Question posted as a private message by Pipes, Forum member (August 24, 2011):
Which interrogative pronoun is appropriate if the sentence below is rendered into a question?
“You should see Mrs. Laker at the Laker School of English about classes.”
Should it be “who” or the objective form “whom”?
My reply to Pipes:
Formally, since “Mrs. Laker” functions as the direct object of the verb “see,” the question form of that sentence should use the objective interrogative pronoun “whom,” as follows:
“Whom should I see at the Laker School of English about classes?”
In modern usage, however, the subjective “who” is increasingly preferred for such questions:
“Who should I see at the Laker School of English about classes?”
My advice: Use “whom” for your formal written school requirements, but feel free to use the less stuffy “who” in your day-to-day English.
