Whom is Dead

Over fern-and-tomato salad, my friends Yna, publications director of OMF Lit; Yay, a fellow author; and I talked about our favorite topic: books. Yes, books—and the elements of books: words.

“Did you know that whom is dead?” Yna asked. “You can now use who in its place—and it has become correct in many publications.”

What?!

But, but I take pains in teaching my students the difference and although it takes grace for me to remain calm wading through a mighty long explanation—resorting to mnemonic devices for them to remember—they eventually get it. And now I never have to mention whom ever?

Not that I didn't believe Yna, but as soon as I got home, I went to work and researched the bombshell. These I have culled from various readings:

“In practice, most people never use whom in speech because it sounds extremely formal. Or they don't use whom at all, and instead use who in all contexts.

My personal opinion: they don’t use it because they can’t tell how it differs from who. Figure these:

Who should we support?

Who do you wish to speak to?

These are utterly wrong in grammar. But now they are correct?! Let’s take some famous lines with whom and change it to who:

For Who the Bell Tolls (novel by Ernest Hemingway)

To who it may concern.

From who is this?

Not quite right, but now they are?! Well, for the longest time we’ve all been singing “Who Can I turn to?” and never found it wrong.

As a writer and a teacher, however, today I mourn the demise of whom. But I will still use it in loving memory of its correct usage in all my books.