When you want to describe some members of a group of people, you may wonder whether to say “some of whom” or “some of who.” The correct choice depends on the grammatical role of the pronoun in the clause. In standard English, “some of whom” is correct when the people being referred to are the object of a preposition or verb. For example: I invited ten students, some of whom are my friends.
The phrase “some of who” is generally incorrect in standard English when used in this structure. The word whom is used because the phrase refers to people in an object position. However, understanding this distinction is easier when you look at how the relative clause works. This guide explains the difference, gives practical examples, and shows you when to use some of whom naturally in formal and everyday English.
Quick Answer
“Some of whom” is the correct standard expression. Use it when referring to some people from a previously mentioned group, especially when they function as an object within a relative clause. “Some of who” is generally considered incorrect in standard English. Example: She has many colleagues, some of whom work remotely.
Why Do People Confuse “Some of Whom” and “Some of Who”?
The confusion happens because who and whom both refer to people, and many native speakers use who in situations where traditional grammar calls for whom.
The important point is that who usually functions as a subject, while whom functions as an object.
Compare:
- Who called you? → Who is the subject.
- Whom did you call? → Whom is the object.
- I know several people, some of whom you have met. → Whom is the object of met.
The word some does not change this grammatical relationship. The structure is:
some + of + whom
So, when you are choosing between the two expressions, some of whom is the standard choice.
What Does the First Word Mean?
Some
Some refers to an unspecified number or part of a larger group.
Examples:
- Some of the students stayed after class.
- Some of my friends live abroad.
- Some of the books are expensive.
In some of whom, some means “some people from the group previously mentioned.”
For example:
I met several teachers, some of whom had studied abroad.
Here, some refers to some of the teachers.
What Does the Second Word Mean?
Whom
Whom is the object form of who.
It is traditionally used when the person is receiving an action or follows a preposition.
Examples:
- Whom did you invite?
- To whom did you speak?
- The woman whom I met was friendly.
In the expression some of whom, the word whom follows the preposition of.
That is why:
I have several friends, some of whom live in Canada.
is grammatically correct.
Some of Whom vs Some of Who: Comparison Table
| Expression | Standard Grammar | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Some of whom | Correct | Some people from a group | I met five writers, some of whom were famous. |
| Some of who | Generally incorrect | Intended to mean some people from a group | I met five writers, some of who were famous. |
| Some who | Correct in certain structures | Some people who perform an action | Some who attended left early. |
| Some of them | Correct | Some people from a group | I met five writers, some of them were famous. |
Notice that some who and some of whom are not interchangeable.
When Should You Use “Some of Whom”?
Use some of whom when you have already mentioned a group of people and want to add information about part of that group.
1. After a preposition
Examples:
- I invited several guests, some of whom arrived early.
- She works with many doctors, some of whom specialize in surgery.
- We interviewed several candidates, some of whom had previous experience.
2. After “of”
The construction itself is:
some + of + whom
Examples:
- He has three brothers, some of whom live overseas.
- They hired ten employees, some of whom were recent graduates.
- I know several musicians, some of whom perform internationally.
3. When referring to part of a previously mentioned group
Example:
The university has thousands of students, some of whom come from abroad.
Here, some of whom refers to a portion of the students.
10+ Examples of “Some of Whom”
- I have several friends, some of whom live in Australia.
- She interviewed five candidates, some of whom had impressive qualifications.
- We met several tourists, some of whom were from Japan.
- He invited many colleagues, some of whom could not attend.
- The teacher praised several students, some of whom had improved significantly.
- I know many writers, some of whom publish their work online.
- They hired ten employees, some of whom had worked there before.
- She has four children, some of whom are still in school.
- We visited several museums, some of which were free.
- The company employs hundreds of workers, some of whom work remotely.
- I spoke to several guests, some of whom had traveled a long distance.
- He has many relatives, some of whom live in another country.
Remember that whom is normally used for people, while which is used for things.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using “some of who”
Incorrect:
I know several students, some of who speak Spanish.
Correct:
I know several students, some of whom speak Spanish.
Mistake 2: Thinking “who” is always correct for people
Although who is extremely common in modern English, it does not automatically replace whom in every grammatical structure.
For example:
Some who attended the meeting left early.
Here, who is correct because who is the subject of attended.
But:
Some of whom attended the meeting left early.
Here, whom is required in the traditional structure because it follows of.
Mistake 3: Confusing “some who” with “some of whom”
These structures have different grammar.
Some who:
Some who applied were accepted.
Some of whom:
Twenty people applied, some of whom were accepted.
The second construction refers back to a specific group already mentioned.
Memory Trick
A simple way to remember the correct form is:
of → whom
When you see of immediately before the relative pronoun, remember whom.
Think:
some + of + whom
Not:
some + of + who
Another useful trick is to replace whom with them.
some of them
Because them is an object form, the traditional equivalent is:
some of whom
American vs British English
Both American and British English recognize “some of whom” as standard grammar.
The main difference is that whom is often used less frequently in casual American English and informal speech. Many speakers naturally use who in places where traditional grammar would use whom.
However, after of, the phrase some of whom remains the standard and polished construction in formal writing.
For academic writing, professional communication, essays, and carefully edited content, some of whom is the safest choice.
Similar Words and Structures
Several related expressions follow the same pattern.
Some of whom
Used for people:
I met ten students, some of whom were international students.
Some of which
Used for things:
I bought five books, some of which were expensive.
Some of whose
Used to show possession:
I interviewed several writers, some of whose books were bestsellers.
Some who
Used when who is the subject:
Some who attended the event stayed afterward.
Some of them
A separate construction that can often be used instead:
I met several students. Some of them were from France.
Final Verdict
“Some of whom” is the correct standard expression. Use it when you are referring to some people from a group that has already been mentioned.
“Some of who” is generally incorrect in standard English.
The key pattern is:
some + of + whom
For example:
She has many friends, some of whom live abroad.
If you want a simpler alternative, you can often use some of them in a separate sentence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “some of whom” grammatically correct?
Yes. Some of whom is grammatically correct and is the standard construction for referring to some people from a previously mentioned group.
Is “some of who” ever correct?
In standard English, some of who is generally not correct when who/whom is the relative pronoun following of. The usual form is some of whom.
Why is “whom” used after “of”?
Whom is traditionally the object form of who. Since of is a preposition, the object form is used in the construction some of whom.
Can I say “some who” instead of “some of whom”?
Sometimes, but the grammar is different. For example, Some who attended the meeting left early is correct. It does not have exactly the same structure as some of whom.
What is the difference between “some of whom” and “some of them”?
Both can refer to part of a group. Some of whom connects the information through a relative clause, while some of them is usually used in a separate clause or sentence.
Should I use “some of whom” in formal writing?
Yes. Some of whom is a clear and standard choice for academic, professional, and formal writing.
Is “some of whom” used in American English?
Yes. It is standard in both American and British English, although whom is generally less common in casual American speech.
Remember This
- Some of whom = correct standard form for people.
- Some of who = generally incorrect.
- Some who = correct when who is the subject.
- Some of which = use for things.
- Some of whose = use for possession.
- After of, remember whom in this structure.
Conclusion
When choosing between some of whom and some of who, choose some of whom in standard English. The phrase is used to identify part of a group of people that has already been mentioned. For example, I met several teachers, some of whom had years of experience.
The easiest way to remember the rule is to focus on the structure some of whom. While who is increasingly common in everyday speech, whom remains the standard object form after of in this construction. Using some of whom will make your formal and academic writing clear, grammatical, and natural.
John Tyler is a dream researcher and content writer at SleepCout, sharing insightful articles about coded dreams, dream meanings, symbolism, sleep psychology, and practical guidance to help readers understand their dreams.
