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JJDouglas Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

More confusion over "Who" versus "Whom"

According to CMOS, "who" is correct in the sentence "who should I say is calling?" I simply don't understand this as it isn't the subject. "I" is.

It says you should rearrange the sentence into "I should say who is calling" to make it easier to see which one to choose. But I still see "I" as the subject, with "who is calling" as the object of the verb "say."

Can someone please shed some light on this? I don't really understand the CMOS's explanation at all. (It's section 5.63 if anyone wants to look it up for reference.)
  

Top answer

"Who should I say is calling" is correct. Leave out the "should I say" and see what happens. ", which is the right way of saying it.

— Xerxes

  • "Who should I say is calling" is correct.
  • Leave out the "should I say" and see what happens.
  • ", which is the right way of saying it.
  • It's not "whom is calling".
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8 Answers
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"Who should I say is calling" is correct. Leave out the "should I say" and see what happens. What you get is, "Who is calling?", which is the right way of saying it. It's not "whom is calling".
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Who is the subject in: who is calling. I is the subject in should I say. A clause can be the object, but that doesn't mean whom is used: I didn't know who was calling. Who isn't the object. It's only part of the object.

CB

Cross-posted with Xerxes.
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JJDouglasIt says you should rearrange the sentence into "I should say who is calling" to make it easier to see which one to choose.
I don't think this is a helpful suggestion, however, since it totally changes the meaning.
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I have thought of another example over which I am slightly confused.

"I don't know who/whom to ask."

Is "whom" correct here? By my understanding of the rule, I think it is, although it sounds a bit too formal.
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JJDouglasIs "whom" correct here? By my understanding of the rule, I think it is, although it sounds a bit too formal.
It is not too formal. It is correct. You will hear a lot of people say, "I don't know who to ask", but that is not proper English. Put it this way:
I don't know whom to ask about this.
Well, you can ask him.
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JJDouglas"I don't know who/whom to ask."Is "whom" correct here?
Yes, for very formal use. However, in ordinary writing and speech, the "m" is removed whenever "whom" is fronted (moved from its normal statement position to the beginning of the clause).

to ask him (~whom) is the normal order. Fronting "whom" gives who to ask.

E
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JJDouglas"Who should I say is calling?"
That is a question about a subject and the subject is "Who".
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JJDouglasIt says you should rearrange the sentence into "I should say who is calling" to make it easier to see which one to choose.
Instead of "who" and "whom" use "he" and "him" in the rearranged version. That may help.

1) I should say (that) he is calling?
2) I should say (that) him is calling?

The "I" is irrelevant. You
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