Spoiler Alert! Click to show or hide
quaser666 wrote:
lorreen wrote:
quaser666 wrote:
The use of "whom" is perfectly correct it should of just been "are" instead of "is", but it's not really important as I'm sure everyone understood the question.
I'd say the coolest characters are: kakashi, Jiraiya, and Itachi.
Wrong. In standard English "whom" is correctly used when it's the object of a sentence. As used in the title of this topic it's the subject of the sentence, and using "whom" as the subject is not perfectly correct (though using "who" as an object is fine, no matter what stodgy, grammar-purists say).
Right. "Are" is standard when you're using plural. So, since the topic indicates "characters" not "character" then "Who are..." would be correct.
Right. Kakashi and Jiraiya are coolest characters, and I agree that Itachi is cool too, though I've personally got a thing for Shikamaru and would add him to the cool list ahead of Itachi. And Tsunade. She's right up there as well.
Actually the subject is coolest and whom is an object of the subject in this case and I only said it to point out that it doesn't matter. I agree with you that shikamaru is cool .
Coolest is an adjective--it can't be the subject. Also, words can't be objects of subjects--they are objects of verbs or prepositions. I can understand a case for "characters" being the subject because of the whole how things get reversed in questions thing, but that still doesn't make "whom" in this question an object. It's been a long time since I studied grammar so I don't remember exactly what it's called, but the situation of "identity" where the structure is Noun/pronoun is/are noun/pronoun is not a structure in which one of those nouns/pronouns is an object.
Correct (per standard English): Who is going to the party? Who is the most fun person? Who are the cutest girls in the room? You wouldn't use "Whom" in those sentences.
For other examples of pronouns with a different form when they are objects, think of he and him, she and her, they and them. It's a little trickier to see the connection since "who" and whom are interrogative--so they only show up in questions, not basic statements so the word order makes it less obvious. Plus, in reality "whom" is a bit old-fashioned and doesn't get used very often in common speaking and can sound awkward even when it is used correctly, but here are some examples of how these different subject/object forms might be used.
He is going to a party. I am going with him.
She is a fun person. I talked to her today.
They are really cute. I want to look at them for hours.
Who is going shopping? With whom will you go shopping?
Who are the coolest characters? About whom are you talking? I'm talking about the ones whom I admire.
Okay, I'm off my grammar podium, and I'll shut up now. (Yeah, I almost became an English teacher.)
Post Reply
Whom is the coolest characters in Naruto? 
Offline 
Online 
