Who/whom error in the quiz question

EkaterinaA1Kwiziq community member

Who/whom error in the quiz question

One of the questions asked to translate "Who are you watching like that?" into French.


The grammatically correct English question would be "Whom are you watching like that?"

Asked 2 years ago
MaartenC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

Very rare in some parts of the English-speaking world to hear 'whom' used in any situation, especially a question like this one.

ChrisC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Agreed, Maarten. Still, it is "better" English to use whom instead of who in this context. But this comes down to the distinction of prescriptive vs. descriptive grammar. I am a stickler for conserving nuances and distinction in a language.

JimC1Kwiziq community member

I agree. This is a written question and the more formal "whom" should be used, not the oral "who."

JimC1Kwiziq community member

I agree. This is a written question and the more formal "whom" should be used, not the oral "who."

MaartenC1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Whom is formal, but it is not wrong to use ‘who’ in a question in modern English- written or spoken.  https://grammar.collinsdictionary.com/english-usage/what-is-the-difference-between-who-and-whom

Who/whom error in the quiz question

One of the questions asked to translate "Who are you watching like that?" into French.


The grammatically correct English question would be "Whom are you watching like that?"

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