Can someone please tell me when it is correct to use the word "whom?" I tend to never use it, because I'm afraid I'll use it incorrectly!

"whom" is the prepositional form of "who" -- "whom" see's correct usage in prepositional phrases (for whom, to whom -- anywhere after those prepositions our junior high english teachers tried to make us memorize).

Donna,

According to The Gregg Reference Manual:

" Whom (or whomever) is the objective form. Use whom whenever him, her, them, we, or us could be substituted as the object of the verb or as the object of a preposition in the whom clause.

Whom did you see today? (You did see her today.)

To whom were you talking? (You were talking to him.)

Whom were you talking about? (You were talking about him.)

Whom did you say you wanted to see? (You did say you wanted to see her.)

It depends on whom the mean. (They mean him.)

The question of whom we should charge is at issue. (We should charge him.)

Whomever you designate will get the promotion. (You designate him.)

I will hire whomever I can find. (I can find her.)..."

Just some examples, the list goes on. Hopes this helps.

JusPeachy in GA

Hey, and don't forget . . . "Is this the party to whom I am speaking?" "One ringy dingy, two ringy dingy, and a gracious good afternoon . . . "

Sorry . . . I just couldn't help it. For those of you who have never seen Laugh-In or the re-runs, that's Lily Tomlin's "Miss Tomlin from the telephone company" and I just can't help thinking about it when the "who/whom" conversation starts!

Robbie

I remember! And that may be just enough to make me remember the rule!