who

1.不论用作疑问代词或关系代词，who属于主格，whom属于宾格。例如：

• Who said so?
• I do not know who said so.
• Whom did you see?
• I do not know whom you saw.
• The man who called this morning is my cousin.
• The man whom you saw this morning is my cousin.

下面几点该注意：

（1）在口语里用疑问代词时通常用who，不用whom。例如：

• Who did you see?
• I do not know who you saw.

下面每组里的第一句最自然，第三句最不自然：

• Who are you speaking of?
  Whom are you speaking of?
  Of whom are you speaking?
• Who is that letter from?
  Whom is that letter form?
  From whom is that letter?
• Who did you give the letter to?
  Whom did you give the letter to?
  To whom did you give the letter.

第三组里的to不可省去，参见whom 3

（2）比较下面每组里的三个对话：

• A: He is going to get married.
  B: To whom?
  A: He is going to get married.
  B: To who?
  A: He is going to get married.
  B: Who to?
• A: I hope to go with him.
  B: With whom?
  A: I hope to go with him.
  B:With who?
  A: I hope to go with him.
  B: Who with?

注意不可说Whom to? 或Whom with?

（3）也有少数英美人把who用作属于宾格的关系代词，但不算正当，如不该说The man who you saw this morning is my cousin，该把who改作whom。

（4）The man whom you saw this morning is my cousin里的whom用得不错，但除了在正式文字里以外通常省去。比较下面两句：

• The man (whom) you saw this morning is my cousin.
• Mr Lee, whom you saw this morning, is my cousin.

第二句里的whom you saw this morning是非限定从句，whom不可省去。

（5）比较下面每组里的两句：

• He is a man who I believe is honest.
  He is a man whom I believe (to be) honest.
• The boy who they supposed was dead came back.
  The boy whom they supposed (to be) dead came back.

每组第一句里的who是is或was的主语，不是believe或supposed的宾语。believe或supposed把从句(that) who is honest或(that) who was dead做宾语。不用who而用whom是英美人常有的错误。

2.在口语里，关系代词who往往省去。例如：There's somebody (who) wants to speak to you.

3.The ship has lost her rudder里用her。The ship, which is a small one, has lost her rudder里也用her，但不用who而用which，参见which 2 (4)

4.下面第一句、第二句和第三句都不错，第四句不对。参见which 5

• I found many children there, most of whom were boys.
• I found many children there; most of them were boys.
• I found many children there, most of them being boys.
• I found many children there, most of whom being boys.

注意第二句里用分号，第三句里用逗号。

5.关于关系代词who和关系代词that的区别，参见that 9

6.疑问代词who不可作关系代词who或whom的先行项，下面两句都不对，该把who或whom改作that：

• Who who has ever heard her sing does not admire her?
• Who whom you have ever heard sing sings better than Miss Drake?

7.关于who和which的不同，参见which 2和13

8.下面两句意思相同，就是说“谁也不会曾经想到那个”。

• Who would have thought of that?
• Who would have thought of that!