision to discard "whom" in the USA is more a reflection on the failure of our educational system than on the fact that everything is dynamic.

I really hadn't heard that, though.


my 9th grade english teacher told me that (im in 11th now)

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fly as hale
PostPosted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 12:24 am 
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English is such a simple language. :?

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SchonyGal
PostPosted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 12:46 am 
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fly as hale wrote:
English is such a simple language. :?


And one of our Austrian friends asked us and even we can't tell him. What does that tell you :o

Just go with it Toothpick. No one will notice except Stuuuuuu ;)

Who gives a shit? Whom gives a shit?

It feels so good to swear since I gave it up (verbally) for New Years :clap:


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acrossthelines
PostPosted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 12:56 am 
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fly as hale wrote:
English is such a simple language. :?


:lol: I know.

What languages are more difficult? Mandarin Chinese? Icelandic? Gaelic? There aren't many.

A savant learned Icelandic in two weeks well enough to go on a talk show and have no problems whatsoever. :?

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icehound
PostPosted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 1:11 am 
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English is the most flexible (in terms of incorporating foreign words, phrases or idioms) language, ever.

Unfortunately, it also assimilates the particular cultural grammatical idiosyncracies, as well.

There are countless foreign words and phrases that have become part of the English language - It has been the tongue of commerce and technology for centuries; and moreso as the prevalence of "The Empire" waxed.

It absorbs all - Like a sponge. And changes like a chameleon.

It's a lovely, bloody mongrel of a tongue. I love it dearly.

But, as a result of its' history and morphology, it's also very demanding.


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SchonyGal
PostPosted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 1:23 am 
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In English please ;)


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sabretoothpick
PostPosted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 1:38 am 
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acrossthelines wrote:

A savant learned Icelandic in two weeks well enough to go on a talk show and have no problems whatsoever. :?


Funny, I saw a savant on a German talk show learning German in two weeks (maybe he's a talk show hopper :) ). He talked really well and said he doesn't learn languages the usual way with rules and grammer etc. He learns the structure and logic of a language (whatever that means). He also mentioned that German was easier to learn than English because English is a tohubohu :)

Schonygal wrote:
And one of our Austrian friends asked us and even we can't tell him. What does that tell you :o

Just go with it Toothpick. No one will notice except Stuuuuuu ;)

The subjective-obejective explanation was good enough for me. That's simple enough for me to remember :)

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SchonyGal
PostPosted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 1:42 am 
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;)

The thread should have been locked after that explanation. Then it would all be good :lol:


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daz28
PostPosted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 1:46 am 
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SchonyGal wrote:
;)

The thread should have been locked after that explanation. Then it would all be good :lol:

Yes, because then I wouldn't have a headache from it. LOL.

I can't fathom why anyone would teach grammar. That person would have to be polar opposite with me(even though I do understand the importance of it). Then again, I find math a bit annoying now as well.


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