Grammar question: who vs. whom?

[Pencap]

So my life has come to this; asking for grammar advice on an escort website. Seriously, though, I'm often impressed with the level of intelligence on this board when it is given a rare opportunity to reveal itself.

OK, here goes:

"I have a good idea of whom I am as a person."

vs.

"I have a good idea of who I am as a person."

the second one sounds more right, but I have this suspicion that the first one just might be the ticket. I used this phrase on a piece of writing where grammar matters. I went with number one, btw, but am having doubts.

 

[toughb]

For whom the bell tolls.

...

 

[Big Rig]

One is the objective case and the other is the subjective case

And that is all I know


How about effect vs affect

 

[1andun]

That's a tough example.

According to some sites that came up via Google, the answer is 'whom' since it follows a preposition 'of'.

http://www.elearnenglishlanguage.com/difficulties/whowhom.html

What he said"whom"

 

[genintoronto]

"Who" is used for a subject of a verb, where a nominative pronoun such as I or he would be appropriate.

"Whom" is used as the object of a verb or preposition.

In this case, "whom" is the object of the preposition "I have a good idea of what? Whom I am as a person".

 

[yippie]

I vote for the second option. The object of the preposition 'of' is the entire phrase 'who I am as a person'. 'Who' is the subjective compliment of the verb 'am'.

 

[Aardvark154]

"Who" is used for a subject of a verb, where a nominative pronoun such as I or he would be appropriate.

"Whom" is used as the object of a verb or preposition.

In this case, "whom" is the object of the preposition "I have a good idea of what? Whom I am as a person".

Although I agree with JFK that you can give me grammar lessons anytime.

Still My Head Hurts!

 

[genintoronto]

I vote for the second option. The object of the preposition 'of' is the entire phrase 'who I am as a person'. 'Who' is the subjective compliment of the verb 'am'.

Who is a subjective pronoun, ie, the subject of a side clause.

In this case, the subject of the verb am is I, not who; whom is the object referring to the sentence subject I have a good idea of.

 

[blackrock13]

Who/whom is the easy one and more people have it right. I/me is the one that I even hear English major/teachers misuse.

Who is it?

 

[genintoronto]

Interestingly, and according to Wiki:

William Safire, former speechwriter for U.S. President Nixon and long-time language columnist for The New York Times Magazinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times_Magazine, suggested the following:

The best rule for dealing with who vs. whom is this: Whenever whom is required, recast the sentence. This keeps a huge section of the hard disk of your mind available for baseball averages.

 

[pencilneckgeek2]

To whom does that pussy belong to?

I think you just ended that sentence with a preposition.

 

[Cycleguy007]

I wants to get me some pussy tonight

Book an appointment with gen and get a grammar lesson and a maybe a lesson in religion at the same time!

 

[jwmorrice]

I vote for the second option. The object of the preposition 'of' is the entire phrase 'who I am as a person'. 'Who' is the subjective compliment of the verb 'am'.

Yes, that's the case!

jwm

 

[blank_dave]

Interestingly, and according to Wiki:

William Safire, former speechwriter for U.S. President Nixon and long-time language columnist for The New York Times Magazinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times_Magazine, suggested the following:

The best rule for dealing with who vs. whom is this: Whenever whom is required, recast the sentence. This keeps a huge section of the hard disk of your mind available for baseball averages.

Brains & beauty!! Gen = win.

 

[Cycleguy007]

Brains & beauty!! Gen = win.

Stick around Dave... "you ain't seen nothin yet!"

 

[blank_dave]

Stick around Dave... "you ain't seen nothin yet!"

If I could be so lucky.

 

[yippie]

Who is a subjective pronoun, ie, the subject of a side clause.

In this case, the subject of the verb am is I, not who; whom is the object referring to the sentence subject I have a good idea of.

I is the subject of am but who is the subjective compliment. The entire phrase who I am as a person is the object referring to the sentence subject, not just the word who/whom.

 

[genintoronto]

"I have a good idea of whom I am as a person."

I is the subject of am but who is the subjective compliment. The entire phrase who I am as a person is the object referring to the sentence subject, not just the word who/whom.

Fuck. Now you have me confused. But I think you may be right.

So, lets rephrase it to make it less confusing:

"I have a good idea of who you are as a person."

If I'm following you:

who you are as a person is the object complement referring to the sentence subject I have a good idea of; and who is the subject complement of you are.

It does sound better, and I stand corrected.

 

[Gyaos]

There is no such Timelord as Doctor Whom.

Gyaos.

 

[genintoronto]

I vote for the second option. The object of the preposition 'of' is the entire phrase 'who I am as a person'. 'Who' is the subjective compliment of the verb 'am'.

I learned it as "the subjective compliment of the copula verb". "Am", or the verb "To Be", is a copula or linking verb, which links the subject of a sentence to something else. As such, what is required is a subjective, not an objective completion.

I don't mean to be annoying, especially after being corrected publicly on my grammar, but I think that you both mean to write "subjective complement" and not "compliment".

I can explain the difference if need be.