For “whom has or who has?”, use “who has” for subjects; “whom has” shows up mainly in formal present-perfect questions.
You’ve seen it: a sentence feels smooth with who, then a voice says, “Wait… should that be whom?”
This guide clears it up with plain rules, quick tests, and sentence fixes you can copy. You’ll know when who has is right and when whom has can work.
Most fixes take ten seconds once you spot the clause first.
Why This Pair Trips People Up
Two things cause most of the confusion.
First, modern English often uses who where older, formal writing preferred whom. You might read “Who did you call?” every day, while the formal object form is still “Whom did you call?” That shift makes the rule feel fuzzy.
Second, the word has can act in two jobs. It can be the main verb (“She has a ticket”), or it can be an auxiliary verb that helps build the present perfect (“She has bought a ticket”). That second job is where the sequence whom has appears most often, because English questions can flip the auxiliary in front of the subject.
| Pattern | Use It When | Fast Check |
|---|---|---|
| who | The pronoun is the subject of the verb | Swap in “he/she/they” |
| whom | The pronoun is the object of a verb or preposition | Swap in “him/her/them” |
| who has (main verb) | “Has” means “owns/holds/contains” | Try: “He has…” |
| who has (auxiliary) | “Has” helps another verb (has seen/has done) | Check for a past participle |
| whom has (question inversion) | Formal present-perfect questions | Move the subject back: “Has John seen whom?” |
| preposition + whom | Formal style with “to/for/with/from” | “to him/for her/with them” |
| whoever / whomever | The “-ever” form matches its role in its own clause | Test inside the clause only |
| who has to… | “Has to” means “must” and needs a subject | “She has to…” |
Whom Has Or Who Has? In Real Sentences
Start with this: who works like he or she. Whom works like him or her. That’s the core.
If the pronoun is doing the action, it’s who. If the pronoun is receiving the action, it’s whom. When has is the main verb, the subject is doing the “having,” so you almost always want who has.
Try these quick reads:
- “The student who has the calculator should return it.” (Subject: who)
- “The teacher to whom you spoke has left.” (Object of “to”)
Now the twist: in a formal question with the present perfect, English often puts the auxiliary has before the subject. That’s where whom has can appear.
- Formal: “Whom has the editor approved?” (Object: whom; subject: the editor)
- More common: “Who has the editor approved?”
Who Has Or Whom Has In Questions And Clauses
To pick the right form, first spot the clause that the pronoun belongs to. Then decide if the pronoun is a subject or an object inside that clause.
Step 1: Find The Verb That Belongs To The Pronoun
Ask, “Which verb is this pronoun tied to?” In “the person who has the access cards,” the pronoun ties to has. In “the person whom I called,” the pronoun ties to called.
If you can point to a verb that comes right after the pronoun, that’s a strong hint the pronoun is the subject of that verb.
Step 2: Test With He Or Him
Swap the pronoun with he (subject) or him (object). Pick the swap that sounds right. Then match it back to who or whom.
Sample test:
- “___ has finished the report.” → “He has finished the report.” → Who has finished the report.
- “The person ___ the manager hired.” → “The manager hired him.” → The person whom the manager hired.
Step 3: Watch For A Hidden Subject After Has
If your line begins with “whom has,” ask what comes after has. If a noun or name follows, that’s often the subject, and the pronoun at the front is the object.
“Whom has she invited?” reads as “She has invited whom?” That structure is formal, yet it’s grammatical.
If you want a reference that matches standard grammar teaching, Cambridge’s guidance on who, whom usage spells out the subject–object split in plain terms.
When “Whom Has” Is Correct And When It Sounds Off
Here’s the clean way to separate correct from clunky.
“Whom Has” Can Work In Present-Perfect Questions
This is the main spot where you’ll see it in polished writing:
- “Whom has the committee chosen?”
- “Whom has your colleague met?”
In each line, the subject sits after has (“the committee,” “your colleague”). The pronoun at the front is the object of the main verb (“chosen,” “met”).
“Whom Has” Fails When Whom Tries To Act As The Subject
These lines are the ones that set off alarms:
- Wrong: “Whom has the answer?”
- Right: “Who has the answer?”
Here, has is the main verb meaning “possesses.” The subject form is needed, so who wins.
Three Quick Fixes That Save Time
If you’re writing fast and don’t want to wrestle with grammar labels, these moves help you land on a clean sentence.
Fix 1: Reorder The Question
Take the question and put the subject first. Then choose who/whom with the he/him test.
- Formal order: “Whom has Maria thanked?”
- Subject-first order: “Maria has thanked whom?” → “Maria has thanked him.” → whom
Fix 2: Use A Preposition At The End If The Sentence Allows It
Many readers find “to whom” formal. You can often shift the preposition to the end in everyday writing.
- Formal: “To whom has he spoken?”
- Everyday: “Who has he spoken to?”
Merriam-Webster also points out that whom carries a formal tone in most settings, and that everyday writing often uses who as the object form. Their rundown on who vs. whom gives the same subject–object rule with modern usage notes.
Fix 3: Swap In “That” For A Relative Clause When It Fits
In some relative clauses, “that” can replace “who” or “whom.” It can smooth out a sentence where “whom” feels stiff.
- Formal: “The colleague whom I met yesterday…”
- Smoother: “The colleague that I met yesterday…”
This swap does not work in every context, and it can clash with a formal tone. Use it when the sentence stays clear.
Common Sentence Shapes And How To Handle Them
Relative Clauses With “Has”
Relative clauses often come right after a noun: “the person who has…,” “the team who has…,” “the writer who has….” In these cases, the pronoun introduces a clause and acts as the subject of has.
A quick clue: if your line reads “noun + who + has,” you’re almost always fine.
Questions With “Has” And A Past Participle
Watch for the present perfect shape: has + past participle (has seen, has done, has written). In questions, English can put has first: “Who has written the memo?”
If the person asked about is the one doing the action, use who. If the person asked about is the one receiving the action, formal style may use whom when it sits at the front.
Prepositions Before The Pronoun
When a preposition comes right before the pronoun (“to,” “for,” “with,” “from”), formal style prefers whom: “To whom did you speak?” You’ll also see that in relative clauses: “the person with whom I worked.”
In everyday writing, many people move the preposition to the end and use who: “Who did you speak to?” Both appear in real writing; pick the tone that matches your audience.
Whoever And Whomever With Has
The “-ever” forms cause trouble because they often sit inside a longer clause. The trick is simple: judge the pronoun inside its own clause, not the full sentence.
Try this pattern: “Give the pass to whoever has the ticket.” Inside the clause “___ has the ticket,” the pronoun is the subject, so it’s whoever.
Now flip it: “Give the pass to whomever the guard has checked.” Inside “the guard has checked ___,” the pronoun is the object, so whomever fits.
Table Of Fixes You Can Copy
These rewrites keep meaning intact while making the grammar choice clear.
| Draft Sentence | Better Formal | Natural Everyday |
|---|---|---|
| Whom has the spare passcode? | Who has the spare passcode? | Who’s got the spare passcode? |
| Whom has the coach picked? | Whom has the coach picked? | Who has the coach picked? |
| The worker whom has the badge can enter. | The worker who has the badge can enter. | The worker with the badge can enter. |
| To who has the invoice been sent? | To whom has the invoice been sent? | Who has the invoice been sent to? |
| Whom has she given the prize to? | Whom has she given the prize to? | Who has she given the prize to? |
| The client who has we billed is late. | The client whom we have billed is late. | The client we billed is late. |
| Whom has been calling all day? | Who has been calling all day? | Who’s been calling all day? |
| Whom has the team thanked in the speech? | Whom has the team thanked in the speech? | Who has the team thanked in the speech? |
Practice Lines To Lock It In
Fill in each blank with who or whom. Read the full sentence out loud, then run the he/him test.
- ___ has the file you need?
- The speaker ___ the host introduced stepped up to the mic.
- ___ has the director chosen for the lead role?
- The classmate to ___ you texted has replied.
- ___ has finished the lab report?
- The guest ___ we invited has arrived.
- ___ has your mentor praised this term?
- The person with ___ I partnered has moved.
- ___ has the judge questioned first?
- The tutor ___ has the answer will share it.
Answers
- Who (subject of “has”)
- Whom (object of “introduced”)
- Whom (object; subject is “the director”)
- Whom (object of “to”)
- Who (subject of “has finished”)
- Whom (object of “invited”)
- Whom (object; subject is “your mentor”)
- Whom (object of “with”)
- Whom (object; subject is “the judge”)
- Who (subject of “has”)
A Checklist Before You Hit Publish
- If the pronoun can swap with he or she, use who.
- If it can swap with him or her, use whom.
- If “whom has” shows up, check for a subject right after has.
- If “has” means “owns,” the subject form is the safe pick.
- If the sentence feels stiff, rewrite with the subject first or move the preposition to the end.
Quick Recap You Can Remember Tomorrow
Now you can answer the question whom has or who has? without second-guessing. If the pronoun is the doer, write who has. If it’s the receiver and you’re using a formal present-perfect question, whom has can be correct. When in doubt, a small rewrite usually gives you a sentence that reads clean and keeps your tone consistent.