Timothy Sharkey's Blog
April 28, 2022
How to Use the word WHOM Correctly by Timothy Sharkey
Using the word whom in a sentence can be challenging for most people. In fact, most people avoid using the word whom altogether. They just use the word who all the time, which is perfectly acceptable. As a matter of fact, whom may be considered stilted or academic or ostentatious, and some people in some places may take umbrage at its use. However, using the word whom correctly in a cover letter to a job application, or using the word whom correctly in a job interview, might help increase your chances of getting that job. It will make you seem well-educated.
The traditional way of learning how to use the word whom in a sentence is as an object of a preposition (such as to, for, of, by, or with, etc.). But I think that this way of learning how to use the word whom is difficult. I prefer to explain how to use the word whom as the word referring to the second party in a sentence who receives the action from the first party.
A sentence, in other words, often contains two parties or two people (called a subject [primary person] and an object [secondary person]). Who always refers to the first party (giving the action) and whom always refers to the second party (receiving the action).
Who is yelling at whom? is a perfect example. It contains the first party yelling at the second party. The first party is giving the action (it is yelling at the second party), and it is referred to as who. The second party is receiving the action (it is being yelled at), and it is referred to as whom.
You can write the letter G (for Gives) above the person in a sentence who gives the action and write the letter R (for Receives) above the person in a sentence who receives the action from the other party. This can help you see more clearly who is who. The person who gives the action (G) is referred to as who and the person who receives the action (R) is referred to as whom. Whoever and whomever work in exactly the same way.
“He kissed her” is an example of a sentence that contains two parties as well: a man (the subject) gives the action, the kiss, and a woman (the object), the second party, receives the action, the kiss. Who is referred to as the giver of the action and whom is referred to as the receiver of the action – every time. Therefore, you could turn this sentence around and ask, “Whom did he kiss?”
“Whom did you give the book to?” is another example of a sentence that contains two people, and it uses the word whom correctly. The person receiving the action (receiving the book) is referred to as whom and the person who gave the action (gave the book) is referred to as who.
“To whom it may concern” is a phrase that uses the word whom correctly because the person receiving the action (receiving the concern) is referred to as whom and the person who gave the action (gave the concern) is referred to as who.
“For Whom the Bell Tolls” is a phrase that uses the word whom correctly because the person receiving the action (receiving the tolling) is referred to as whom and the person who gave the action (gave the tolling) is referred to as who.
“Who is chasing Jim?” on the other hand, uses the word who correctly because the person giving the action (giving the chase) is referred to as who and the person receiving the chase, Jim, is referred to as whom. You could turn this phrase around and ask, “Whom is Jim being chased by?”
“Who does she think she is?” is another example of a sentence that uses the word who correctly because there is only one person in this sentence, not two: she.
From Writing Made Easy: Just The Basics
By Timothy Sharkey
The traditional way of learning how to use the word whom in a sentence is as an object of a preposition (such as to, for, of, by, or with, etc.). But I think that this way of learning how to use the word whom is difficult. I prefer to explain how to use the word whom as the word referring to the second party in a sentence who receives the action from the first party.
A sentence, in other words, often contains two parties or two people (called a subject [primary person] and an object [secondary person]). Who always refers to the first party (giving the action) and whom always refers to the second party (receiving the action).
Who is yelling at whom? is a perfect example. It contains the first party yelling at the second party. The first party is giving the action (it is yelling at the second party), and it is referred to as who. The second party is receiving the action (it is being yelled at), and it is referred to as whom.
You can write the letter G (for Gives) above the person in a sentence who gives the action and write the letter R (for Receives) above the person in a sentence who receives the action from the other party. This can help you see more clearly who is who. The person who gives the action (G) is referred to as who and the person who receives the action (R) is referred to as whom. Whoever and whomever work in exactly the same way.
“He kissed her” is an example of a sentence that contains two parties as well: a man (the subject) gives the action, the kiss, and a woman (the object), the second party, receives the action, the kiss. Who is referred to as the giver of the action and whom is referred to as the receiver of the action – every time. Therefore, you could turn this sentence around and ask, “Whom did he kiss?”
“Whom did you give the book to?” is another example of a sentence that contains two people, and it uses the word whom correctly. The person receiving the action (receiving the book) is referred to as whom and the person who gave the action (gave the book) is referred to as who.
“To whom it may concern” is a phrase that uses the word whom correctly because the person receiving the action (receiving the concern) is referred to as whom and the person who gave the action (gave the concern) is referred to as who.
“For Whom the Bell Tolls” is a phrase that uses the word whom correctly because the person receiving the action (receiving the tolling) is referred to as whom and the person who gave the action (gave the tolling) is referred to as who.
“Who is chasing Jim?” on the other hand, uses the word who correctly because the person giving the action (giving the chase) is referred to as who and the person receiving the chase, Jim, is referred to as whom. You could turn this phrase around and ask, “Whom is Jim being chased by?”
“Who does she think she is?” is another example of a sentence that uses the word who correctly because there is only one person in this sentence, not two: she.
From Writing Made Easy: Just The Basics
By Timothy Sharkey
Writing Terms Every Writer Should Know by Timothy Sharkey
BOMBASTIC (L bombyc cotton, silk, as in the cotton padding of shoulders in coats): inflated, padded, overblown language. For example, “Chicago’s nickname of ‘The Windy City’ came from its bombastic politicians, not its skyscrapers.”
CLICHE (F cliché stereotype): an expression so overused it is no longer effective. For example, “You're as busy as a bee.” “I slept like a baby.”
COLLOQUIAL (L colloqui converse, speak): conversational language: informal language: writing in a conversational style. For example, “Walt Whitman chose to write in the colloquial language of the man on the street corner and not the man in academia.”
CONCISE (L concisus to cut up): brevity of expression: free of all elaboration: writing that is brief and to the point (i.e., poignant).
CONNOTATION: the implied meaning of a word. A snake, for example, implies (or connotes) a sneaky person, but it literally means a reptile.
DENOTATION: the dictionary meaning of a word. Cheap denotes a low price for something but it also implies (or connotes) low-quality.
DICTION (L diction speaking): word choice: the art of choosing good words: picking the right word for the right context (considered the essence of poetry by some).
ESSAY (L exagium act of weighing): a composition that is analytical, interpretive, personal, and limited in scope. For example, a political essay, a descriptive essay, an argumentative essay, a photographic essay. An essay is essentially a short piece of writing.
ETYMOLOGY (Gk etymon origin + logia word): the study of the origin of words: the branch of linguistics that studies the origin of words.
EUPHEMISM (Gk eupemismos nice sounding language): the substitution of an agreeable, softened word for one that may offend. For example, military campaign for war, military fatigue for shell shock, and incident for rampage.
EXPOSITION (L exponere to expose, explain, or present for view): exposing facts: conveying information.
EXPOSITORY WRITING: writing involving exposition; i.e., writing that exposes facts, details, names, and important information.
FIGURE OF SPEECH: an expression that describes something in terms of something else: a comparison: figurative, not literal, language. For example, “He ran very fast” uses literal language. “He ran like a rabbit” uses figurative language.
GRAMMAR (Gk grammatikos of letters; gram Gk gramma small weight, one unit): the study of the 8 different kinds of words in English: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. Grammar involves using the right word in the right place in a sentence.
HYPERBOLE (Gk hyperbole excess): extreme exaggeration in language. For example, “Mile high ice cream cones.” “I was so embarrassed I could have died.” “My love for you is infinite.” “He is older than the hills.”
IDIOM (L idioma peculiarity of language): the language, or way of talking, unique to a particular group, period, or location.
IDIOMATIC: a form of expression, or way of talking, unique to a particular group, period, or location. For example, “Groovy, baby. I can dig it.” in the 1960s in America.
JARGON (F jargon, 14c): the technical terminology of a particular group of people (such as lawyers using legal jargon, doctors using medical jargon, and musicians using musical jargon).
LACONIC (L laconicus Spartan, Gk lakonikos Spartan terseness of speech): a minimum use of words. For example, Clint Eastwood’s screen persona in his Western films used an economy of words.
MALAPROPISM (from Mrs. Malaprop, a character in R B Sheridan’s The Rivals, a comedy in 1775, noted for her misuse of words): a humorous misapplication of a word. For example, “He is the very pineapple [pinnacle] of success!” “You’re constipating [concentrating] too much” (Archie Bunker).
MELLIFLUOUS (L mellifluus flowing like honey): smooth or rich language that flows like honey: smooth sounding words.
METAPHOR (Gk metaphorein to transfer): a figure of speech in which one thing is described in terms of something else: an idea expressed through the image of a second object: one object described through the qualities of a second object. (Please see Metaphor in the Rhetorical Terms section of Chapter 2: The Descriptive Essay for a complete explanation of metaphor and simile.)
NEOLOGISM (Gk neo new + logia word): a newly invented word (sometimes disapproved of because of its newness). For example, “selfie,” “tweet,” “crowd-sourcing,” “app,” “alt-right,” “woke,” “bot,” “webinar,” “blogosphere,” etc.
ONOMATOLOGY (Gk onomat name + logos word): the study of the etymology, history, and use of proper names: the study of name formation and naming practices.
ONOMATOPOEIA (Gk onomatopoiía the making of words): the formation of a word from a sound associated with it: the naming of a thing by a vocal imitation of its sound. For example, sizzle, splash, buzz, bang, honk, hiss, hiccup, oink, roar, chirp, meow.
ORATORY (L oratorium place of prayer): Oratory is the art of public speaking, usually with a rhetorical speech. Demosthenes was the great orator of ancient Greece. Cicero was the great orator of ancient Rome. Abraham Lincoln was the great orator of The United States during the civil war.
OXYMORON (Gk oxymoron pointedly foolish): a contradiction of terms: a combination of contradictory words. For example, jumbo shrimp, civil war, tragic pleasure, Nazi culture, an honest thief. The following speech from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet uses oxymorons: “Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate! / O anything of nothing first create! / O heavy lightness! serious vanity! / Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms! / Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health! / This love feel I, that feel no love in this” (I.i.174-82).
REDUNDANT (L redundant overflowing): duplicated and needless language: language that exceeds what is necessary: previously stated and therefore unnecessary.
RHETORIC (Gk rhetorike art of oratory): the principles or rules of speaking and writing effectively. Aristotle wrote a book titled The Art of Rhetoric in ancient Greece where he formulated three basic elements of rhetoric: ethos (ethics), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic). (Please see Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in the Rhetorical Terms section of chapter 2: The Descriptive Essay for a complete explanation of ethos, pathos, and logos, and more.)
RHETORICAL TERMS: rhetorical techniques or rhetorical devices that writers use to help them communicate more effectively. These devices include alliteration, allusion, hyperbole, metaphor, parallel construction, and personification, among others. (Please see the Rhetorical Terms section of Chapter 2: The Descriptive Essay for a complete explanation of rhetorical terms.)
SLANG (origin unknown, 1756): non-standard language composed of coinages, deliberately changed words, and extravagant figures of speech. For example, blood sludge for greasy food, dough for money, bombed for being drunk, and all nicknames. Slang is frowned upon in formal writing, but it can be useful in narrative essays, novels, and screenplays. Slang is rich in metaphor.
SUCCINCT (L succinctus girded up): compact, precise expression without wasted words: language that makes every word count.
VERBAL BULL-ROAR: language that does a lot of talking but never says a hot-damned thing: language that beats around the bush but never gets to the point. For example, “We’re going to implement a strategic initiative.” This expression simply means “We’re going to do something,” but it uses pretentious words to sound important.
VERBOSE (L verbosus wordy): too wordy: containing more words than necessary: language that is impaired by excessive wordiness.
From Writing Made Easy: Just The Basics
By Timothy Sharkey
CLICHE (F cliché stereotype): an expression so overused it is no longer effective. For example, “You're as busy as a bee.” “I slept like a baby.”
COLLOQUIAL (L colloqui converse, speak): conversational language: informal language: writing in a conversational style. For example, “Walt Whitman chose to write in the colloquial language of the man on the street corner and not the man in academia.”
CONCISE (L concisus to cut up): brevity of expression: free of all elaboration: writing that is brief and to the point (i.e., poignant).
CONNOTATION: the implied meaning of a word. A snake, for example, implies (or connotes) a sneaky person, but it literally means a reptile.
DENOTATION: the dictionary meaning of a word. Cheap denotes a low price for something but it also implies (or connotes) low-quality.
DICTION (L diction speaking): word choice: the art of choosing good words: picking the right word for the right context (considered the essence of poetry by some).
ESSAY (L exagium act of weighing): a composition that is analytical, interpretive, personal, and limited in scope. For example, a political essay, a descriptive essay, an argumentative essay, a photographic essay. An essay is essentially a short piece of writing.
ETYMOLOGY (Gk etymon origin + logia word): the study of the origin of words: the branch of linguistics that studies the origin of words.
EUPHEMISM (Gk eupemismos nice sounding language): the substitution of an agreeable, softened word for one that may offend. For example, military campaign for war, military fatigue for shell shock, and incident for rampage.
EXPOSITION (L exponere to expose, explain, or present for view): exposing facts: conveying information.
EXPOSITORY WRITING: writing involving exposition; i.e., writing that exposes facts, details, names, and important information.
FIGURE OF SPEECH: an expression that describes something in terms of something else: a comparison: figurative, not literal, language. For example, “He ran very fast” uses literal language. “He ran like a rabbit” uses figurative language.
GRAMMAR (Gk grammatikos of letters; gram Gk gramma small weight, one unit): the study of the 8 different kinds of words in English: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. Grammar involves using the right word in the right place in a sentence.
HYPERBOLE (Gk hyperbole excess): extreme exaggeration in language. For example, “Mile high ice cream cones.” “I was so embarrassed I could have died.” “My love for you is infinite.” “He is older than the hills.”
IDIOM (L idioma peculiarity of language): the language, or way of talking, unique to a particular group, period, or location.
IDIOMATIC: a form of expression, or way of talking, unique to a particular group, period, or location. For example, “Groovy, baby. I can dig it.” in the 1960s in America.
JARGON (F jargon, 14c): the technical terminology of a particular group of people (such as lawyers using legal jargon, doctors using medical jargon, and musicians using musical jargon).
LACONIC (L laconicus Spartan, Gk lakonikos Spartan terseness of speech): a minimum use of words. For example, Clint Eastwood’s screen persona in his Western films used an economy of words.
MALAPROPISM (from Mrs. Malaprop, a character in R B Sheridan’s The Rivals, a comedy in 1775, noted for her misuse of words): a humorous misapplication of a word. For example, “He is the very pineapple [pinnacle] of success!” “You’re constipating [concentrating] too much” (Archie Bunker).
MELLIFLUOUS (L mellifluus flowing like honey): smooth or rich language that flows like honey: smooth sounding words.
METAPHOR (Gk metaphorein to transfer): a figure of speech in which one thing is described in terms of something else: an idea expressed through the image of a second object: one object described through the qualities of a second object. (Please see Metaphor in the Rhetorical Terms section of Chapter 2: The Descriptive Essay for a complete explanation of metaphor and simile.)
NEOLOGISM (Gk neo new + logia word): a newly invented word (sometimes disapproved of because of its newness). For example, “selfie,” “tweet,” “crowd-sourcing,” “app,” “alt-right,” “woke,” “bot,” “webinar,” “blogosphere,” etc.
ONOMATOLOGY (Gk onomat name + logos word): the study of the etymology, history, and use of proper names: the study of name formation and naming practices.
ONOMATOPOEIA (Gk onomatopoiía the making of words): the formation of a word from a sound associated with it: the naming of a thing by a vocal imitation of its sound. For example, sizzle, splash, buzz, bang, honk, hiss, hiccup, oink, roar, chirp, meow.
ORATORY (L oratorium place of prayer): Oratory is the art of public speaking, usually with a rhetorical speech. Demosthenes was the great orator of ancient Greece. Cicero was the great orator of ancient Rome. Abraham Lincoln was the great orator of The United States during the civil war.
OXYMORON (Gk oxymoron pointedly foolish): a contradiction of terms: a combination of contradictory words. For example, jumbo shrimp, civil war, tragic pleasure, Nazi culture, an honest thief. The following speech from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet uses oxymorons: “Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate! / O anything of nothing first create! / O heavy lightness! serious vanity! / Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms! / Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health! / This love feel I, that feel no love in this” (I.i.174-82).
REDUNDANT (L redundant overflowing): duplicated and needless language: language that exceeds what is necessary: previously stated and therefore unnecessary.
RHETORIC (Gk rhetorike art of oratory): the principles or rules of speaking and writing effectively. Aristotle wrote a book titled The Art of Rhetoric in ancient Greece where he formulated three basic elements of rhetoric: ethos (ethics), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic). (Please see Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in the Rhetorical Terms section of chapter 2: The Descriptive Essay for a complete explanation of ethos, pathos, and logos, and more.)
RHETORICAL TERMS: rhetorical techniques or rhetorical devices that writers use to help them communicate more effectively. These devices include alliteration, allusion, hyperbole, metaphor, parallel construction, and personification, among others. (Please see the Rhetorical Terms section of Chapter 2: The Descriptive Essay for a complete explanation of rhetorical terms.)
SLANG (origin unknown, 1756): non-standard language composed of coinages, deliberately changed words, and extravagant figures of speech. For example, blood sludge for greasy food, dough for money, bombed for being drunk, and all nicknames. Slang is frowned upon in formal writing, but it can be useful in narrative essays, novels, and screenplays. Slang is rich in metaphor.
SUCCINCT (L succinctus girded up): compact, precise expression without wasted words: language that makes every word count.
VERBAL BULL-ROAR: language that does a lot of talking but never says a hot-damned thing: language that beats around the bush but never gets to the point. For example, “We’re going to implement a strategic initiative.” This expression simply means “We’re going to do something,” but it uses pretentious words to sound important.
VERBOSE (L verbosus wordy): too wordy: containing more words than necessary: language that is impaired by excessive wordiness.
From Writing Made Easy: Just The Basics
By Timothy Sharkey
Full book description of Writing Made Easy: Just the Basics by Timothy Sharkey
Writing Made Easy: Just the Basics by Timothy Sharkey explains how to make writing easy. It provides a “just-the-basics” approach to writing and it eliminates the complicated information that gets in the way. It includes expert definitions and helpful examples of what is really needed in writing – with professional scholarship and a literary sensibility – from an author who has taught English 101 and English 102 classes in college for over 15 years. Writing Made Easy: Just the Basics is the culmination of Timothy Sharkey’s 15-year effort to put the good information about writing into one book.
Writing Made Easy: Just the Basics contains the following information:
–Grammar, Syntax, Usage, Diction, Etymology
–Mechanics: abbreviations, capitalization, spelling
–Agreement Tips: past, present, and future; singular and plural; first, second, and third person voices
–Using whom correctly
–All Punctuation Marks: apostrophe, brackets, colon, comma, dash, ellipsis, exclamation point, hyphen, parentheses, quotation marks, semicolon, slash
–Sentences: required ingredients, sentence mistakes (sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and comma-splice sentences – and how to correct them)
–Paragraphs: required ingredients; introduction, body, and concluding paragraphs; transition words
–Rhetorical Techniques: alliteration, allusion, hyperbole, metaphor, onomatopoeia, irony, parallel construction, personification
–Arguing Well: critical thinking, dialectics; Aristotle’s ethos, pathos, & logos; the Socratic Method, common ground
–Fallacies: ad hominem attack, begging the question, coded language, double-edged sword, hasty analogy, red herring, slippery slope, straw man, etc.
–Research Tips: advanced Google searches, Boolean operators, databases, Google Scholar, Google News, WolframAlpha, the CIA Factbook, etc.
–Research Paper (MLA 9th Edition): direct quotes, indirect quotes, interpolations, in-text citations, works cited page, hanging indents, correct formatting
–Writing Terms defined: bombastic, cliche, colloquial, concise, diction, etymology, euphemism, figure of speech, hyperbole, jargon, metaphor, oxymoron, redundant, rhetoric, slang, succinct, verbose, etc.
–Latin Terms for Writers defined: a priori, ad hoc, ad infinitum, ad nauseam, alumnus, bona fide, de facto, ibidem (ibid.), ipso facto, non sequiter, per se, prima facie, quasi, reductio ad absurdem, sic, summa cum laude, magna cum laude, verbatim, etc.
–Sample Essays included: descriptive essay, argumentative essay, research paper (MLA 9th Edition)
–Writing approaches, insights, and advice
–Please Note: the paperback version of Writing Made Easy: Just the Basics features professional typography designed in the tradition of the Fine Press movement in England and America – especially the book designs of Bruce Rogers – and it uses Bruce Rogers’ own Centaur typeface.
Timothy Sharkey (author) has a Master of Liberal Arts degree in English & American Literature & Language from Harvard University. He has taught English 101 and English 102 classes in college for over 15 years. He has developed a skill in taking complicated information about writing and simplifying it for the demanding students enrolled in his classes. He believes that the good information about writing should be easy to find in one book, and he has compiled that information throughout his 15 years of teaching. Writing Made Easy: Just the Basics is the culmination of Timothy Sharkey’s 15-year effort to put the good information about writing into one book. Timothy Sharkey Writing Made Easy: Just The Basics
Writing Made Easy: Just the Basics contains the following information:
–Grammar, Syntax, Usage, Diction, Etymology
–Mechanics: abbreviations, capitalization, spelling
–Agreement Tips: past, present, and future; singular and plural; first, second, and third person voices
–Using whom correctly
–All Punctuation Marks: apostrophe, brackets, colon, comma, dash, ellipsis, exclamation point, hyphen, parentheses, quotation marks, semicolon, slash
–Sentences: required ingredients, sentence mistakes (sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and comma-splice sentences – and how to correct them)
–Paragraphs: required ingredients; introduction, body, and concluding paragraphs; transition words
–Rhetorical Techniques: alliteration, allusion, hyperbole, metaphor, onomatopoeia, irony, parallel construction, personification
–Arguing Well: critical thinking, dialectics; Aristotle’s ethos, pathos, & logos; the Socratic Method, common ground
–Fallacies: ad hominem attack, begging the question, coded language, double-edged sword, hasty analogy, red herring, slippery slope, straw man, etc.
–Research Tips: advanced Google searches, Boolean operators, databases, Google Scholar, Google News, WolframAlpha, the CIA Factbook, etc.
–Research Paper (MLA 9th Edition): direct quotes, indirect quotes, interpolations, in-text citations, works cited page, hanging indents, correct formatting
–Writing Terms defined: bombastic, cliche, colloquial, concise, diction, etymology, euphemism, figure of speech, hyperbole, jargon, metaphor, oxymoron, redundant, rhetoric, slang, succinct, verbose, etc.
–Latin Terms for Writers defined: a priori, ad hoc, ad infinitum, ad nauseam, alumnus, bona fide, de facto, ibidem (ibid.), ipso facto, non sequiter, per se, prima facie, quasi, reductio ad absurdem, sic, summa cum laude, magna cum laude, verbatim, etc.
–Sample Essays included: descriptive essay, argumentative essay, research paper (MLA 9th Edition)
–Writing approaches, insights, and advice
–Please Note: the paperback version of Writing Made Easy: Just the Basics features professional typography designed in the tradition of the Fine Press movement in England and America – especially the book designs of Bruce Rogers – and it uses Bruce Rogers’ own Centaur typeface.
Timothy Sharkey (author) has a Master of Liberal Arts degree in English & American Literature & Language from Harvard University. He has taught English 101 and English 102 classes in college for over 15 years. He has developed a skill in taking complicated information about writing and simplifying it for the demanding students enrolled in his classes. He believes that the good information about writing should be easy to find in one book, and he has compiled that information throughout his 15 years of teaching. Writing Made Easy: Just the Basics is the culmination of Timothy Sharkey’s 15-year effort to put the good information about writing into one book. Timothy Sharkey Writing Made Easy: Just The Basics
