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ESL forum >
Ask for help > WHOM
WHOM
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abba
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WHOM
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Good night!!! Can anyone give me a grammatical explanation for this sentence?
Jane, whom I don �t know very well, is very good at her job
I know that whom cannot be omitted in this relative sentence, but according to the general rules I have explained these days to my students it could, because the relative clause has got a subject. I have consulted Mr Swan and Mr Greenbaum and nothing is said about it. So, could you give me a hand, please? what �s the grtammatical explanation for not omitting �whom �, the fact the it implies a preposition, that it is non-identifying????
Thanks in advance. |
6 Feb 2012
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Nuria08
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I guess it �s because that �s a non-defining relative clause and relative pronouns (which, who, whom and that) can only be omitted in defining relative clauses.
Hugs! |
6 Feb 2012
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abba
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Thanks a million Nuria, I had the answer right there, in the commas and I just couldn �t see it, too late to be thinking about it. Thanks a bunch again and good night. |
6 Feb 2012
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yanogator
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Apodo, The "whom" here is the direct object of the verb "know", so it is grammatically correct, although the word itself is slipping out of the English language, and most people would now say "who". Bruce |
7 Feb 2012
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Apodo
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Bruce,
OK - I �m just talking through my hat (again) |
7 Feb 2012
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james33
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I think WHOM can �t be used in that sentence.We should use WHO as it refers to a direct object:JANE because the structural aspect of the sentence is:I DON �T KNOW VERY WELL JANE. WHOM is to replace an indirect object and it is always preceeded by a preposition:TO or FOR EXAMPLES
JANE WHO WORKS IN LONDON IS MY COUSIN(who_subject)
jane, who I KNOW, IS HARD-WORKING (who_direct object)IT CAN BE SUBSTITUTED BY that and can be omitted
JANE to WHOM I GAVE MY BOOK WORKS WITH ME or JANE WHOM I GAVE MY BOOK to WORKS.....AS YOU SEE THERE MUST BE A PREPOSITION in the sentence with whom as it replaces an INDIRECT OBJECT
Jane I KNOW IS BEAUTIFUL.It �s like THE WOMAN I KNOW IS.....THE WOMAN I DON �T KNOW IS.....YOU SEE IT CAN GO SINCE who CAN BE SUBSTITUTED BY that as it refers to a direct object
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7 Feb 2012
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abba
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Thanks a lot to all of you for your kind help. |
7 Feb 2012
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