Meaning & use
who
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Meanings
pronoun
Used to ask which person or people are meant.
Grammar: Used in questions as the subject or object.
Patterns
- Who + verb?
- Who + auxiliary + verb?
Who is that woman?
Who called you last night?
Who did you see at the party?
pronoun
Used to introduce information about a person already mentioned.
Grammar: Introduces a relative clause: the man who lives next door.
Patterns
- noun + who + verb
- person who ...
The doctor who treated me was very kind.
She is the one who always helps others.
I met a girl who speaks five languages.
Common combinations
- who knows
- Who knows what will happen next?
- who else
- Who else is coming to the meeting?
- who cares
- Who cares about the weather? We're going anyway.
Synonyms and how they differ
- whom
- Whom is the object form, used in formal English: Whom did you see? In casual speech, who is often used instead.
Word family
Commonly confused: who or whom?
who vs whom
Whom is used as the object of a verb or preposition, while who is used as the subject. In everyday speech, who is often used for both.
Practice
Choose the correct word: '_____ did you give the book to?'
Choose one answer.
In casual English, 'who' is commonly used even as the object of a preposition. 'Whom' is more formal but also correct. 'Whose' shows possession, and 'which' is for things.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “who”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.