Hi Mariappan! In both sentences we have the linking verb "to be". So, we have a subject + verb to be + complement. The word "students" is not an object. It is a subject complement that follows the linking verb (to be). So, the correct sentences are "Who do you think they are?" "Who is that for?"
Regards Lil On Oct 13, 1:03 pm, "mariappan balraj" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hello Lil, > Excellent explanation. Finally I came up with two more doubts. > > 1) For the question "Who do you think they are?", the answer can be "I > think they are students." Here "students" is an object. > > Then why "who" is correct??? and using "whom" is not correct????. > > Means why "Whom do you thing they are?" is not correct. > > 2) We are entering into our friend's house. And seeing some sweets > there. And want to ask question like "Who is that for?". Is this > correct? The answer from our friend can be "That is for you". > > If the question is not correct the how to ask? > > Best Regards > Mariappan > > On 10/13/08, Lílian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > Hi Mariappan! > > > Sorry for the late reply! > > > Here goes a mini-tutorial to help you: > > > Subjects, Objects and Possessive Forms > > To understand how to use "who," "whom," and "whose," you first have to > > understand the difference between subjects, objects, and possessive > > forms. > > > Subjects do an action: > > > He loves movies. > > She goes to school. > > We enjoy Chinese food. > > Objects receive an action: > > > The teachers like him. > > Thomas knows her. > > The actor smiled at us. > > Possessive forms tell us the person something belongs to: > > > His bike is broken. > > I like her new book. > > The teacher graded our homework. > > "Who" is a Subject Pronoun > > "Who" is a subject pronoun like "he," "she" and "we" in the examples > > above. We use "who" to ask which person does an action or which person > > is a certain way. > > > Examples: > > > Who made the birthday cake? > > Who is in the kitchen? > > Who is going to do the dishes? > > "Whom" is an Object Pronoun > > "Whom" is an object pronoun like "him," "her" and "us." We use "whom" > > to ask which person receives an action. > > > Examples: > > > Whom are you going to invite? > > Whom did he blame for the accident? > > Whom did he hire to do the job? > > "Whose" is a Possessive Pronoun > > "Whose" is a possessive pronoun like "his," "her" and "our." We use > > "whose" to find out which person something belongs to. > > > Examples: > > > Whose camera is this? > > Whose dog is barking outside? > > Whose cell phone keeps ringing? > > "Who," "Whom" and "Whose" in Indirect Questions > > The sentence below contains an example of an indirect question: > > > I don't know whom he invited. > > Such sentences usually start with a phrase such as: "I am not sure" or > > "He doesn't know" or "We don't care." Just ignore the first part of > > the sentence and look at the indirect question when deciding whether > > to use "who," "whom" or "whose." Ask yourself if the indirect question > > requires a subject, object, or possessive form. > > > Examples: > > > He doesn't know who the boss of the company is. subject of the > > indirect question > > I don't care whom you invite. object of the indirect question > > She isn't sure whose car that is. "Whose" shows possession of car. > > "Who," "Whom" and "Whose" in Adjective Clauses > > The sentence below contains an example of an adjective clause: > > > I know the man who won the contest. > > Adjective clauses are used to describe a noun in the main sentence. In > > the example above, the adjective clause tells us about "the man." Just > > ignore the main sentence and look at the adjective clause when > > deciding whether to use "who," "whom" or "whose." Ask yourself if the > > adjective clause requires a subject, object, or possessive form. > > > Examples: > > > We knew the actress who starred in the movie. subject of adjective > > clause > > They hired the man whom we interviewed last week. object of adjective > > clause > > She knew the family whose house we bought. "Whose" shows possession of > > house. > > "Whom" Less Common > > The form "whom" is becoming less and less common in English. Many > > native English speakers think "whom" sounds outdated or strange. This > > trend is particularly common in the United States. Especially when > > combined with prepositions, most people prefer to use "who" as the > > object pronoun. To most native English speakers, the examples below > > sound quite natural. > > > Examples: > > > Who did you come to the party with? > > I don't know who he gave the book to. > > That is the woman who I was talking to. > > Who did you get that from? > > Do you have any idea who he sold his car to? > > That is the person who I got the information from. > > > Regards > > > Lil > > > On Oct 13, 10:55 am, "mariappan balraj" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > wrote: > >> Hi, If you consider the following sentence, > >> The man whom he most admires will be here tonight. > > >> Here "whom" is relative pronoun. > > >> "He most admires Raju". We can ask question like "who does he most > >> admires?". But "whom does he most admires?" is wrong. > > >> The confusion comes because in the given sentence "Raju" is object. > >> So > >> I thought to replace with the relative pronoun used for the person in the > >> possessive case. But it is wrong. > > >> Best Regards > >> Mariappan > > >> On Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 6:11 PM, mariappan balraj < > > >> [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> > Hello Anu, Thanks Anu. But I am not able to figure out why > >> > those sentences are wrong. > > >> > Best Regards > >> > Mariappan > > >> > On Mon, Oct 13, 2008 at 3:33 PM, anurag barthwal > >> > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > > >> >> Hi Marriapan, > > >> >> Sorry for the delay. I'd asked Lilian to answer your questions, and I > >> >> was > >> >> surprised when I saw that she didn't. > >> >> I was away, to my home-town for some time. > > >> >> 1) Whom shall I give this to? (*wrong*) > > >> >> 2) Whom do you believe did this? (*wrong*) > > >> >> 3) Whom are you speaking?(*wrong*) > >> >> Who are you speaking? (*wrong*) > > >> >> Who are you speaking to? (*correct*) > > >> >> 4) Whom do you think they are? (*wrong*) > > >> >> 5) What do you consider in the right? (*wrong*) > > >> >> 6) Whom, do you consider, is right? (*wrong*) > > >> >> 7) Whom did you speak to? (*wrong*) > > >> >> 8) Whom is that for? (*wrong*) > > >> >> Who is that for? (*wrong*) > > >> >> What is that for? (*correct*) > > >> >> [When you say, "What is that for?", there is an object you are seeing > >> >> or > >> >> thinking about, and you want to know what it is for. > > >> >> For example : You enter your friend's workshop. You see a weird looking > >> >> tool there. As you are curious, you ask your friend, pointing towards > >> >> the > >> >> tool, > > >> >> "What is that for?" ] > > >> >> 9) What did they fight each other for? > > >> >> [Suppose, 2 persons were fighting. The fight has ended now. You are > >> >> inquiring the eye witnesses, what they were fighting for. ] > >> >> 10) Whom am I speaking to, please? (*wrong*) > >> >> * > >> >> regards > >> >> anu*- Hide quoted text - > > >> - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "English Learner's Cafe" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/english_learners?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
