The other day I went to a GenAI tool to get reassurance that I haven’t totally lost my mind. I’ve grown somewhat accustomed to hearing and seeing “who” used for “whom,” but lately I’ve noticed “that” is being substituted for “who.”
Not to sound cranky, but that really was the last straw.
According to the tool, I have not lost my mind, at least when it comes to grammar and usage. But this is a great example of language drift, informal usage creeping into the mainstream.
Here’s what the tool had to say on the subject:
In formal or edited writing, stick with:
-
Who – for people, when they are the subject of a clause
Example: “The writer who submitted the article…”
(“Who” is doing the submitting.) -
Whom – for people, when they are the object of a clause
Example: “The writer to whom I sent the article…”
(“Whom” receives the action of sending.) -
That – for things, groups, or sometimes animals (not people)
Example: “The company that published the report…”
In casual speech or unedited writing:
-
“That” is often used in place of “who” for people
“The doctor that treated me” ← common, but not standard -
“Who” frequently replaces “whom”
“The client who I emailed” ← widely accepted, even if not strictly correct
Tip:
To test who versus whom, try rephrasing with he/she (subject) or him/her (object):
-
✅ “Who called?” → “He called.” ✔
-
✅ “To whom did you speak?” → “I spoke to him.” ✔
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