Understanding Some of Whom or Some of Who helps you choose the correct pronoun after of in formal English grammar and writing with confidence.
Some of whom is the correct phrase in standard English because whom works as an object pronoun, while who is a subject pronoun. The preposition of needs an object, which creates the correct phrase structure and sentence structure. This grammatical rule explains the difference clearly and makes pronoun usage easier. When you understand the object and subject roles, you can use the rule confidently instead of memorizing complicated grammar rules. In English grammar, this is a common point of confusion, especially when comparing who vs whom.
Modern spoken English often blurs the difference between who and whom, so some of who may appear in everyday conversation. However, standard written English, formal writing, and professional writing generally support some of whom when referring to people. The Quick Rule is simple: after the preposition, use whom, not who, when the pronoun is the object. This memory trick helps writers improve word usage, English usage, and overall correctness in essays, emails, reports, and articles. Through practical examples and comparison tables, you can recognize the difference and avoid common mistakes without memorizing complex rules. The language acceptance and evolution of informal English explain why the weaker form may appear, but the standard usage remains clear: some of whom is correct, while some of who is generally considered incorrect in formal contexts.
Quick Answer: Some of Whom or Some of Who?
“Some of whom” is the standard grammatical choice. “Some of who” is generally incorrect in standard English.
Use some of whom when you’re talking about part of a previously mentioned group of people.
The company hired twenty employees, some of whom had worked in the industry before.
The structure is:
some + of + whom
The word whom works because it serves as the object of the preposition of.
By contrast, who can appear after some when there is no of:
Some who attended the meeting stayed afterward.
Here, who functions as the subject of the verb attended.
The simplest comparison
| Expression | Correct? | Why? |
| some of whom | Yes | “Whom” follows the preposition “of.” |
| some of who | Generally no | “Who” doesn’t normally function as the object after “of.” |
| some who | Yes | “Who” acts as the subject of the relative clause. |
| some of them | Yes | “Them” is an object pronoun that follows “of.” |
So, if you’re deciding between “some of whom” or “some of who,” choose some of whom in standard English.
Why Is “Some of Whom” Correct?
The answer becomes much clearer once you look at the sentence structure rather than memorizing a single rule.
Whom belongs to the group of objective pronouns. It traditionally appears when a person receives an action or follows a preposition.
Consider these examples:
- Whom did you invite?
- To whom did you speak?
- With whom are you traveling?
- Of whom are you speaking?
The prepositions to, with, and of connect naturally with whom in formal standard English.
That’s exactly what happens in some of whom.
The grammar behind “some of whom”
Look at this sentence:
We invited twelve guests, some of whom arrived early.
The phrase some of whom refers to a portion of the twelve guests.
You can break it down like this:
- some = an unspecified portion
- of = preposition
- whom = object of the preposition
- arrived early = information about those people
The phrase essentially means:
some of those people
That substitution provides a useful shortcut.
A useful grammatical test
Replace whom with them:
some of them
That sounds completely natural.
Now replace them with the corresponding relative pronoun:
some of whom
The structure remains intact.
This gives you a practical memory rule:
“of them” → “of whom”
For people, this test often makes the answer obvious.
Why “Whom” Follows “Of”
Prepositions traditionally take an object.
For example:
- of them
- with her
- to him
- for us
You wouldn’t normally write:
- of they
- with she
- to he
- for we
The objective forms are them, her, him, and us.
The traditional objective form of who is whom.
Therefore:
some of them → some of whom
This doesn’t mean every modern speaker uses whom in everyday conversation. English has changed considerably, and many speakers use who in places where traditional grammar recommends whom.
Still, in the specific construction some of whom, the phrase whom remains the standard choice, especially in formal writing.
Some of Whom vs. Some of Who
The biggest mistake is treating who and whom as interchangeable in every sentence.
They aren’t.
The distinction becomes easier when you identify the grammatical job each pronoun performs.
“Who” functions as a subject
Consider:
Some who attended the conference received certificates.
The relative clause is:
who attended the conference
Who performed the action of attending.
That makes who the subject.
You could rewrite the clause as:
They attended the conference.
Because they works as the subject, who works too.
“Whom” functions as an object
Now consider:
Several speakers attended the conference, some of whom received awards.
The structure is different.
The phrase some of whom means some of those speakers.
Here, whom follows of, making it the object of the preposition.
You can compare the structures:
| Sentence | Pronoun | Function |
| Some who attended stayed late. | who | Subject |
| Some of whom stayed late. | whom | Object of “of” |
| I invited some of them. | them | Object of “of” |
This distinction is the heart of the issue.
When to Use “Some of Whom”
Use some of whom when a sentence refers back to part of a group of people.
The group usually appears immediately before the phrase.
For example:
The school employs more than 100 teachers, some of whom specialize in science.
The phrase some of whom identifies a smaller group within the 100 teachers.
It doesn’t refer to all of them. It refers to some members of that group.
When referring to part of a group
This is the most common use.
I met several writers, some of whom publish independently.
She has five siblings, some of whom live overseas.
The manager interviewed ten applicants, some of whom had previous experience.
We invited several neighbors, some of whom brought food.
In each sentence, some of whom introduces information about a subset of people already mentioned.
After a comma
A very common pattern looks like this:
Main clause, some of whom + verb…
For example:
The university welcomed hundreds of students, some of whom came from abroad.
The comma helps separate the additional information from the main statement.
The main idea is:
The university welcomed hundreds of students.
The added information tells you something about a portion of those students:
some of whom came from abroad.
This structure commonly appears in essays, reports, articles, business documents, and other formal writing.
How to Use “Some of Whom” in a Sentence
Once the basic pattern makes sense, using the phrase becomes straightforward.
Basic sentence pattern
A useful formula is:
Plural group of people + comma + some of whom + verb
Examples:
The company hired twelve employees, some of whom had management experience.
The museum displayed works by fifty artists, some of whom were local.
The professor recommended several books, some of which were difficult to find.
Notice that whom refers to people. For things, the corresponding relative pronoun is usually which.
“Some of Whom” with present-tense verbs
I know several teachers, some of whom work at nearby schools.
She has many friends, some of whom live in New York.
The organization supports dozens of volunteers, some of whom help every weekend.
The verb agrees with the people represented by whom.
Because some of whom refers to multiple people, the following verb normally takes a plural form:
- some of whom are
- some of whom have
- some of whom work
- some of whom live
“Some of Whom” with past-tense verbs
The construction works just as well with past events:
I interviewed several candidates, some of whom had worked abroad.
We visited several historic sites, some of which had been restored.
She contacted former employees, some of whom remembered the incident.
The tense belongs to the relative clause. Whom itself doesn’t change.
“Some of Whom” with modal verbs
You can also use modal verbs naturally:
Several applicants qualified, some of whom may receive scholarships.
The guests included several musicians, some of whom could perform that evening.
The company hired several interns, some of whom will join the team permanently.
This pattern works because whom serves as the person being described while the modal verb expresses possibility, ability, or future action.
Some of Whom Examples
Examples make this grammar point much easier to recognize in real writing.
Everyday examples
- I have several cousins, some of whom live in California.
- We invited our neighbors, some of whom arrived before dinner.
- She knows many people, some of whom speak three languages.
- The coach selected several players, some of whom were new to the team.
Academic examples
- The professor assigned five articles, some of whom were written by leading researchers.
That example contains an important problem: articles aren’t people. The correct version is:
The professor assigned five articles, some of which were written by leading researchers.
Now consider a correct people-based example:
The researcher interviewed forty students, some of whom had studied abroad.
Another example:
The study included several researchers, some of whom had published related work.
Workplace examples
The company promoted eight employees, some of whom had worked there for more than a decade.
The manager contacted several clients, some of whom requested additional information.
The department hired five specialists, some of whom previously worked for competitors.
Formal writing examples
The committee consulted several experts, some of whom recommended substantial revisions.
The report examined multiple industries, with representatives from several firms, some of whom provided detailed responses.
The conference attracted researchers from several countries, some of whom presented new findings.
These examples demonstrate why some of whom remains useful in professional and academic writing. It allows writers to add precise information without creating several short sentences.
Common Mistakes With “Some of Whom”
Several errors repeatedly appear because who feels more natural in modern speech.
Using “Some of Who”
Incorrect:
I interviewed several candidates, some of who had five years of experience.
Standard form:
I interviewed several candidates, some of whom had five years of experience.
The problem isn’t the word some. The problem comes from using who where traditional standard grammar requires the objective form whom after of.
Confusing “Some of Whom” With “Some Who”
Both expressions can be correct.
They simply construct the sentence differently.
Compare:
Some who attended the meeting stayed late.
and:
Several employees attended the meeting, some of whom stayed late.
In the first sentence, who is the subject of attended.
In the second, whom belongs to the prepositional phrase of whom.
Removing of changes the structure.
Using “Whom” Automatically
There’s another trap.
Once writers learn that whom can be correct, they sometimes insert it wherever people appear.
That’s not the rule.
For example:
Some whom attended the meeting stayed late.
This is incorrect in standard grammar.
The correct sentence is:
Some who attended the meeting stayed late.
Why?
Because who performs the action attended.
You can test it with they:
They attended the meeting.
That shows the pronoun has a subject role.
Forgetting the antecedent
Some of whom generally needs a group to refer back to.
This sounds incomplete:
Some of whom arrived late.
What people does whom refer to?
A clearer sentence establishes the group first:
Twenty employees attended the event, some of whom arrived late.
The first clause establishes the antecedent. The second clause then identifies part of that group.
Who vs. Whom: A Simple Rule
The traditional distinction can seem intimidating. It doesn’t have to be.
A simple substitution test can help.
Use “who” when “he,” “she,” or “they” fits
Example:
Who called you?
Answer:
They called me.
Because they is the subject, who is appropriate.
Another example:
Some who attended the event received awards.
Replace who with they:
They attended the event.
The sentence structure works.
Use “whom” when “him,” “her,” or “them” fits
Consider:
Whom did you invite?
The answer is:
I invited them.
Because them functions as an object, whom traditionally fits.
Now apply the same idea:
Several people attended, some of whom I invited.
The equivalent phrase is:
I invited some of them.
That makes whom the natural formal choice.
Why “Of Whom” Uses “Whom”
The preposition of is the giveaway.
Compare:
- of them
- of her
- of him
- of whom
The objective form follows the preposition.
A useful mental shortcut is:
If “of them” works, “of whom” often works when the pronoun refers to people.
Read More: Alright vs All Right: Meaning, Difference?
“Some of Whom” vs. Similar Expressions
English has several expressions built around the same structure.
Some of Whom vs. Many of Whom
Some of whom refers to an unspecified portion.
Many of whom indicates a larger portion without giving an exact number.
The school has 500 students, some of whom play sports.
The school has 500 students, many of whom play sports.
The second sentence suggests a substantial number. The first makes no claim about how large the subset is.
Some of Whom vs. All of Whom
All of whom refers to every person in the group.
The committee interviewed ten candidates, all of whom met the basic requirements.
By contrast:
The committee interviewed ten candidates, some of whom met the basic requirements.
The meanings are very different.
Some of Whom vs. Most of Whom
Most of whom means more than half of the relevant group in ordinary usage.
The survey included 200 participants, most of whom supported the proposal.
Some of whom gives no specific proportion.
Some of Whom vs. None of Whom
These expressions can describe completely different outcomes.
I contacted several experts, some of whom responded.
I contacted several experts, none of whom responded.
The first says at least part of the group responded. The second says not one person responded.
Some of Whom vs. One of Whom
One of whom identifies exactly one person from the group.
The company has several directors, one of whom specializes in finance.
Compare:
The company has several directors, some of whom specialize in finance.
The first identifies one person. The second identifies multiple people without specifying how many.
“Of Whom” in Other Common Expressions
Once some of whom makes sense, several related constructions become easier.
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
| some of whom | An unspecified portion | Several guests came, some of whom stayed late. |
| many of whom | A large portion | Many employees joined, many of whom had experience. |
| most of whom | More than half in ordinary usage | Most applicants passed, most of whom had prepared well. |
| all of whom | The entire group | Five judges participated, all of whom agreed. |
| none of whom | Not one person | Several candidates applied, none of whom met the requirement. |
| both of whom | Two people in the group | I met two doctors, both of whom specialize in surgery. |
| neither of whom | Not either of two people | Two managers attended, neither of whom spoke. |
| each of whom | Every individual separately | The company hired five interns, each of whom received training. |
| one of whom | One person from the group | Several authors attended, one of whom won an award. |
These phrases share an important pattern:
quantifier + of + whom
Once the structure becomes familiar, you can recognize it quickly.
Is “Some of Who” Ever Correct?
In standard English, “some of who” is generally not the construction you want.
You may occasionally encounter it in informal writing or speech. Modern English sometimes allows speakers to use who in places where traditional grammar expects whom. However, that doesn’t make some of who the preferred standard form.
For formal writing, academic work, professional communication, and edited content, use:
some of whom
rather than:
some of who
The distinction matters even more when you’re writing for an audience that expects conventional grammar.
What about informal English?
Everyday speech often avoids whom altogether.
Instead of:
I met several people, some of whom I knew.
A speaker might say:
I met several people, and I knew some of them.
That’s perfectly natural.
Another alternative is:
I met some people I knew.
The goal isn’t to force whom into every casual conversation. The goal is to choose the right construction when you use this particular grammatical pattern.
Can You Use “Some of Them” Instead of “Some of Whom”?
Yes.
Some of them is completely grammatical, but it doesn’t perform exactly the same job.
Compare:
I invited ten people. Some of them arrived early.
This contains two independent clauses.
Now compare:
I invited ten people, some of whom arrived early.
The second version combines the ideas into one sentence using a relative construction.
Compare the structures
| Construction | Example |
| Some of them | Ten people attended. Some of them arrived early. |
| Some of whom | Ten people attended, some of whom arrived early. |
| Some who | Some who attended arrived early. |
All three can communicate related information. Their grammar and sentence structure differ.
This flexibility helps writers avoid repetitive sentence patterns.
Can You Use “Some of Whom” Without a Comma?
Often, some of whom introduces nonrestrictive information, so a comma normally appears before it.
For example:
The company employs 300 people, some of whom work remotely.
The phrase provides additional information about the employees.
The comma signals that relationship.
However, punctuation depends on the complete sentence and intended structure. The comma isn’t what makes whom correct. The grammatical relationship between of and whom does.
Compare:
Several students attended, some of whom stayed afterward.
The comma separates the main clause from the additional relative information.
A good approach is to understand the grammar first and punctuation second.
Some of Whom in Formal vs. Informal English
The phrase some of whom is especially common in formal written English.
You’ll frequently see it in:
- Academic essays
- Research papers
- Business reports
- Legal and administrative writing
- News articles
- Professional biographies
- Formal correspondence
- Government documents
For example:
The organization works with more than 50 community partners, some of whom provide educational services.
That’s compact, precise, and professional.
In casual conversation, speakers often choose simpler alternatives:
We work with a lot of people. Some of them provide educational services.
Neither approach is inherently better. The best choice depends on the audience, sentence structure, and desired tone.
Formal and conversational comparison
| Formal | More conversational |
| I met several researchers, some of whom specialize in linguistics. | I met several researchers. Some of them specialize in linguistics. |
| The company hired several consultants, some of whom had international experience. | The company hired several consultants. Some had international experience. |
| We contacted several customers, some of whom requested refunds. | We contacted several customers. Some of them wanted refunds. |
The formal version often creates a tighter sentence. The conversational version can sound more relaxed.
How to Remember “Some of Whom”
Here’s a quick trick that works in many cases.
Think “of them”
If the sentence can naturally contain some of them, the relative version often uses some of whom.
For example:
Some of them were teachers.
Turn it into a relative construction:
The group included several people, some of whom were teachers.
Another example:
I spoke with some of them.
Relative version:
I spoke with several employees, some of whom I had met before.
The phrase of whom essentially connects the smaller group to the larger group.
The memory formula
Some of them → some of whom
Many of them → many of whom
Most of them → most of whom
All of them → all of whom
None of them → none of whom
This isn’t a substitute for understanding sentence structure, but it’s an excellent quick check.
Quick Comparison: Correct and Incorrect Examples
| Less Standard or Incorrect | Standard English |
| I met several people, some of who were teachers. | I met several people, some of whom were teachers. |
| She invited ten guests, some of who arrived early. | She invited ten guests, some of whom arrived early. |
| We interviewed several candidates, some of who had experience. | We interviewed several candidates, some of whom had experience. |
| Some of who attended stayed late. | Some who attended stayed late. |
| I contacted some of who I knew. | I contacted some of whom I knew. |
| Some of them attended. | Some of them attended. |
The fourth example deserves special attention.
Some who attended stayed late.
That’s correct because who is the subject of attended.
You shouldn’t automatically replace who with whom merely because the sentence refers to people.
A Practical Editing Method
When proofreading your writing, don’t rely solely on what sounds familiar.
Instead, check the structure.
Ask whether “of” comes before the pronoun
If you have:
some of ___
and the blank refers to people, whom is normally the standard choice.
Identify the grammatical role
Ask:
Is the pronoun doing the action?
If yes, who may be appropriate.
Some who attended the event…
Ask:
Is the pronoun the object of a preposition?
If yes, whom is traditionally appropriate.
Some of whom attended the event…
Try the pronoun substitution test
For who, try:
- he
- she
- they
For whom, try:
- him
- her
- them
Examples:
Who attended? → They attended.
Therefore, who.
Of whom were you speaking? → I was speaking of them.
Therefore, whom.
This test turns an abstract grammar rule into something practical.
A Closer Look at “Some Who” vs. “Some of Whom”
These phrases may look almost identical, but they express the relationship differently.
“Some who”
Some who + verb
Example:
Some who applied were accepted.
Here, who starts a relative clause describing people who applied.
The implied structure is:
Some people who applied were accepted.
“Some of whom”
Main group + comma + some of whom + verb
Example:
Twenty people applied, some of whom were accepted.
The sentence first establishes the entire group. Then some of whom identifies a portion of it.
The meanings overlap, but the sentence structures aren’t identical.
Side-by-side
Some who applied were accepted.
This doesn’t necessarily tell you how many people applied.
Twenty people applied, some of whom were accepted.
This explicitly establishes a group of twenty and then identifies a subset.
That’s why both constructions have useful places in writing.
Why “Some of Whom” Sounds Formal
There’s a historical reason the phrase can feel more formal than everyday alternatives.
English once maintained a more extensive distinction between subject and object forms. Modern English has simplified many of those distinctions. Whom remains in certain formal constructions, particularly after prepositions.
You can see that pattern in expressions such as:
- to whom
- with whom
- for whom
- by whom
- of whom
In casual speech, many speakers avoid these forms.
For example:
Who did you speak with?
is extremely common in everyday American English.
Formal writing may instead use:
With whom did you speak?
Likewise, some of whom remains a standard written construction even though casual speakers may prefer some of them.
FAQs
1. Is “some of whom” grammatically correct?
Yes, some of whom is the correct phrase in standard English. Here, whom is the object pronoun required after the preposition “of.”
2. Is “some of who” correct?
In standard written English, some of who is generally considered grammatically incorrect. Use some of whom when referring to people after “of.”
3. Why do we use “whom” after “some of”?
We use whom because “of” is a preposition, and the pronoun following it functions as an object. Who normally serves as a subject pronoun.
4. Can “some of who” appear in everyday conversation?
Yes, you may hear some of who in modern spoken English, where the difference between who and whom is often blurred. However, formal writing favors some of whom.
5. What is an easy way to remember “some of whom”?
Use this Quick Rule: when of comes directly before a pronoun referring to people, choose whom. This simple memory trick makes correct English usage easier.
Conclusion
Some of whom is the preferred form in standard English, especially in formal writing, essays, emails, reports, and professional writing. The main reason is simple: of is a preposition, so it takes an object pronoun, and whom is the object form of who. Although some of who can appear in everyday conversation, it does not follow the traditional grammatical rule used in standard written English.
Once you understand the subject and object roles, the difference becomes much easier to recognize. Remember that who generally acts as a subject, while whom acts as an object. Therefore, when you mean people after of, choose some of whom. This straightforward rule can improve your word usage, English grammar, and correctness while helping you avoid this common mistake.
