It's Whom For Pete's Sake
One of my biggest pet peeves is reading news stories that mistake who for whom. It just rankles me to no end to see professionals who should understand the basics of grammar make such a fundamental mistake.
To wit:
The Niners have extended invitations to the agents of Rodgers, Alex Smith, and Braylon Edwards to begin contract negotiations. Head coach Mike Nolan seems to be learning toward Rodgers, especially now that Smith failed to wow coaches at his most recent workout. However, it's always possible that notoriously cheap team owner John York will let his wallet determine who the team selects with the first overall pick.
Dear nitwits who wrote and edited the story:
It's "whom the team selects with the first overall pick." Who is used as the subject of a verb, as in who was the team's draft pick. Whom is used as an object, which it is in the above sentence.
Sincerely yours,
The Grammar Police
Comments
"seems to be learning toward"???
leaning perhaps?
Posted by: ac | April 7, 2005 07:39 PM
Its the Niners. I am surprised they are going to that level of preparation in deciding WHOM the team will draft.
Last I heard they are over the salary cap (-$4.75 million), and a roster of has beens, ain't gonna be's and REW's (Ride the plane Eat and Watch the game)
Posted by: Justin | April 7, 2005 07:47 PM
AC - nice catch. Missed that one.
Posted by: Jon | April 7, 2005 08:08 PM
Who cares about subject and object? An easy way to remember which to use, thanks to a long-forgotten high school English teacher - if you can susbstitute him (or her), use whom; if you can substitute he (or she), use who. I have noticed those who write and edit the news stories have gotten sloppier over the last few years; actually, it's not just news, it's everywhere. I've even had books filled with grammar, spelling and punctuation errors, ruining (for me) what might have been a good story. It gets too distracting.
Posted by: hnumpah | April 8, 2005 09:45 AM