Whom do you want to win

Question

Whom do you want to win ?Can this sentence be the interrogative form of both the sentences given below:1. I want him to win.2. I want to win him.

BarbaraPA · Accepted Answer

If the original question is "whom" then you are asking about which person you will win.

(How do you win people?)

Ivanhr · Answer

Grammar GeekIf the original question is "whom" then you are asking about which person you will win.

(How do you win people?)

Good point.

I will beat you in a game of (insert whatever sport you like).

Toms Mathew · Answer

Hi,

Still are you using 'whom'? Go along with the new Avatar.

Thanks.

BarbaraPA · Answer

Ivanhr
Grammar GeekIf the original question is "whom" then you are asking about which person you will win.

(How do you win people?)

Good point.

I will beat you in a game of (insert whatever sport you like).

Who will win -- which person will be the winner.
Whom will you win -- which person will be your prize. (Bachelor auction, maybe?)

Dimsumexpress · Answer

I think this is the correct intended meaning- Who do you want to see win [American Idol]?

This is a common mistake: (incidentally, this was written by a Greenbay Parkard fan)
No body wants to win a Viking, or a Saint

. So to express the sentence correctly, the verb "see" should be inserted between "....want to[see] win...."

Who do you want to win: Vikings or Saints?

Part of me would like to see the old man Longwell, oops, I mean Favre get to the Super Bowl at his age. But I would love to see the Saints get to the Super Bowl because it would mean so much to the city, its organization and their fans.

Anonymous · Answer

"Who" is used when we are referring to the nominative case whereas "whom" is used when we are referring to the "accusative" case.
In the sentence "I want you to win", "you" is in accusative case.
So why can't we say "Whom do you want to (see) win" as the interrogative form of "I want you to win" ?

Dimsumexpress · Answer

No, "whom" is incorrectly used in the "to win" context in my opinion.
Let's look at another example: "who do you want to send this package to?" You wouldn't consider "whom" is the correct answer; would you?
Here is an excerpt from this link on the topic.

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=15974

Join Date: Dec 2004

Location: Fort Lauderdale

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Re: 'To who am I speaking with?'

According to what I've read this is not merely a recent trend. "Whom" has never been necessary in English for understanding what is said. If you contrast with German, which has "wer", "wen"," wem", corresponding to "who", "whom", "to whom", those endings are very necessary.

There is another problem too.

1) To whom do you wish to speak?
2) Whom do you wish to speak to?
3) Who do you wish to speak to?

I'm using this as an example sentence. It's not quite the same as the one discussed.

The first is completely correct. I would never use it. I think it sounds pompous and outdated, but it is correct. The second is a "hybrid", because it keeps the objective case but splits the infinitive.

The last, I think, reflects how many of us speak, perhaps even most. I would always use the third.

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousWhom do you want to win ?
Can this sentence be the interrogative form of both the sentences given below:
1. I want him to win.
2. I want to win him.

Yes, it can. Period. End of story.

CJ

BarbaraPA · Answer

Jim - Please explain this.

How is this not like "whoever answers the door" and require the nominative if "he" is winning (compared to "him" being the prize).

Thanks.

CalifJim · Answer

Grammar GeekJim - Please explain this.

Sure. No problem.
(You just have to play along with the foolishness of casting a person in the role of prize.

)

As a reminder, the question was:

“Whom do you want to win ?
Can this sentence be the interrogative form of both the sentences given below:
1. I want him to win.
2. I want to win him.

That question can be rephrased like this, straightening out the unintended switch of pronouns (you, I) made by the poster:

What is the interrogative form of each of these sentences? Use the formal "whom" where the object case is required in the answer.

1. You want my friend to win. You want him to win. him is in the object case.
2. You want to win the man in the suit. You want to win him. him is in the object case.

Answers:
Add do, invert subject and verb, and put the question word at the beginning -- in the correct (object) case, of course. I'm leaving a gap to show where the question word came from in the original sentences.

1. Whom do you want ___ to win?
2. Whom do you want to win ___?

Note that whenever there is more than one place in the sentence that requires the object case, the same thing happens. At least I'm not aware of any rule that would change the case to subject case in either of the two examples. Switching from formal "whom" to casual "who" does nothing to remove the ambiguity either.

For example, Whom/Who do you expect to visit? is equally ambiguous (as well as having the advantage of avoiding a foolish scenario). Which is it?

Whom/Who do you expect ___ to visit? (They visit you.)

Whom/Who do you expect to visit ___? (You visit them.)

Does that help? (It's got nothing to do with "whoever" or "whomever", far as I can see.)

CJ

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