When you describe a group of people, choosing between some of whom and some of who can feel surprisingly confusing. Both phrases look similar, but standard English uses them differently.
The key is understanding what happens after the preposition of. Once you recognize that pattern, the choice becomes much easier.
In most standard English contexts, some of whom is the correct form:
Several employees attended the meeting, some of whom had traveled from another state.
Here, whom refers to people who are part of the group. The phrase of whom functions as part of a relative clause.
By contrast, some of who is generally considered incorrect in standard English when who is being used as the object of a preposition.
Let’s look at the rule, the grammar behind it, and plenty of examples so you can use the correct expression confidently.
Quick Answer: Which One Is Correct?
Some of whom is the standard and grammatically correct expression when you are referring to some people within a previously mentioned group.
For example:
We interviewed ten candidates, some of whom had extensive experience.
The pronoun whom is used because it follows the preposition of.
The basic pattern is:
some + of + whom
You can use this structure after nouns referring to people:
I met several teachers, some of whom work at the local university.
She invited many guests, some of whom arrived early.
The company hired several workers, some of whom had previous experience.
The phrase some of who does not normally work in this construction because who is the subject form, while whom is the object form.
Real-Life Examples
Consider these examples:
The conference attracted hundreds of visitors, some of whom came from overseas.
I have several friends, some of whom live in California.
The manager spoke with the employees, some of whom had questions.
We contacted several applicants, some of whom were already employed.
In every example, some of whom introduces information about people from a larger group.
You can also use other quantity expressions with whom:
many of whom
most of whom
all of whom
none of whom
several of whom
few of whom
This is a useful pattern to remember because it appears frequently in formal and professional writing.
Quick Reminder
If you’re choosing between some of whom and some of who, choose some of whom when the phrase follows of and refers to people.
Correct:
The students, some of whom were international, attended the event.
Generally incorrect in standard English:
The students, some of who were international, attended the event.
The simplest memory trick is:
of + whom
Just as you say of him and of her, the formal relative pronoun is whom.
Is Some Of Whom Correct?
Yes. Some of whom is grammatically correct and widely used in standard English.
It is a relative pronoun construction that identifies part of a previously mentioned group of people.
Consider:
We invited twenty students, some of whom had already completed the course.
The noun students is the antecedent. It is the word that whom refers back to.
The phrase some of whom tells you that only part of the group had completed the course.
The structure can be broken down like this:
some = an unspecified portion
of = a preposition
whom = an object-form relative pronoun referring to people
Together:
some of whom
The expression is especially common in formal writing because whom is more strongly associated with careful or formal English.
Why Is “Some of Whom” Grammatically Correct?
The most important reason is the preposition of.
In traditional English grammar, who is the subject form of the relative pronoun, while whom is the object form.
Compare:
Who called you?
Here, who acts.
Now compare:
Whom did you call?
Here, whom receives the action.
The same subject-object distinction appears after prepositions.
For example:
of whom
to whom
with whom
for whom
about whom
The preposition requires an object, so traditional formal grammar uses whom.
That’s why this sentence is correct:
The committee included twelve members, some of whom were professors.
The phrase of whom means roughly “of those people.”
More Examples With “Some of Whom”
We visited several museums, some of whom?
Be careful here. A museum is a thing, not a person.
The correct version is:
We visited several museums, some of which were free.
This distinction matters because whom refers to people, while which normally refers to things.
For people:
I spoke with several students, some of whom were beginners.
For things:
I reviewed several reports, some of which contained errors.
That simple contrast can prevent many mistakes.
Is “Some of Whom” Only Used in Formal Writing?
No. Some of whom can appear in everyday English as well, although it is more common in careful or formal writing.
For example:
I have five cousins, some of whom live nearby.
That sentence sounds perfectly natural.
You don’t need to be writing an academic paper to use some of whom.
However, casual speech often avoids whom altogether. A speaker might restructure the sentence:
I have five cousins, and some of them live nearby.
Both sentences communicate essentially the same idea.
The first uses a relative clause. The second uses a separate clause.
Is Some Of Who Ever Grammatically Correct?
Some of who is generally not the standard choice when who follows the preposition of.
For example:
The team has several players, some of whom are injured.
is standard.
The team has several players, some of whomm are injured.
is generally considered incorrect in traditional and standard formal English.
The problem comes from the role of who.
When who functions as the subject of a relative clause, it can be correct:
I know a teacher who lives nearby.
Here, who is the subject of lives.
But after of, the pronoun occupies an object position:
some of whom
That is why whom is preferred in standard grammar.
Practical Advice
If you’re writing an essay, report, professional email, academic paper, or other carefully edited text, use some of whom.
For example:
The study included 200 participants, some of whom had previous experience with the procedure.
This construction is clear, concise, and grammatically standard.
In everyday conversation, you may hear speakers avoid whom. They might say:
Some of them had previous experience.
Or:
There were several participants, and some had previous experience.
These alternatives are completely natural.
The important distinction is between correct grammar and common conversational style. English speakers often simplify structures in speech, but that doesn’t mean every spoken form is appropriate for formal writing.
The Short Rule You Should Remember
Here’s the easiest rule:
When “of” comes directly before the relative pronoun referring to people, use “whom” in standard formal English.
So:
some of whom ✓
many of whom ✓
most of whom ✓
all of whom ✓
none of whom ✓
several of whom ✓
The same idea applies to other prepositions:
the person to whom I spoke
the colleague with whom I worked
the candidate for whom we voted
You don’t need to memorize dozens of unrelated rules. Recognizing the preposition + whom pattern makes these structures much easier.
Understanding Who vs Whom
The difference between who and whom comes down to grammatical function.
Who is traditionally the subject form.
Whom is traditionally the object form.
Think about the difference between he and him.
You say:
He called me.
But:
I called him.
The same pattern applies to who and whom.
Who called?
You called whom?
The first pronoun. The second receives it.
This distinction becomes particularly important in relative clauses.
What Does Who Mean?
Who is a relative or interrogative pronoun used for people. In its traditional grammatical role, it functions as a subject.
For example:
The woman who called you is my manager.
Who called you?
The woman.
So who is the subject of the relative clause who called you.
Another example:
I know someone who speaks Japanese.
Who speaks Japanese?
Someone.
Therefore, who is the subject?
A Quick Test
When deciding whether to use who, replace it mentally with he or she.
If he or she works, who is usually the right choice.
Example:
The student who won the award is my friend.
Test it:
She won the award.
That works.
So:
The student who won the award…
is correct.
Now look at:
The student whom I met yesterday…
Test it with him:
I met him yesterday.
That works, so whom is traditionally correct.
This he/she versus him/her test is one of the easiest ways to understand the difference.
What Does Whom Mean?
Whom is traditionally the object form of who.
It refers to people who receive an action or follow a preposition.
For example:
Whom did you invite?
You invited him.
Therefore, whom is the traditional formal choice.
It can also follow prepositions:
To whom should I send the email?
With whom did you travel?
For whom was the letter written?
Of whom are you speaking?
The same object pattern appears in each sentence.
The Him/Her Test
The easiest traditional test is to replace the pronoun with him or her.
If him or her fits, choose whom.
For example:
The people whom we interviewed were qualified.
Test it:
We interviewed them.
The pronoun is receiving the action, so whom fits the traditional rule.
Now:
The people who interviewed us were qualified.
Test it:
They interviewed us.
Here, the pronoun acts, so who is appropriate.
For some of whom, the test is especially straightforward:
some of them
Since them is an object pronoun, the corresponding formal relative pronoun is whom.
Therefore:
some of whom ✓
Subject vs Object: The Core Difference
Understanding subject and object pronouns makes the entire issue much clearer.
| Function | Personal Pronoun | Relative Pronoun |
| Subject | he/she/they | who |
| Object | him/her/them | whom |
Consider:
They attended the meeting.
They are the subject.
Now:
We invited them.
Them is the object.
The same distinction appears with who and whom.The employees who attended the meeting…The employees acted.The employees whom we invited…The employees received the action.
And:
The employees, some of whom we invited…
The pronoun follows of, which creates an object relationship.
Why Many Native English Speakers Avoid Whom
Although whom has a clear grammatical role in traditional English, many native speakers rarely use it in ordinary conversation.
Modern English often favors simpler structures.
For example, instead of:
Whom did you invite?
many speakers naturally say:
Who did you invite?
In formal traditional grammar, whom is preferred because it functions as the object of invite. In everyday American English, however, who is extremely common in this position.
Speakers may also avoid the issue by changing the sentence:
Who did you invite?
or:
Which people did you invite?
or:
Who were the people you invited?
However, some of whom remains a standard construction and is particularly useful in formal writing.
Why Some of Whom Is the Correct Phrase
The phrase some of whom follows a straightforward grammatical pattern.
First, some identifies part of a group.
Next, of connects that portion to the larger group.
Finally, whom refers back to people in that group.
For example:
The company has 50 employees, some of whom work remotely.
The antecedent is employees.
The phrase some of whom means some of those employees.
You can rewrite the sentence as:
The company has 50 employees. Some of them work remotely.
Notice the relationship:
some of them → some of whom
That connection makes the rule much easier to remember.
How the Preposition Of Changes the Pronoun
The preposition of is the key element in this construction.
English uses object pronouns after prepositions:of himof herof them
So when the relative pronoun refers to people, traditional formal grammar uses:
of whom
This is why the quantity phrase becomes:
some of whom
rather than:
some of who
You can see the same pattern in:
many of whom
most of whom
several of whom
all of whom
The word before of may change, but the pronoun after of remains whom when it refers to people.
Why Whom Functions as the Object
A preposition such as of normally takes an object.
Consider:
of them
Them is the object of of.
Now replace them with a relative pronoun:
of whom
Whom occupies the same object position.
For example:
We invited several students, some of whom accepted.
The underlying idea is:
We invited several students. Some of them accepted.
When the second sentence becomes part of a relative structure, them changes to whom:
some of whom accepted
This is the grammatical foundation behind the expression.
Breaking Down the Grammar Step by Step
Consider this sentence:
The committee interviewed twelve candidates, some of whom had worked in the industry before.
Break it into parts:
The committee — subject of the main clause
interviewed — main verb
twelve candidates — object of the main clause
some of whom — relative phrase referring to part of the candidates
had worked — verb in the relative clause
in the industry before — additional information
The phrase some of whom doesn’t stand alone. It connects the second piece of information to the noun candidates.
You can think of the sentence as two ideas:
The committee interviewed twelve candidates.
Some of the candidates had worked in the industry before.
The relative construction combines those ideas:
The committee interviewed twelve candidates, some of whom had worked in the industry before.
This makes the sentence smoother and more concise.
Sentence Diagram: How the Phrase Works
Here’s a simple way to visualize the structure:
Several researchers, some of whom worked abroad, joined the project.
Several researchers
→ the main noun phrase
some
→ identifies part of the group
of
→ preposition
whom
→ relative pronoun referring to people
worked abroad
→ relative clause
The phrase some of whom links the group to additional information about only part of that group.
Another example:
The applicants, some of whom had previous experience, completed the interview.
The antecedent is applicants.
The relative clause is:
some of whom had previous experience
The information applies to some, but not necessarily all, of the applicants.
This pattern is common in polished English writing because it allows you to add useful information without creating several short sentences.
When Can You Use Some of Who?
In standard English, some of whom is normally the correct expression when whom follows of and refers to people.
However, some of who can occasionally appear in unusual grammatical environments where who is not functioning as the object of of. These situations are uncommon and can depend on how a larger structure is analyzed.
For ordinary writing, learners should not treat those rare constructions as a reason to use some of who.
If you mean “some of those people,” use:
some of whom
For example:
The speakers, some of whom were professors, answered questions from the audience.
This is clear, standard, and natural.
Rare Situations Where It May Appear
You may occasionally encounter in informal writing, edited text with unusual syntax, sentences where the structure differs from the standard construction.
However, simply seeing a form used somewhere doesn’t make it the preferred standard form.
Language changes over time, and real-world usage can be inconsistent. Speakers also sometimes use who in places where traditional grammar would recommend whom.
For learners, the practical rule is more useful:
When you mean some of the people, use some of whom in standard English.
This is especially important in academic writing, business documents, formal emails, and other carefully edited contexts.
Why It Sounds Incorrect in Standard English
Some of who sounds incorrect to many readers because of its preposition and because who is traditionally the subject form.
The expected object form is whom.
Compare:
some of them
with:
some of whom
Now compare:
some of they
That clearly sounds incorrect.
The same object relationship explains why some of who sounds wrong in standard formal English.
The issue isn’t the word some. The issue is the pronoun following of.
Formal Grammar vs Everyday Conversation
There’s an important difference between formal grammar rules and everyday speech.
In conversation, many native speakers use who instead of whom:
Who did you meet?
Traditional grammar may prefer:
Whom did you meet?
Yet some of whom remains very common in formal and edited writing because the construction is concise and established.
Instead of:
I met several researchers, some of whom were visiting from abroad.
A speaker might say:
I met several researchers, and some of them were visiting from abroad.
The second version avoids whom completely.
Neither sentence has to be awkward. The choice depends on the style and context.
Examples of Some of Whom in Sentences
Here are several natural examples:
The school has many teachers, some of whom specialize in science.
We invited several neighbors, some of whom brought food.
The company employs hundreds of people, some of whom work remotely.
I interviewed five candidates, some of whom had impressive portfolios.
She has several relatives, some of whom live overseas.
The museum displayed works by several artists, some of whom were local.
Notice the same pattern in every sentence:
group of people + some of whom + additional information
This is the core structure you should remember.
Academic Writing Examples
Academic writing frequently uses some of whom because it allows writers to add precise information about a subset of participants or researchers.
For example:
The study included 150 participants, some of whom had previously participated in similar research.
Another example:
The researchers interviewed several educators, some of whom had more than twenty years of classroom experience.
The construction works well because academic writing often needs to distinguish between an entire group and a smaller portion within that group.
It also helps writers avoid repetitive sentences.
Instead of:
The study included 150 participants. Some of the participants had previous research experience.
You can write:
The study included 150 participants, some of whom had previous research experience.
Business Writing Examples
Business writing also uses this construction when describing employees, clients, managers, applicants, or other groups of people.
For example:
The company contacted several suppliers, some of whom offered revised pricing.
Or:
We met with eight clients, some of whom requested additional information.
Another example:
The department has hired several specialists, some of whom will work remotely.
These sentences sound concise and professional.
The phrase some of whom is especially useful when you want to provide additional information without starting another sentence.
Everyday English Examples
You can also use some of whom in ordinary conversation and informal writing.
For example:
I have several friends, some of whom live nearby.
We met a few people at the festival, some of whom were from Canada.
There were lots of students at the event, some of whom I already knew.
These sentences are grammatically correct even though the situations are casual.
Still, in very relaxed speech, many people might choose some of them instead.
For example:
I have several friends, and some of them live nearby.
That’s often easier to say and sounds completely natural.
Journalism and Published Writing
Published writing frequently uses some of whom when a writer needs to identify a portion of a group.
For example:
The organization represents hundreds of members, some of whom have worked in the field for decades.
Or:
Officials questioned several witnesses, some of whom later provided additional information.
This structure is useful because it keeps related information together.
It also makes the relationship between the group and the additional detail immediately clear.
Quick Reference Table
| Expression | Standard Use | Example |
| some of whom | People | Several students, some of whom were absent |
| some of which | Things | Several reports, some of which were incomplete |
| some of them | People or things | Several students came, and some of them left early |
| some of who | Generally not standard in this construction | Avoid in formal writing |
| some of he | Incorrect | Use some of whom |
| some of they | Incorrect | Use some of whom |
The easiest comparison is some of them versus some of whom.
If the antecedent is a group of people and you’re building a relative clause, some of whom is the standard choice.
If you’re writing a separate clause, some of them is usually simpler.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Once you understand the difference between who and whom, the phrase some of whom becomes much easier. Still, several common mistakes can make an otherwise clear sentence sound awkward or incorrect.
Using Who After a Preposition
One of the most common mistakes is using who directly after a preposition when traditional standard grammar calls for whom.
For example:
The committee interviewed several applicants, some of whom had worked in the field.
The preposition of comes directly before whom.
A similar pattern appears with other prepositions:
the person to whom I spoke
the colleague with whom I worked
the manager for whom she works
the professor about whom they were talking
In everyday American English, speakers often avoid whom by moving the preposition or restructuring the sentence. However, some use of whom remains a standard and useful construction in formal writing.
Mixing Up Subject and Object Pronouns
Another common mistake is choosing who simply because the sentence refers to people.
The fact that a pronoun refers to people doesn’t automatically mean you should use who.
Its grammatical role matters.
Compare:
The employees who attended the meeting asked questions.
Here, who is the subject of attended.
Now compare:
The employees whom the manager interviewed received offers.
Here, whom is the object of interviewed.
And:
The employees, some of whom received offers, attended the meeting.
Here, whom follows of and refers to the employees.
A useful question is:
Is the pronoun doing the action, receiving the action, or following a preposition?
That question often gives you the answer.
Confusing Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses
Relative clauses can be either restrictive or nonrestrictive.
A restrictive clause provides information that helps identify the noun:
The employees who work remotely must attend the online meeting.
The clause identifies which employees you’re talking about.
A nonrestrictive clause adds extra information:
The employees, some of whom work remotely, attended the meeting.
The phrase some of whom work remotely adds information about part of an already identified group.
Notice the commas in the second sentence. The commas signal that the information is additional rather than essential to identifying the employees.
This distinction matters when using some of whom because the phrase commonly introduces nonrestrictive information.
Forgetting the Antecedent
A relative pronoun needs a clear antecedent.
The antecedent is the noun that the pronoun refers back to.
For example:
The conference included several speakers, some of whom were university professors.
The antecedent of whom is speakers.
Without a clear noun to refer back to, the sentence can become confusing.
For example:
Some of whom arrived early.
This is not normally a complete sentence by itself. The reader needs to know who whom refers to.
A stronger sentence would be:
Several guests arrived, some of whom came early.
The word guests provides the necessary antecedent.
Easy Tricks to Decide Between Who and Whom
If you regularly struggle with who vs. whom, use a few simple tests.
First, try replacing the pronoun with he or him.
If he or she works, use who.
If him or her works, use whom.
For example:
The woman who called is my neighbor.
Test:
She called.
So who is correct.
Now:
The woman whom I called is my neighbor.
Test:
I called her.
So whom is traditionally correct.
For some of whom, think about the equivalent phrase:
some of them
Because them is an object pronoun, whom is the corresponding formal relative form.
Use the He/Him Test
The he/him test is one of the most practical ways to distinguish who and whom.
Consider:
The man who helped me was very kind.
Replace who with he:
He helped me.
That sounds correct.
Now consider:
The man whom I helped was very kind.
Replace whom with him:
I helped him.
That works.
Now apply the same idea to some of whom:
We invited several guests, some of whom stayed late.
Think:
Some of them stayed late.
Because them is the object form, whom is appropriate in the relative clause.
Ask a Simple Question
Another method is to ask whether the pronoun is acting.
Consider:
The students who completed the assignment received certificates.
Ask:
Who completed the assignment?
The students did.
Therefore, who is correct.
Now:
The students whom the teacher praised received certificates.
Ask:
Whom did the teacher praise?
The teacher praised the students.
Therefore, whom is traditionally correct.
This method is particularly useful when the sentence is longer, and the pronoun’s grammatical role isn’t immediately obvious.
Look for the Preposition
A preposition can provide a quick clue.
Common prepositions include:
of, to, for, with, from, about, by, among, between
When a relative pronoun follows one of these prepositions and refers to a person, whom is traditionally used.
Examples include:
the person to whom I sent the letter
the colleague with whom I worked
the organization for which she works
the students, some of whom received scholarships
The final example is especially important for this topic.
The phrase some of whom contains the preposition of, followed by the object-form relative pronoun whom.
Read the Sentence Aloud
Reading your sentence aloud can help you notice awkward constructions.
For example:
We invited several speakers, some of who gave presentations.
Many careful English users will recognize that something sounds wrong.
The standard form is:
We invited several speakers, some of whom gave presentations.
However, don’t rely on sound alone. Who and whom often sound similar in natural speech, and many speakers use who broadly.
Reading aloud is useful as a final check, but understanding the grammar is more reliable.
Decision Guide: Which Pronoun Should You Use?
Use this quick decision process:
Step 1: Does the pronoun refer to a person or people?
If yes, continue.
Step 2: Is it functioning as the subject?
Use who.
Step 3: Is it functioning as an object?
Use whom in traditional formal grammar.
Step 4: Does it directly follow a preposition such as of?
Use whom in standard formal writing.
So:
some of whom ✓
many of whom ✓
most of whom ✓
all of whom ✓
This decision guide covers a large number of common situations.
Comparing Similar Expressions
Understanding some of whom becomes even easier when you compare it with related expressions.
Some of Them vs Some of Whom
Some of them and some of whom can express nearly the same basic idea, but they work differently grammatically.
Compare:
I interviewed several candidates, some of whom had extensive experience.
and:
I interviewed several candidates, and some of them had extensive experience.
The meaning is very similar.
The first sentence uses a relative clause.
The second uses a separate clause connected with and.
Some of whom often creates a more compact and polished sentence, especially in formal writing.
Some of them is usually simpler and more natural in casual conversation.
Comparison Table
| Expression | Grammar | Example | Typical Style |
| some of whom | Relative construction | Several students, some of whom were absent | Formal to neutral |
| some of them | Independent pronoun phrase | Several students came, and some of them were absent | Neutral to casual |
| some of who | Generally nonstandard in this construction | Avoid in careful writing | Not recommended |
| some of which | Relative construction for things | Several books, some of which were expensive | Formal to neutral |
The important point is that some of whom and some of them are not interchangeable in every sentence. Their surrounding grammar is different.
Some of Which vs Some of Whom
Use some of whom for people.
Use some of which for things or animals when the grammatical context calls for which.
For example:
The researchers interviewed several participants, some of whom were teachers.
Participants are people, so whom is appropriate.
Now:
The researchers reviewed several reports, some of which contained errors.
Reports are things, so which is appropriate.
This distinction is easy to remember:
people → whom
things → which
Consider another pair:
The company hired several consultants, some of whom had international experience.
The company purchased several software packages, some of which included advanced features.
The noun before the relative phrase determines which pronoun you need.
Other Expressions That Follow the Same Rule
The pattern isn’t limited to some of whom.
Many quantity expressions can be followed by of whom when referring to people.
Many of Whom
The university has many graduates, many of whom now work abroad.
Many of whom means many people from the previously mentioned group.
Most of Whom
We interviewed ten applicants, most of whom had relevant experience.
This indicates that the majority of the applicants had the stated quality.
None of Whom
The manager contacted several candidates, none of whom were available that day.
This means not one person in the mentioned group was available.
All of Whom
She invited her colleagues, all of whom attended the event.
Here, the information applies to every person in the group.
Several of Whom
The organization hired several volunteers, several of whom had previous experience.
This identifies a portion of the larger group.
Few of Whom
The course attracted many students, few of whom had studied the subject before.
This indicates that only a small number of those students had previous experience.
Each of Whom
The committee interviewed five candidates, each of whom submitted a résumé.
Each of whom refers individually to every person in the group.
These expressions follow the same broad pattern:
quantity expression + of whom
Once you understand some of whom, you can apply the pattern to many similar constructions.
Grammar Rules Behind Some of Whom
The grammar behind some of whom involves several connected ideas: relative pronouns, object forms, prepositions, and antecedents.
A sentence such as:
The company employs many workers, some of whom work remotely.
contains a main clause:
The company employs many workers.
It also contains a relative clause:
some of whom work remotely.
The relative phrase connects the additional information to workers.
The word whom refers back to the people mentioned in the main clause.
The word some tells us that the information applies to only part of the group.
The preposition of creates the relationship between some and whom.
Together, these words form a standard grammatical pattern.
Understanding Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns connect a relative clause to a noun or noun phrase.
Common relative pronouns include:
who, whom, whose, which, that
Their roles differ.
Who generally refers to people and can function as the subject.
The woman who called me is a doctor.
Whom refers to people and traditionally functions as the object.
The woman whom I called is a doctor.
Which generally refers to things.
The book which I bought was expensive.
Whose indicates possession.
The student whose laptop broke left early.
That can refer to people or things in many restrictive relative clauses.
The employee that called me left a message.
The book that I bought was expensive.
Understanding these roles helps explain why some of whom works so naturally.
How Relative Clauses Improve Your Writing
Relative clauses let you combine related ideas without repeating the same noun.
Compare:
The organization invited fifty guests. Some of the guests were researchers.
This is perfectly understandable, but it repeats guests.
A relative clause makes the relationship more compact:
The organization invited fifty guests, some of whom were researchers.
The second version connects the ideas smoothly.
This construction can make academic papers, reports, business writing, and formal correspondence more concise.
It can also help you show exactly how two pieces of information are related.
For example:
The program attracted several professionals, some of whom later became mentors.
The reader immediately understands that the mentors came from the group of professionals who attended the program.
Why the Preposition Of Changes Everything
The word of is small, but it plays an important grammatical role.
Compare:
Who attended the event?
Here, who is the subject.
Now:
Of whom are you speaking?
Here, whom follows the preposition of.
In the expression:
some of whom
the same object relationship applies.
You can think of it as the formal relative equivalent of:
some of them
The pronoun them is an object form. The corresponding traditional relative form is whom.
That’s why changing whom to who changes the grammatical pattern.
Breaking Down the Grammar
Consider this sentence:
The conference attracted several professionals, some of whom had worked internationally.
Break it into its components:
The conference → subject
attracted → verb
several professionals → object
some of whom → relative phrase
had worked internationally → relative clause
The antecedent is professionals.
The word some refers to a portion of those professionals.
The preposition of connects some to the relative pronoun.
The word whom refers back to the people in that group.
The entire phrase therefore means:
some of those professionals
This step-by-step approach makes the construction much easier to recognize.
Pronouns Must Match Their Antecedents
A pronoun should clearly refer to an appropriate antecedent.
For example:
The researchers, some of whom were students, attended the conference.
The antecedent is researchers.
The phrase some of whom refers to some researchers.
The relationship is clear.
Correct
The employees, some of whom work remotely, attended the meeting.
Whom clearly refers to employees, which is a group of people.
Incorrect
The employees, some of whom work remotely, attended the meeting.
In standard usage, which is normally used for things rather than people. Since employees refers to people, whom is the appropriate choice here.
Correct
The documents, some of which were confidential, were stored securely.
Here, documents refers to things, so which is appropriate.
Quick Reference
| Antecedent | Preferred Relative Phrase | Example |
| People | some of whom | Employees, some of whom work remotely |
| Things | some of which | Documents, some of which are confidential |
| People or things in a separate clause | some of them | Employees arrived, and some of them left early |
This is one of the most useful distinctions to remember when writing.
Why Commas Matter
Commas often appear before some of whom when the phrase introduces additional information about an already identified group.
For example:
The company has 200 employees, some of whom work remotely.
The comma separates the main statement from the nonrestrictive relative clause.
Without the comma:
The company has 200 employees some of whom work remotely.
The sentence may look incomplete or awkward in standard edited writing.
The comma helps signal that some of whom work remotely is additional information about the employees.
Compare this with a restrictive clause:
The employees who work remotely receive equipment allowances.
Here, who work remotely identifies which employees receive the allowance.
With some of whom, the phrase normally provides supplementary information about part of a group already identified.
Common Grammar Pattern You’ll See Everywhere
Once you recognize the structure, you’ll notice it in many types of writing.
The basic pattern is:
plural noun + comma + quantity expression + of whom + verb
Examples:
The school has many teachers, some of whom teach advanced courses.
The company hired several interns, some of whom work remotely.
The organization supports hundreds of families, many of whom need additional assistance.
The conference attracted dozens of speakers, most of whom had professional experience.
You can replace some with other quantity expressions without changing the basic grammar.
This makes some of whom part of a much larger and highly useful English pattern.
Featured Snippet: Why Is Some of Whom Correct?
Some of whom is correct because whom is the traditional object-form relative pronoun used after a preposition when referring to people. The phrase refers to a portion of a previously mentioned group.
For example:
The company employs many workers, some of whom work from home.
Here, whom refers to workers, while some indicates only part of that group.
The equivalent simpler expression is:
Some of them work from home.
Because them is an object pronoun, whom fits the formal relative construction.
Formal vs. Informal English
The choice between some of whom and an alternative such as some of them often depends on writing style.
Some of whom is especially useful in:
- Academic writing
- Business reports
- Formal correspondence
- Journalism
- Professional documents
- Edited prose
Some of them are especially natural in:
- Casual conversation
- Text messages
- Informal emails
- Everyday speech
For example, a formal report might say:
The survey included 500 participants, some of whom reported similar experiences.
In casual conversation, you might hear:
We talked to a bunch of people, and some of them had the same experience.
Both communicate the basic idea. The structure and tone differ.
Real-World Usage of Some of Whom
The phrase some of whom is useful whenever you need to describe part of a group of people.
It appears naturally when discussing:
Students
The class included several international students, some of whom had studied abroad before.
Employees
The company has many employees, some of whom work from home.
Customers
We surveyed several customers, some of whom requested additional features.
Researchers
The panel included several researchers, some of whom specialize in linguistics.
Applicants
We interviewed twelve applicants, some of whom had extensive experience.
The pattern stays the same even though the subject matter changes.
In Academic Writing
Academic writers frequently use some of whom to describe study participants, researchers, students, educators, or other people within a larger group.
For example:
The researchers interviewed 80 teachers, some of whom had more than fifteen years of classroom experience.
Another example:
The study included participants from several countries, some of whom reported similar results.
The construction keeps the information concise while clearly showing that the added detail applies only to part of the group.
It is particularly useful when an academic writer needs to distinguish between an entire population and a smaller subset.
In Business Writing
Business communication often requires concise descriptions of employees, customers, partners, applicants, or executives.
For example:
The company contacted several suppliers, some of whom offered revised terms.
Another example:
We met with ten clients, some of whom expressed interest in the new service.
The construction sounds polished without being unnecessarily complicated.
It also prevents repeated phrases such as some of the clients or some of the suppliers.
In News Reporting
News writing frequently describes groups of people and then adds information about only part of that group.
For example:
Officials spoke with several residents, some of whom reported damage to their homes.
Another example:
The event attracted hundreds of visitors, many of whom traveled from neighboring cities.
This structure allows journalists to provide additional information without breaking the sentence into several repetitive statements.
In Professional Emails
Some of whom can also appear naturally in professional email writing.
For example:
We contacted several vendors, some of whom have already responded.
Or:
The meeting included several department heads, some of whom requested additional documentation.
If your email is highly formal, this construction can help create a polished tone.
For casual communication, you might prefer a simpler structure:
We contacted several vendors, and some of them have already responded.
Both versions are clear. Your choice depends on the tone and sentence structure you want.
In Everyday Conversation
Although some idioms are associated with formal grammar, you can usethem inn everyday conversation.
For example:
I have several cousins, some of whom live in Texas.
That sentence sounds perfectly natural.
Still, many speakers may choose:
I have several cousins, and some of them live in Texas.
The second version avoids whom and may feel easier in spontaneous speech.
This illustrates an important point about modern English: traditional grammatical forms can remain correct even when speakers often choose simpler alternatives.
Mini Case Study: One Word Can Change the Impression You Make
Imagine two students writing about a group of professionals they interviewed.
Student A
We interviewed several professionals, some of whom had worked overseas.
The sentence may be understandable, but some of who is not the standard choice in this construction.
Student B
We interviewed several professionals, some of whom had worked overseas.
Student B uses the standard relative pronoun after of.
The difference is only one word, but the second sentence looks more polished and grammatically precise.
This matters especially in academic assignments, formal reports, applications, and professional writing.
The lesson isn’t that whom should appear everywhere. Modern English often avoids it in conversation. The important point is knowing when the traditional form creates a clearer or more standard construction.
Common Learner Questions
English learners often understand the basic who vs. whom rule but still wonder why some uses of whom sound more formal than everyday expressions.
The answer lies partly in how English has changed.
Traditional grammar maintains a clear distinction between subject and object forms:
who → subject
whom → object
Modern spoken English often reduces that distinction, especially in questions.
However, established phrases such as some of whom, many of whom, and to whom remain common in formal and edited writing.
Understanding both styles gives you more control over your writing.
Why Does Some of Whom Sound So Formal?
Some of whom can sound formal because whom is used more often in careful, edited, academic, and professional English than in casual conversation.
Many speakers rarely use whom when talking.
For example, they may say:
Who did you meet?
instead of:
Whom did you meet?
Yet some use of whom remains a familiar written construction. Its formal feel comes from the traditional distinction between who and whom, not because the phrase itself has an unusually formal meaning.
Is Whom Disappearing From English?
Whom is less common in everyday speech than it once was, particularly in American English. Many speakers use who in places where traditional grammar would recommend whom.
However, whom has not disappeared.
It remains common in formal writing, fixed expressions, and structures following prepositions.
Examples include:
to whom
with whom
for whom
some of whom
many of whom
So while everyday usage is changing, whom remains an active part of standard written English.
Should You Always Use Whom?
No. You don’t need to use whom everywhere simply to sound educated or formal.
Use it when the grammatical structure calls for it, especially in formal writing and after prepositions.
In casual conversation, restructuring the sentence can sound more natural.
For example:
The people with whom I worked were helpful.
is formal.
A conversational alternative is:
The people I worked with were helpful.
Both are natural in their appropriate settings.
The goal is not to force whom into every sentence. The goal is to understand when it works.
Can Grammar Checkers Always Find These Mistakes?
No. Grammar checkers can identify many common errors, but they don’t always understand the intended meaning or style of every sentence.
They may also accept forms that are common in modern informal English even when a traditional grammar rule recommends another form.
For some of whom, understanding the underlying grammar is more reliable than depending entirely on software.
If the phrase refers to people and follows of, some of whom is the standard choice in formal writing.
Featured Snippet: Can You Ever Use Some of Who?
In standard English, some of whom is the preferred form when you mean “some of those people,” and whom follows the preposition of. Some of who is generally avoided in careful writing.
Although who is increasingly used instead of whom in everyday English, that does not make some of who the standard construction. If you’re writing formally, choose some of whom.
Quick Reference: Who, Whom, Which, and Them
A quick comparison can make these pronouns easier to remember.
| Word | Main Function | Refers To | Example |
| who | Subject | People | The person who called |
| whom | Object | People | The person whom I called |
| which | Relative pronoun | Things | The book which I bought |
| them | Object pronoun | People or things | Some of them arrived |
Now compare the main expressions:some of whom → some people from a groupsome of which → some things from a groupsome of them → some members of a group in a separate clause
This small chart covers many of the situations that confuse.
Quick Memory Chart
| If You Mean… | Use… |
| A person doing an action | who |
| A person receiving an action | whom |
| A person after of | whom |
| A thing after of | which |
| People or things in a separate clause | them |
Remember the core pattern:
some of whom = some of those people
If you can replace the phrase with some of them, you’re probably dealing with the whom construction when you turn it into a relative clause.
Common Incorrect Sentences and Their Corrections
Here are several common errors and their standard corrections.
Incorrect:
The students, some of whom were absent, took the test.
Correct:
The students, some of whom were absent, took the test.
Incorrect:
We interviewed several managers, some of whom had international experience.
Correct:
We interviewed several managers, some of whom had international experience.
Incorrect:
The books, some of which were expensive, were unavailable.
Correct:
The books, some of which were expensive, were unavailable.
Here, which is correct because books are things.
Incorrect:
I met several researchers, and some of whom were from Canada.
Better:
I met several researchers, and some of them were from Canada.
Or:
I met several researchers, some of whom were from Canada.
The key is to match the pronoun structure to the sentence.
A Simple Checklist Before You Write
Before using some of whom, check these points.
Is the antecedent a person or group of people?
If yes, whom may be appropriate.
Does the phrase contain “of”?
If you’re using the pattern some of ___, the formal relative pronoun for people is whom.
Is the phrase part of a relative clause?
If yes, some of whom is likely the structure you need.
Is the antecedent clear?
Make sure the reader can easily identify who whom refers to.
Are commas needed?
When some of whom introduces supplementary information, a comma usually comes before the phrase.
Quick Editing Workflow
Use this quick process when proofreading.
First, find the phrase containing who or whom.
Next, identify the noun the pronoun refers to.
Then ask whether the pronoun is the subject or object.
Look for a preposition such as of.
Finally, read the entire sentence to make sure the relative clause connects logically to the antecedent.
For example:
The company has many employees, some of whom work remotely.
Employees → antecedent
some → part of the group
of → preposition
whom → relative pronoun referring to people
work remotely → relative clause
Once you can break the sentence down this way, the correct form becomes much easier to recognize.
Key Takeaways: Remember the Rule Fast
The difference between some of whom and some of who comes down to the role of the relative pronoun.
When whom follows of and refers to people, the construction is standard:
some of whom
The phrase identifies a portion of a previously mentioned group.
For example:
The organization supports many families, some of whom need additional assistance.
The antecedent is families, and whom refers back to those people.
The Most Important Rules
Keep these rules in mind:
Use “who” for a subject.
The employee who called me left a message.
Use “whom” for an object in traditional formal grammar.
The employee whom I called left a message.
Use “whom” after “of” when referring to people.
The employees, some of whom work remotely, attended the meeting.
Use “which” for things.
The reports, some of which were confidential, were reviewed.
Use “them” in a separate clause.
Several employees attended, and some of them stayed late.
These five rules will solve most common problems involving this construction.
Quick Summary Box
Correct: some of whom
Generally incorrect in standard English: some of who For people: whomFor things: whichFor a separate clause: them
Main memory trick:
If you can say some of them, the corresponding formal relative construction is usually some of whom.
The expression is particularly useful in academic, professional, business, and carefully edited writing. In casual conversation, you can often use some of them instead.
Comparing Similar Expressions
Understanding some of whom becomes much easier when you compare it with similar expressions. English uses several patterns that look alike but serve different grammatical purposes. The key is to identify what the pronoun refers to and what role it plays in the sentence. Some of Them vs Some of WhomSome of them and some of whom can refer to the same people, but they appear in different grammatical structures.Some of them is an independent phrase. It can stand on its own as part of a complete sentence.
I invited ten students, and some of them arrived early.Here, them is an object pronoun. It does not introduce a relative clause.Some of whom, however, normally appears inside a relative clause.I invited ten students, some of whom arrived early.The second sentence connects the information about the students directly to the noun phrase before it.The difference becomes clearer when you remove the relative clause:I invited ten students. Some of them arrived early.
The grammatical relationship changes, even though the basic meaning remains similar.
Comparison Table
| Expression | Main Use | Example |
| some of them | Independent pronoun phrase | Some of them arrived early. |
| some of whom | Relative clause referring to people | The students, some of whom arrived early, entered the room. |
| some of which | Relative clause referring to things | The reports, some of which were incomplete, needed revision. |
| some of who | Generally nonstandard after of | The students, some ofwhommo arrived early, entered the room. |
The simplest distinction is this: them works as an ordinary object pronoun, while whom works as the object relative pronoun in a construction such as some of whom.
Some of Which vs Some of Whom
The choice between which and whom depends on the antecedent.
Use some of whom when the antecedent refers to people.
The researchers, some of whom specialize in linguistics, attended the conference.
Use some of which when the antecedent refers to things, animals in a nonpersonal context, or other nonhuman nouns.
The reports, some of which contained errors, were reviewed again.
Compare these sentences:
The employees, some of whom work remotely, joined the meeting.
The documents, some of which were confidential, were stored securely.
The pattern is almost identical. The important difference is the noun being described.
Other Expressions That Follow the Same Rule
The pattern quantifier + of + whom appears frequently in formal English. Once you understand some of whom, many similar constructions become easier.
Many of Whom
Use many of whom when referring to a large number of people within a group.
The applicants, many of whom had previous experience, performed well during the interview.
Most of Whom
Use most of whom when the phrase refers to the majority of people in the group.
The guests, most of whom had traveled from out of town, stayed until the end.
None of Whom
Use none of whom when no members of the group fit the following description.
Several candidates applied, none of whom met every requirement.
All of Whom
Use all of whom when the entire group is included.
The committee members, all of whom supported the proposal, voted together.
Several of Whom
Use several of whom when referring to more than two but not all members of a group.
The teachers, several of whom had taught there for decades, welcomed the new principal.
Few of Whom
Use few of whom when only a small number of people fit the description.
The students, few of whom had studied the topic before, asked thoughtful questions.
Each of Whom
Use each of whom when focusing on individual members of a group.
The four speakers, each of whom had a different perspective, contributed to the discussion.
These expressions follow the same basic principle. The noun refers to people, and whom functions as the object within the relative clause.
Grammar Rules Behind Some of Whom
The phrase some of whom combines a quantity word with a relative pronoun.
Consider this sentence:
The volunteers, some of whom were students, helped organize the event.
The antecedent is volunteers.
The word some identifies an unspecified portion of that group. The word whom connects that portion to the relative clause.
The structure can be understood as:
noun + , some of whom + verb
For example:
The volunteers, some of whom were students, helped organize the event.
The relative clause gives additional information about the volunteers.
Understanding Relative Pronouns
A relative pronoun connects a relative clause to a noun or noun phrase.
Common relative pronouns include who, whom, whose, which, and that.
Their functions differ.
Who generally acts as the subject of a relative clause:
The woman who called left a message.
Whom traditionally acts as the object:
The woman whom I called left a message.
In some cases, whom follows the preposition of, which makes its object function especially clear.
The employees, some of whom I interviewed, were qualified.
Here, whom is connected to the phrase of whom, and the entire construction refers back to employees.
How Relative Clauses Improve Your Writing
Relative clauses allow you to add useful information without creating several short sentences.
Compare:
I met several researchers. Some of them specialize in language acquisition. They attended the conference.
You could combine those ideas:
I met several researchers, some of whom specialize in language acquisition, at the conference.
The result is more compact and often sounds more polished.
This pattern works particularly well in academic writing, reports, professional communication, journalism, and formal descriptions.
Why the Preposition Of Changes Everything
The word of is important because it establishes a relationship between the quantity word and the people being discussed.
In:
some of whom
the phrase means a portion of the people previously mentioned.
The structure is similar to:
some of the students
many of the employees
several of the researchers
But when the phrase becomes part of a relative clause, whom replaces the ordinary noun phrase:
some of the students → some of whom
That is why some of who does not fit the standard grammatical pattern.
Breaking Down the Grammar
Take this sentence:
The managers, some of whom had worked there for years, welcomed the new director.
Break it into parts:
- The managers = antecedent
- some = quantity word
- of = preposition
- whom = object relative pronoun
- had worked there for years = relative clause
The complete phrase some of whom refers back to the managers.
The clause provides additional information about part of that group.
Pronouns Must Match Their Antecedents
A relative pronoun should connect clearly to the noun it describes.
Consider:
The doctors, some of whom specialize in pediatrics, attended the seminar.
Whom refers to doctors, so the meaning is clear.
Now compare:
The doctors, some of whomspecialize in pediatrics, attended the seminar.
In standard formal English, which is not normally used to refer to people. Whom is the appropriate choice here?
The antecedent determines the relative pronoun.
Correct
The employees, some of whom work from home, joined the meeting.
Incorrect
The employees, some of which work from home, joined the meeting.
Correct
The books, some of which are rare editions, were donated to the library.
The first sentence refers to people, so whom is appropriate. The second refers to books, so which works naturally.
Quick Reference
| Antecedent | Correct Pattern | Example |
| People | some of whom | The students, some of whom were absent, returned later. |
| Things | some of which | The files, some of which were damaged, were restored. |
| Independent people phrase | some of them | Some of them returned later. |
| Independent things phrase | some of them | Some of them were damaged. |
Why Commas Matter
The phrase some of whom commonly appears in a nonrestrictive relative clause. Because the clause provides additional information rather than identifying which people you mean, commas usually surround it.
The employees, some of whom work remotely, attended the meeting.
The commas show that some of whom work remotely is extra information about the employees.
Without the commas, the sentence can become harder to interpret:
The employees some of whom work remotely attended the meeting.
In standard writing, the version with commas is much clearer.
Common Grammar Pattern You’ll See Everywhere
The construction is not limited to some of whom. You will often see similar patterns such as:
many of whom
most of whom
none of whom
all of whom
several of whom
few of whom
each of whom
Examples include:
The speakers, many of whom had written bestselling books, appeared together.
The applicants, none of whom had the required certification, were rejected.
The board members, all of whom supported the plan, approved the proposal.
Once you recognize the structure, these expressions become much easier to use correctly.
Featured Snippet: Why Is Some of Whom Correct?
Some of whom is correct because whom is the object form of the relative pronoun who, and of is a preposition. The phrase refers to part of a previously mentioned group of people.
For example:
The students, some of whom studied abroad, performed well.
Here, some identifies part of the group, while whom refers back to students. The phrase introduces a relative clause that adds information about those students.
Formal vs. Informal English
The word whom is grammatically established, but its use varies considerably by context.
In formal writing, whom remains common after prepositions and in carefully edited constructions.
The clients, some of whom requested additional information, received a follow-up email.
In casual conversation, many speakers prefer simpler wording.
Instead of:
I spoke with several employees, some of whom work remotely.
A speaker might say:
I spoke with several employees, and some of them work remotely.
Both communicate the same basic idea. The second version uses a more conversational structure.
The important point is that informal alternatives do not make some of whom incorrect. They simply reflect different levels of formality.
Real-World Usage of Some of Whom
You can find some of whom in many types of standard English. The construction is especially useful when you need to connect a group with additional information about only part of that group.
In Academic Writing
Academic writers often use some of whom when discussing participants, researchers, scholars, students, authors, or other groups of people.
The study included thirty participants, some of whom had previous experience with the task.
The construction helps present information efficiently without breaking the discussion into several sentences.
In Business Writing
Business documents frequently describe employees, clients, managers, customers, investors, or other professional groups.
The company hired several consultants, some of whom had previously worked in the industry.
This structure sounds polished without being unnecessarily complicated.
In News Reporting
Journalists often need to describe groups while adding specific details about a portion of them.
Officials interviewed several witnesses, some of whom had seen the incident firsthand.
The construction allows the writer to provide additional information while keeping the sentence compact.
In Professional Emails
You can use some of whom in professional emails when the tone is moderately formal.
We have contacted several suppliers, some of whom can deliver the materials this week.
For a more casual email, you could write:
We contacted several suppliers, and some of them can deliver this week.
The best choice depends on the audience and the overall tone of your message.
In Everyday Conversation
You can use some of whom in conversation, but many speakers naturally choose some of them instead.
For example:
I met several people at the event, and some of them were from Chicago.
This sounds very natural in casual speech.
A more formal version would be:
I met several people at the event, some of whom were from Chicago.
Neither version changes the basic idea. The sentence structure simply changes.
Mini Case Study: One Word Can Change the Impression You Make
Imagine two students writing about a university conference.
Student A
The conference attracted many researchers, some of whom presented new findings.
The meaning is understandable, but some of who is not the standard form in careful English.
Student B
The conference attracted many researchers, some of whom presented new findings.
This version uses the standard relative construction.
The difference is only one word, but that word affects grammatical accuracy. In academic or professional writing, choosing whom can make the sentence look more polished and carefully edited.
The lesson is simple: when you see some of + a relative pronoun referring to people, whom is the standard choice.
Common Learner Questions
Why Does Some of Whom Sound So Formal?
Some of whom can sound formal because whom has become less common in everyday speech. Many native speakers use who or restructure the sentence instead. However, whom remains standard in certain grammatical positions, especially after prepositions and in formal written constructions.
Is Whom Disappearing From English?
Whom is less common than who, especially in casual speech. However, it has not disappeared. It continues to appear in formal writing, edited publications, legal language, academic prose, and constructions such as to whom, for whom, and some of whom.
Should You Always Use Whom?
No. You do not need to use whom in every sentence. Use it when it fits the grammatical structure and the tone. In casual English, restructuring a sentence can sound more natural. In formal writing, retaining whom can provide grammatical precision.
Can Grammar Checkers Always Find These Mistakes?
No. Grammar checkers can catch many obvious errors, but they do not understand every sentence perfectly. They may miss awkward relative-pronoun choices or accept wording that is technically understandable but nonstandard. It helps to understand the underlying grammar rather than relying entirely on automated suggestions.
Featured Snippet: Can You Ever Use Some of Who?
In standard English, some of whom is the correct construction when the phrase refers to people. Some of who is generally considered nonstandard because whom is the object form required after the preposition of. In casual speech, people may produce or hear variations, but formal writing should use some of whom.
Quick Reference: Who, Whom, Which, and Them
| Word | Typical Function | Refers To | Example |
| who | Subject | People | The person who called left. |
| whom | Object | People | The person whom I called answered. |
| which | Relative pronoun | Things | The files which I reviewed were useful. |
| them | Object pronoun | People or things | I contacted them yesterday. |
When choosing between these words, focus on grammar rather than appearance.
Ask whether the word is acting as a subject or object. Then consider whether the antecedent refers to people or things.
Quick Memory Chart
| If you mean… | Use… | Example |
| A person doing the action | who | The manager who called |
| A person receiving the action | whom | The manager whom I called |
| Part of a group of people | some of whom | The managers, some of whom called |
| Part of a group of things | some of which | The reports, some of which changed |
| A separate group of people or things | some of them | I contacted several people. Some of them replied. |
A useful memory shortcut is:
Who = he/she
Whom = him/her
So:
Some of them arrived.
can become:
Some of whom arrived.
when the phrase is part of a relative clause connected to a previously mentioned group.
Common Incorrect Sentences and Their Corrections
Some errors are easy to fix once you recognize the pattern.
Incorrect:
The students, some of whom passed the exam, celebrated.
Correct:
The students, some of whom passed the exam, celebrated.
Incorrect:
The employees, some of which work remotely, joined the call.
Correct:
The employees, some of whom work remotely, joined the call.
Incorrect:
The books, some of which were expensive, sold quickly.
Correct:
The books, some of which were expensive, sold quickly.
Incorrect:
I interviewed several candidates, some of whom were experienced.
Correct:
I interviewed several candidates, some of whom were experienced.
The last example shows another common problem: adding an unnecessary pronoun after whom. The relative construction already supplies the required connection.
A Simple Checklist Before You Write
Before using some of whom, take a few seconds to check the sentence.
First, identify the noun that the phrase refers to.
The employees, some of whom…
The antecedent is employees.
Next, confirm that the antecedent refers to people.
If it refers to people, whom may be appropriate.
Then check the phrase before the relative pronoun.
some of whom
The preposition strongly supports the object form whom.
Finally, check whether the clause is properly separated with commas when it provides nonessential information.
The employees, some of whom work remotely, attended the meeting.
Quick Editing Workflow
Use this quick process whenever you are unsure:Step 1: Find the noun being described.Step 2: Ask whether it refers to people or things.Step 3: Look for of before the relative pronoun.Step 4: If the phrase is some of + people, use some of whom in standard formal English.Step 5: Check the commas around the nonrestrictive clause.Step 6: Read the sentence again for clarity.
This takes only a few seconds once the pattern becomes familiar.
Key Takeaways: Remember the Rule Fast
The most important lesson is straightforward: some of whom is the standard grammatical phrase when you refer to part of a previously mentioned group of people.
The Most Important Rules
Remember these core points:
- Who generally functions as a subject.
- Whom generally functions as an object.
- Some of whom refers to some people from a previously mentioned group.
- Some of which normally refers to things.
- Some of them can replace the idea when you use a separate clause.
- Some of who is generally nonstandard in careful English.
- The preposition of helps explain why whom fits the construction.
- Commas are normally used when the relative clause adds nonessential information.
Quick Summary Box
Correct: The teachers, some of whom live nearby, attended the meeting.
Incorrect in standard English: The teachers, some of who live nearby, attended the meeting.
For things: The reports, some of which were incomplete, required revision.
For a separate clause: Some of them attended the meeting.
Once you understand the difference between who, whom, which, and them, this entire grammar pattern becomes much easier to recognize and use.
Common Learner Questions About Some of Whom
The difference between some of whom and some of who often confuses because both phrases may sound understandable in conversation. Standard grammar, however, gives you a clear answer. When of introduces a relative pronoun referring to people, whom is the traditional and standard choice.
Understanding why the construction works is more useful than memorizing one isolated phrase. Once you recognize the pattern, you can apply it to many of whom, most of whom, none of whom, and similar expressions.
Why Does Some of Whom Sound So Formal?
The phrase some of whom may sound formal because whom is less common in everyday American English than who.
Native speakers frequently avoid whom in casual conversation. They may restructure the sentence instead.
For example:
I met several students, some of whom were from Texas.
A conversational alternative is:
I met several students, and some of them were from Texas.
The second version is more relaxed. The first is compact and grammatically polished.
This difference in style does not make some of them outdated or incorrect. It simply means that whom appears more often in carefully edited or formal writing.
Is Whom Disappearing From English?
Whom has become less frequent in everyday English, but it remains part of standard English.
You will still encounter it in formal writing and established expressions such as:
To whom it may concern
The person to whom I spoke
The clients for whom we prepared the report
The researchers, some of whom participated in the study
In casual speech, many people use who instead or avoid the construction entirely.
That does not mean whom has stopped being grammatically useful. It continues to provide a clear object form, particularly after prepositions.
Should You Always Use Whom?
No. You should use whom when the grammatical structure calls for it, especially in formal writing.
You also need to consider your audience.
If you are writing an academic paper, professional report, formal letter, or carefully edited article, whom can be the best choice.
If you are chatting with a friend, you might naturally choose a simpler structure:
I met several teachers, and some of them had worked there for years.
Good writing is not about forcing formal grammar into every sentence. It is about choosing the construction that fits both the grammar and the situation.
Can Grammar Checkers Always Find These Mistakes?
No. Grammar software can identify many common errors, but automated tools do not always understand the exact grammatical relationship within a sentence.
A checker might recognize some uses of whom as unusual, but it may not explain why some uses of whom are preferred.
Human judgment still matters.
When you understand that whom functions as the object form after of, you can evaluate the sentence yourself. That knowledge is more reliable than blindly accepting every automated suggestion.
Can You Ever Use Some of Who?
In standard edited English, some of whom is the preferred construction when you are referring to people.
Some of who may appear in informal speech, learner writing, dialectal usage, or sentences where the intended structure is unclear. However, it is not the form you should choose for formal writing.
If you are unsure, use:
some of whom
For example:
The applicants, some of whom had relevant experience, were invited to a second interview.
Quick Reference: Who, Whom, Which, and Them
The easiest way to understand these words is to compare their grammatical roles.
| Word | Function | Typical Reference | Example |
| who | Subject | People | The student who called is waiting. |
| whom | Object | People | The student whom I called is waiting. |
| which | Relative pronoun | Things | The report which I reviewed was useful. |
| them | Object pronoun | People or things | I called them yesterday. |
Remember that modern American English often uses who where traditional grammar would use whom. The construction some of whom, however, remains a well-established formal pattern.
Quick Memory Chart
You can remember the main distinction with a simple substitution test.
| If the answer would be… | Consider using… | Example |
| He/She | Who | Who called you? |
| Him/Her | Whom | Whom did you call? |
| Them in a separate clause | Them | Some of them arrived. |
| Some of the people in a relative clause | Some of whom | Some of whom arrived early. |
| Some of the things in a relative clause | Some of which | Some of which arrived damaged. |
A useful shortcut is:
Who → he or she
Whom → him or her
If the construction contains of and refers to part of a group of people, some of whom is usually the form you want.
Common Incorrect Sentences and Their Corrections
Seeing the pattern in complete sentences makes the rule easier to remember.
Incorrect
The employees, some of whom work remotely, attended the meeting.
Correct
The employees, some of whom work remotely, attended the meeting.
Here, whom follows the preposition of and refers to the employees.
Incorrect
The teachers, some of which had experience abroad, joined the workshop.
Correct
The teachers, some of whom had experience abroad, joined the workshop.
Which normally refers to things, while whom refers to people in this construction.
Incorrect
The reports, some of whom contained errors, were rejected.
Correct
The reports, some of which contained errors, were rejected.
Because reports are things, which is appropriate.
Incorrect
I interviewed several candidates, some of whom they had worked in finance.
Correct
I interviewed several candidates, some of whom had worked in finance.
The extra they is unnecessary. The relative clause already connects the clause to the candidates.
A Simple Checklist Before You Write
Before writing some of whom, quickly check four things.
First, identify the antecedent.
Ask what noun the phrase refers to.
The employees, some of whom…
The antecedent is employees.
Second, check whether the antecedent refers to people.
If it refers to people, whom is the appropriate traditional object form.
Third, look for the preposition.
The phrase is:
some of whom
The of is an important clue.
Fourth, check the relative clause.
Make sure the clause gives clear information about the group.
The employees, some of whom work remotely, attended the meeting.
The structure is complete and easy to understand.
Quick Editing Workflow
When editing your writing, use this short process:
Find the noun → identify people or things → check the grammatical role → check the preposition → choose the pronoun → review punctuation.
For example:
The researchers, some of ___ conducted interviews, published the results.
The antecedent is researchers. They are people.
The phrase contains some of.
The blank therefore becomes:
The researchers, some of whom conducted interviews, published the results.
This approach is faster than trying to memorize dozens of individual examples.
Key Takeaways: Remember the Rule Fast
The difference between some of whom and some of who is easier once you focus on the structure rather than the sound.
The Most Important Rules
Some of whom is the standard phrase for referring to part of a previously mentioned group of people.
Whom is traditionally the object form of who.
The preposition of is followed by an object, which supports the use of whom.
Use some of which when the antecedent refers to things.
Use some of them when you want an independent pronoun phrase rather than a relative construction.
Avoid some of who in formal and carefully edited writing.
Use commas when some of whom introduces a nonrestrictive relative clause that adds extra information.
Quick Summary Box
People: The students, some of whom studied abroad, passed the exam.
Things: The books, some of which were expensive, sold quickly.
Separate clause: I met several students, and some of them studied abroad.
Standard formal choice: some of whom
Generally nonstandard: some of who
Final Practical Tip
If you remember only one rule, make it this:
Use “some of whom” when you mean some people from a group already mentioned.
For example:
The employees, some of whom work from home, attended the meeting.
Once you understand this pattern, related expressions become much easier. You can confidently use many of whom, most of whom, all of whom, none of whom, several of whom, and few of whom in the same way.
When everyday English calls for a more relaxed tone, some of them is often a natural alternative. But when your sentence uses a relative clause referring to people, some of whom is the clear standard choice.
Conclusion
Choosing between some of whom and some of who becomes much easier once you understand how relative pronouns work. In standard English, some of whom is the correct choice when you are referring to part of a group of people. The word whom works as the object form, especially after a preposition.
For things, use some of which instead. When you want a more conversational structure, some of them is often a natural alternative. Although whom can sound formal in everyday American English, it remains useful in academic, professional, and carefully edited writing.
The key is to focus on the grammatical role of the pronoun rather than how the phrase sounds. Once you recognize the pattern, expressions such as many of whom, most of whom, and none of whom become much easier to use confidently and correctly.
FAQs
Is “some of whom” grammatically correct?
Yes, some of whom is grammatically correct and standard when referring to part of a previously mentioned group of people. For example, “The students, some of whom studied abroad, performed well.” Here, whom refers to the students and follows the preposition of. This construction is especially common in formal and carefully edited English.
Is “some of who” correct in standard English?
Some of who is generally not considered standard English when who follows of in this construction. The preferred form is some of whom because whom traditionally functions as the object form of who. For formal writing, academic work, professional communication, and edited content, use some of whom.
Why do we use “whom” after “some of”?
We use whom because of is a preposition, and whom is traditionally the object form of who. In “some of whom,” the phrase refers to some members of a previously mentioned group of people. For example, “The teachers, some of whom were new, attended the meeting.” The structure follows standard grammatical usage.
What is the difference between “some of whom” and “some of them”?
Some of whom introduces a relative clause connected to a previously mentioned noun. Some of them is an independent pronoun phrase. Compare: “The students, some of whom arrived early, entered the room” with “The students entered the room, and some of them arrived early.” Both can express related ideas, but their sentence structures differ.
Can “some of whom” be used in formal writing?
Yes. Some of whom is particularly useful in formal writing because it creates a concise and grammatically precise relative clause. You may see it in academic papers, business reports, professional emails, journalism, and other carefully edited content. For example, “The researchers, some of whom specialize in linguistics, presented their findings.”
Is “whom” still used in American English?
Yes, although whom is less common in casual American English than who. Many speakers naturally avoid whom in conversation. However, it remains standard in formal writing and established constructions, including “to whom,” “for whom,” and “some of whom.” Understanding when to use it can improve accuracy and clarity in professional writing.
Should I always use “whom” instead of “who”?
No. Whom is not required in every sentence. Use who when it functions as the subject, and traditionally use whom when it functions as the object. In informal American English, who is often used more broadly. The right choice depends on the sentence structure, grammatical role, and level of formality.
Can I say “some of which” instead of “some of whom”?
Only when the antecedent refers to things or other nonhuman nouns. Use some of whom for people and some of which for things. For example, “The employees, some of whom work remotely” is correct, while “The reports, some of which contain errors” is correct. The antecedent determines which relative pronoun you need.
How can I quickly decide between “who” and “whom”?
Try replacing the pronoun with he or him. If he fits, use who. If him fits, use whom. For example, “Who called?” becomes “He called,” so who is correct. “Whom did you call?” becomes “I called him,” so whom is traditionally correct. This simple test can help with many sentences.
What is the easiest way to remember “some of whom”?
Remember that some of whom means some of the people in a group. If you are referring to people and the phrase contains of, whom is the standard formal choice. For example, “The candidates, some of whom had experience, were interviewed.” For things, use some of which instead.