-2

In the sentence below, which version is correct:

  1. John pretty much knows who’s slept with who within certain circles in Manhattan.

  2. John pretty much knows who’s slept with whom within certain circles in Manhattan.

Option 2 seems grammatically correct to me, but it also sounds stilted and very formal. If I were writing a novel whose style were not that elevated, would option 1 be acceptable?

Thank you for any advice.

herisson
  • 81,803
MoniqueH
  • 859
  • 1
    You're right about 2 being grammatically correct. That doesn't necessarily mean that 1 is incorrect. It's really a matter of opinion. Nobody has the authority to make binding rules about acceptable levels of formality (if you're writing a novel, it's something you ought to discuss with your editor). – herisson Jul 30 '16 at 03:36
  • 1
    My impression is that "within certain circles" elevates the style above what you intended; it seems out of place with the informal "pretty much" and "with who". – Andreas Blass Jul 30 '16 at 04:07

1 Answers1

1

This article highlights the easiest way to distinguish the words:

Rule. Use this he/him method to decide whether who or whom is correct:

he = who

him = whom

Examples: Who/Whom wrote the letter? He wrote the letter. Therefore, who is correct.

[For] Who/Whom should I vote? Should I vote for him? Therefore, whom is correct.

We all know who/whom pulled that prank. He pulled that prank. Therefore, who is correct. (Grammarbook)

Using the above logic,

he's slept with him

Therefore one should use whom

On the other hand we should note that usage of whom has dropped massively, particularly in the spoken word and it is often seen as archaic or pedantic. Common prepositions with whom or who As this Ngram shows, use has fallen steadily over the years even in writing.

Community
  • 1
BladorthinTheGrey
  • 7,125
  • The question says "Option 2 seems grammatically correct to me, *but it also sounds stilted and very formal [...] would option 1 be acceptable?*" You don't address this. The question is about style and register, and appropriate levels of formality. Because of this, I've voted to close it as primarily opinion-based. But in any case, the question is what it is, and a good answer should address these topics and not just explain what the formal rule is (we already have a question for that: What’s the rule for using “who” and “whom” correctly?). – herisson Jul 30 '16 at 07:31
  • 1
    I'm curious why you didn't vote to close the question 4 hours ago, when you commented on it, or if you did, at least mention in the comment that you had voted to close it, to alert others who might consider your objection also, before going to the trouble of answering it. – Gary Jul 30 '16 at 07:44