1. Understanding the Pronoun ‘Who’

• Definition: “Who” is a subject pronoun used to refer to people. It is often used to ask questions or introduce relative clauses.

Examples:

• Question: Who is coming to the party?
• Relative Clause: The teacher who teaches math is very helpful.

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2. Common Errors with ‘Who’

• Using ‘Who’ Instead of ‘Whom’:
  A common mistake is using “who” when “whom” is grammatically correct. “Whom” is used as an object pronoun.

Correct Usage:

• Who: Use when the pronoun is the subject of the verb.
• Example: Who called you yesterday?
• Whom: Use when the pronoun is the object of the verb or preposition.
• Example: Whom did you invite to the party?
• Example: To whom should I address the letter?

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3. Identifying Errors in Context

• Error in Relative Clauses:
  Students should be able to identify when “who” is incorrectly used in a relative clause.

Example:

• Incorrect: The student, who I met yesterday, is my friend.
• Correct: The student, whom I met yesterday, is my friend.

4. Correcting Errors

• Self-Check Method:
  Students can self-check by rephrasing the sentence. If the pronoun refers to the subject of the sentence, use “who.” If it refers to the object, use “whom.”

Example:

• Check: I don’t know who/whom to ask for help.
• Correction: I don’t know whom to ask for help. (Here, “whom” is correct because it is the object of the verb “ask.”)

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5. Avoiding Ambiguity

• Clarity in Pronoun Use:
  Ensure that the sentence clearly indicates whether “who” or “whom” is needed to avoid confusion.

Example:

• Ambiguous: The girl who/whom I saw was happy.
• Correct: The girl whom I saw was happy. (In this case, “whom” is correct because it refers to the object of the verb “saw.”)