Have you ever written a sentence like “I met several students, some of who were from Texas” and suddenly wondered whether “some of whom” would be better? 🤔 This common grammar question is at the heart of some of whom vs some of who, especially when writing emails, essays, reports, articles, or professional messages.
The confusion happens because who and whom both refer to people, and modern English often uses who in places where traditional grammar would use whom. However, the phrase “some of whom” follows a clear grammatical pattern. The word whom is the object form of who, and it is normally used after a preposition such as of in formal writing.
Therefore, the standard form is “some of whom.” The expression “some of who” is generally considered incorrect in standard formal English when who comes directly after of.
In this guide, we will explain some of whom vs some of who, why one is correct, how to use it naturally, and how to avoid similar mistakes. By the end, you will have a simple rule that makes this choice much easier. 📚 Worn vs Warn | Hassle vs Hastle | Ingrained vs Engrained
Quick Answer: Some of Whom vs Some of Who
“Some of whom” is the correct standard form. Use whom after the preposition of when you mean “some of those people.”
For example:
I interviewed ten applicants, some of whom had previous experience.
Here, whom is the object of of, so some of whom is grammatically correct. “Some of who” is not the standard form in this construction. Cambridge Grammar explains that whom is the object form of who and is commonly used after prepositions.
Understanding the Basics: Some of Whom vs Some of Who
The easiest way to understand the difference is to focus on the word of.
The phrase “some of” needs an object after the preposition of. When the object is a person represented by a relative pronoun, whom is the traditional object form.
Compare:
- some of whom ✅
- some of who ❌
Basic Comparison Table
| Form | Type | Meaning | Example | Correct/Incorrect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| some of whom | Relative pronoun phrase | Some members of a group of people | I met several writers, some of whom live in New York. | ✅ Correct |
| some of who | Incorrect pronoun construction in standard formal English | Intended to mean some members of a group | I met several writers, some of who live in New York. | ❌ Incorrect |
| some of them | Personal pronoun phrase | Some people in a group | I met several writers, and some of them live in New York. | ✅ Correct |
| some who | Relative clause | Some people who meet a condition | Some students who studied passed the test. | ✅ Correct |
The important point is that who and whom do not always perform the same grammatical job.
Who is commonly used as a subject, while whom is traditionally used as an object. Cambridge specifically describes whom as the object form of who and notes that it is especially common in formal writing and after prepositions.
What Does “Some of Whom” Mean?
Some of whom means “some of those people” or “some members of that group.”
For example:
We invited 30 guests, some of whom arrived early.
This means:
We invited 30 guests, and some of those guests arrived early.
The word whom refers back to guests.
Another example:
She has many colleagues, some of whom work remotely.
The phrase means:
She has many colleagues, and some of those colleagues work remotely.
The construction is particularly useful when you want to add information about part of a previously mentioned group.
Sentence Breakdown
Consider:
The company hired 15 employees, some of whom had worked in the industry before.
Here is the structure:
- The company hired 15 employees = the main clause.
- some of whom had worked in the industry before = a relative clause.
- employees = the people being referred to.
- some = part of the group.
- of = preposition.
- whom = object of the preposition of.
- had worked = verb of the relative clause.
This is why “some of whom” works so well grammatically.
Why “Some of Who” Is Incorrect
The problem with “some of who” is that who is not the traditional object form required after the preposition of.
Think about the simpler sentence:
I spoke with him.
Not:
I spoke with he.
The reason is that him is the object form of he.
The same basic idea applies to:
- who → subject form
- whom → object form
Therefore:
some of whom ✅
is comparable to:
some of them ✅
The phrase “some of who” attempts to place the subject form who after the preposition of.
Compare These Sentences
I invited several people, some of whom were teachers. ✅
I invited several people, some of who were teachers. ❌
The first sentence follows the traditional object-case rule.
The second sentence is commonly heard or produced because modern English often uses who more broadly. However, when who directly follows of in this construction, some of whom is the standard choice for careful formal writing.
The Simple Rule to Remember
Here is the easiest rule:
If you have “some of + people,” use “whom” when the pronoun refers to those people.
So:
- some of whom ✅
- many of whom ✅
- both of whom ✅
- neither of whom ✅
- several of whom ✅
- all of whom ✅
- few of whom ✅
- one of whom ✅
Examples:
I have three brothers, two of whom live abroad.
We interviewed 20 candidates, several of whom had impressive qualifications.
She invited five friends, all of whom arrived on time.
The school has many teachers, some of whom have worked there for decades.
This pattern is very common in formal English.
Correct Meanings and Uses
1. Some of Whom Refers to People in a Group
The most common use is to identify part of a group.
The manager interviewed ten applicants, some of whom had previous experience.
The phrase tells us that the applicants were a group and that only part of that group had previous experience.
Another example:
I attended a conference with many researchers, some of whom were internationally recognized.
Here, some of whom means some of the researchers.
2. Some of Whom Adds Extra Information
The phrase often introduces additional information about people already mentioned.
We met several students, some of whom were preparing for college.
The first part establishes the group:
We met several students.
The second part gives extra information:
some of whom were preparing for college.
This structure allows you to combine related ideas without repeating the noun.
Instead of writing:
We met several students. Some of the students were preparing for college.
You can write:
We met several students, some of whom were preparing for college.
The second version is more compact and often sounds more polished.
3. Some of Whom Can Follow a Number
You do not have to use some. Other quantity words can work with of whom.
Examples include:
- one of whom
- two of whom
- three of whom
- many of whom
- several of whom
- most of whom
- all of whom
- none of whom
- few of whom
- both of whom
Examples:
I invited four speakers, two of whom canceled.
The organization has hundreds of members, many of whom volunteer regularly.
She has three children, all of whom are musicians.
We contacted six experts, none of whom could attend.
These constructions follow the same basic grammar pattern.
“Some of Whom” in Formal Writing
Some of whom is especially useful in formal writing.
You may see it in:
- business reports
- academic writing
- news articles
- professional emails
- official documents
- essays
- research writing
- biographies
- presentations
For example:
The committee consulted several specialists, some of whom had extensive experience in the field.
This sounds clear and professional.
A more conversational version could be:
The committee consulted several specialists, and some of them had extensive experience in the field.
Both are grammatically correct. The choice depends on sentence style.
“Some of Whom” vs “Some of Them”
These two constructions can express a similar idea, but their sentence structures are different.
Some of Whom
I met several doctors, some of whom worked at the hospital.
This creates one main sentence with a relative clause.
Some of Them
I met several doctors, and some of them worked at the hospital.
This uses two clauses connected by and.
Both are correct.
The difference is not simply about formal versus informal English. It is also about sentence structure.
Some of whom connects the second idea directly to the noun before it.
Some of them uses an independent pronoun phrase.
Test Tip: The “Them” Test
Here is a useful test for deciding whether whom is needed. 🧠
Replace whom with them.
For example:
I interviewed ten candidates, some of whom had experience.
Try:
I interviewed ten candidates. Some of them had experience.
The sentence works with them.
That tells you that whom is functioning as an object-like pronoun in the original construction.
Another example:
She invited several friends, two of whom live nearby.
Replace it:
Two of them live nearby.
That works.
So:
two of whom ✅
is the appropriate formal construction.
Remember
If them works naturally after of, whom is often the right formal relative pronoun.
Who vs Whom: The Bigger Grammar Rule
Understanding who vs whom makes some of whom vs some of who much easier.
Who
Who is traditionally used as the subject.
Example:
Who called you?
Here, who performs the action.
Another example:
The woman who called me is my teacher.
The woman is the subject of called.
Whom
Whom is traditionally used as the object.
Example:
Whom did you call?
Here, the person receiving the action is the object.
Another example:
The woman whom I called is my teacher.
The subject is I.
The person receiving the action is whom.
Cambridge Grammar describes whom as the object form of who and notes that it is used especially in formal styles and writing.
Why “Of Whom” Is Important
The preposition of is one of the strongest clues.
When a preposition comes directly before a relative pronoun referring to a person, whom is traditionally used.
Examples:
the people of whom we speak
the employees with whom I work
the person to whom I sent the email
the organization for whom she works
the students among whom the winner was selected
Cambridge Grammar specifically notes that whom is commonly used as the complement of a preposition.
Therefore:
some of whom ✅
follows the same pattern.
A Note About Modern English
There is an important detail here.
Modern English is increasingly flexible with who and whom. In everyday conversation, many native speakers use who instead of whom, even when traditional grammar would recommend whom.
For example:
Who did you talk to?
is extremely common.
Traditional formal grammar might prefer:
Whom did you talk to?
Cambridge notes that whom is much more common in writing than in speech and that who is widely used in conversational structures.
However, this does not mean that every occurrence of who and whom is interchangeable.
In a construction such as:
some of whom
the word whom comes directly after of, making the traditional object form clear.
For careful formal writing, some of whom is the safe and standard choice.
Case Study: A Workplace Email
Imagine that a manager needs to describe a training session.
An employee writes:
We had 12 participants, some of who had already completed the advanced course.
The sentence may be understandable, but the pronoun choice is incorrect in standard formal English.
A better version is:
We had 12 participants, some of whom had already completed the advanced course.
Why?
The phrase means:
Some of the participants had already completed the advanced course.
The noun participants is the group being discussed.
The word whom represents those participants after of.
Another Workplace Example
Incorrect:
We hired several consultants, some of who had worked with international companies.
Correct:
We hired several consultants, some of whom had worked with international companies.
The corrected version is clearer and more appropriate for professional communication.
Grammar Rules Explained
Standard grammar treats who and whom differently based on their grammatical function.
A simplified rule is:
- Who = subject
- Whom = object
The preposition of requires an object in the phrase some of whom.
This is similar to:
some of them
rather than:
some of they
The same case distinction explains:
both of them
all of them
several of them
and, in relative-pronoun form:
both of whom
all of whom
several of whom
Cambridge’s grammar guidance supports the use of whom when it functions as an object and especially when it follows a preposition.
Defining and Non-Defining Relative Clauses
Some of whom usually appears in a non-defining relative clause.
A non-defining relative clause provides additional information about an already identified noun or group.
For example:
The students, some of whom had traveled from other states, attended the conference.
The phrase some of whom had traveled from other states adds information about the students.
The comma is important because this is extra information.
Cambridge Grammar explains that non-defining relative clauses add information that is not necessary to identify the person or thing being discussed, and such clauses use relative pronouns such as who, whom, whose, and which.
Compare
The students, some of whom had traveled from other states, attended the conference.
This gives additional information about the students.
Another example:
We contacted the experts, several of whom responded immediately.
The clause adds information about the experts.
Common Mistakes
Why do people write “some of who”?
There are several reasons.
1. Fast Typing
When people type quickly, they may automatically choose who because it is much more common than whom.
For example:
I know several people, some of who…
The writer may understand the meaning but simply choose the familiar word.
2. Autocorrect
Autocorrect and predictive text can encourage common forms.
Because who appears much more frequently in everyday English, typing systems may suggest it before whom.
3. Lack of Knowledge
Many English learners are never taught the difference between who and whom clearly.
As a result, they may assume that who can be used everywhere.
4. Everyday Speech
Native speakers often use who instead of whom in casual conversation.
This can make learners believe that the two words are always interchangeable.
5. Fear of “Whom”
Some writers know that whom is associated with formal English, so they avoid it completely.
However, in phrases such as some of whom, using whom is natural and grammatically appropriate.
Similar Grammar Confusions
The confusion between some of whom and some of who is part of a larger pattern of commonly confused English forms.
| Confusion | Correct Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| it’s / its | its for possession | The dog wagged its tail. |
| your / you’re | your for possession | Your phone is ringing. |
| their / they’re | their for possession | Their house is nearby. |
| there / their | Depends on meaning | They are over there. |
| who’s / whose | whose for possession | Whose book is this? |
| who / whom | Depends on grammatical role | Whom did you invite? |
| then / than | than for comparison | She is taller than me. |
| affect / effect | Depends on meaning and function | The change affected sales. |
These mistakes often happen because English contains many words that sound similar or have closely related functions.
Usage in Different Contexts
Everyday Conversation
In everyday conversation, people often avoid complicated whom constructions.
Instead of:
I met several people, some of whom were teachers.
Someone might naturally say:
I met several people, and some of them were teachers.
Both are correct.
The second version can sound more relaxed and conversational.
Professional Writing
In professional writing, some of whom is an excellent choice.
Example:
The company employs more than 500 people, some of whom work remotely.
It is concise and polished.
Another example:
We contacted eight vendors, some of whom provided detailed proposals.
This construction is especially useful in reports and business documents.
Academic Writing
Academic writing frequently uses some of whom because it allows writers to connect information efficiently.
Example:
The study included 200 participants, some of whom had previously participated in similar research.
This style avoids repetitive sentences and keeps related information connected.
Creative Writing
Creative writers can use either structure depending on voice.
Formal:
He knew many travelers, some of whom had crossed the desert alone.
Conversational:
He knew many travelers, and some of them had crossed the desert alone.
The first version is more compact. The second can sound more natural in dialogue.
Social Media and Texting
On social media or in casual texts, people may use simpler structures.
For example:
Met a bunch of people today. Some of them were really funny 😂
There is no need to force whom into every casual message.
However, if you write:
I met several people, some of ___ were funny.
the formal and standard completion is:
some of whom
Why It Matters
Choosing the correct form improves clarity, professionalism, and writing accuracy.
In casual conversation, a small grammar mistake may not matter much. But in a resume, business email, school assignment, article, or professional report, small grammatical choices can affect how polished your writing appears.
Using some of whom correctly shows that you understand the relationship between:
- prepositions
- objects
- relative pronouns
- relative clauses
It also prevents awkward constructions.
A useful principle is:
Clear grammar makes clear ideas easier to understand.
When your sentence structure is correct, readers can focus on your message instead of stopping to question your wording.
Special Exception and Edge Cases
There is no common standard exception that makes “some of who” the preferred form in ordinary formal English.
However, modern English does allow who to be used in some object positions, especially in informal speech.
For example:
Who did you meet?
This is very common.
Similarly:
The person who I met yesterday was friendly.
Many speakers use who rather than whom here.
But that does not make some of who the standard choice.
The construction:
some of whom
is established and widely accepted in formal writing.
Another important point is that whom does not have to be used everywhere. Writers can often restructure the sentence.
Instead of:
I met several people, some of whom were engineers.
You could write:
I met several people, and some of them were engineers.
This avoids the who/whom issue entirely.
Some of Whom vs Some of Who: More Examples
Correct Examples
The teacher has many students, some of whom are preparing for college.
We invited several guests, some of whom arrived early.
The company hired 20 employees, some of whom had previous experience.
I read several books, some of which were written by American authors.
Notice that some of whom is used for people, while some of which is normally used for things.
Incorrect Examples
The teacher has many students, some of who are preparing for college. ❌
We invited several guests, some of who arrived early. ❌
The company hired 20 employees, some of who had previous experience. ❌
For standard formal English, replace some of who with some of whom.
People vs Things
Another useful distinction is the noun being referred to.
Use whom for people:
The committee has ten members, some of whom are lawyers.
Use which for things:
The library has many books, some of which are rare.
Compare:
The students, some of whom were tired, left early.
The books, some of which were damaged, were removed.
This makes the choice easier:
People → whom
Things → which
Quick Recap Checklist
Use this checklist whenever you are unsure.
| Question | If Yes → Use |
|---|---|
| Does the phrase refer to people? | whom |
| Does the word come after of? | whom |
| Are you describing part of a group? | some of whom |
| Could you replace the phrase with “some of them”? | some of whom |
| Are you referring to things instead of people? | some of which |
| Are you writing formal or professional English? | Prefer some of whom |
Practice Example 1
I interviewed ten candidates, some of ___ had excellent qualifications.
Answer:
I interviewed ten candidates, some of whom had excellent qualifications. ✅
Practice Example 2
She knows many artists, some of ___ live in California.
Answer:
She knows many artists, some of whom live in California. ✅
Practice Example 3
The company owns several buildings, some of ___ were built in the 1950s.
Answer:
The company owns several buildings, some of which were built in the 1950s. ✅
Here, which is used because buildings are things, not people.
A Fast Way to Remember the Difference
Try this simple memory trick:
OF + PEOPLE → WHOM
So:
- some of whom
- many of whom
- most of whom
- all of whom
- two of whom
- none of whom
Think of whom as the formal object form that fits after of.
You can also remember:
Who does the action. Whom receives the action.
This is not a perfect rule for every modern English sentence, but it is a very useful starting point.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is “some of whom” correct?
Yes. Some of whom is the standard and grammatically correct form when referring to some people within a previously mentioned group.
Example:
I met several students, some of whom were from Florida.
2. Is “some of who” ever correct?
In standard formal English, some of who is generally not considered correct in this construction. Because whom is the object form of who and follows the preposition of, use some of whom.
3. Why do we use “whom” after “of”?
Whom is traditionally the object form of who. The preposition of is followed by an object, which is why the formal construction is of whom.
For example:
several of whom
many of whom
two of whom
Cambridge Grammar identifies whom as the object form and notes its common use after prepositions.
4. Can I say “some of them” instead of “some of whom”?
Yes. Some of them is completely correct.
For example:
I invited several guests, some of whom arrived early.
can be rewritten as:
I invited several guests, and some of them arrived early.
The difference is mainly in sentence structure and style.
5. Should I always use “whom” instead of “who”?
No. Modern English commonly uses who in many situations where traditional grammar might use whom, particularly in conversation.
For example:
Who did you call?
is very common.
However, when whom follows a preposition such as of in a formal construction, some of whom is the standard choice.
6. Is “some of whom” formal?
Yes. Some of whom is common and appropriate in formal and professional writing.
It can be used in:
- academic papers
- business reports
- professional emails
- essays
- articles
- formal correspondence
In casual conversation, speakers may choose some of them instead.
Conclusion
The difference between some of whom vs some of who becomes simple once you understand the role of whom. The correct standard expression is some of whom because whom is the object form of who, and it follows the preposition of in this construction.
Use some of whom when you are referring to part of a group of people:
The company hired several workers, some of whom had previous experience.
If you are referring to things, use some of which:
The company purchased several machines, some of which were very expensive.
You can also replace some of whom with some of them when you want a simpler sentence structure.
The key rule to remember is short and useful:
Some of people → some of whom.
Once you remember that of takes an object and whom is the formal object form of who, this common grammar problem becomes much easier. In careful US English, professional writing, and academic work, choose some of whom rather than some of who.
When in doubt, remember: after “of” + people, “whom” is the safe choice. ✅
Hi, I’m Jonathan Reed, a language researcher and contributor at Gramcora. My focus is on English grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure, helping readers communicate more clearly and confidently.
