The expressions “some of whom” and “some of who” can be confusing because both contain the relative pronoun who and they may seem interchangeable in everyday speech. However, in standard English, the choice depends on the grammatical role of the pronoun. After the preposition of, the object form whom is traditionally required when referring to people. Therefore, “some of whom” is the standard and grammatically correct construction, while “some of who” is generally considered incorrect in formal or standard written English.
The confusion becomes understandable because modern English often uses who instead of whom, especially in informal conversation. However, expressions such as some of whom, many of whom, all of whom and both of whom retain whom in careful writing. Learning this pattern will help you write more naturally and accurately, particularly in academic, professional and formal contexts.
Quick Answer
“Some of whom” is the standard correct form. Use it when referring to some people from a previously mentioned group. “Some of who” is generally considered incorrect in standard English because whom is the object of the preposition of.
Correct: I met several students, some of whom were international.
Incorrect: I met several students, some of who were international.
Why People Confuse “Some of Whom” and “Some of Who”
The confusion mainly comes from the fact that who is much more common than whom in modern spoken English.
Many speakers naturally say:
Who did you meet?
rather than the more formal:
Whom did you meet?
As a result, people sometimes extend this use of who to constructions where traditional grammar calls for whom.
The important pattern to remember is:
some of + whom
not:
some of + who
The preposition of requires an object, and whom is the object form of who.
What Does “Some of Whom” Mean?
“Some of whom” means “some of those people” or “some people from that group.”
For example:
I interviewed ten candidates, some of whom had extensive experience.
This means:
I interviewed ten candidates, and some of those candidates had extensive experience.
The phrase introduces additional information about part of a previously mentioned group.
Examples
- I invited several friends, some of whom live nearby.
- We hired five employees, some of whom had worked in the industry before.
- She has three brothers, some of whom are doctors.
- I spoke to several teachers, some of whom agreed with the proposal.
What About “Some of Who”?
“Some of who” is generally not considered correct in standard English.
For example:
❌ I met several people, some of who were from Canada.
The standard version is:
✅ I met several people, some of whom were from Canada.
This is because whom functions as the object of of.
Although who is increasingly used in place of whom in everyday English, some of whom remains the established construction.
Some of Whom vs Some of Who
| Expression | Standard English? | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Some of whom | Yes | “Whom” is the object after “of.” | I met several people, some of whom were teachers. |
| Some of who | Generally no | “Who” is not the standard object form after “of.” | ❌ Some of who were teachers. |
| Some of them | Yes | Uses an ordinary object pronoun. | Some of them were teachers. |
| Some of which | Yes | Used for things, not normally people. | I read several books, some of which were excellent. |
When to Use “Some of Whom”
Use some of whom when:
- You are referring to people.
- You have already mentioned the group.
- You want to add information about only part of that group.
- The construction follows a noun or noun phrase referring to people.
Example
We interviewed twenty applicants, some of whom had previous management experience.
Here:
- twenty applicants = the larger group
- some = part of the group
- whom = refers back to the applicants
- had previous management experience = additional information
15 Examples of “Some of Whom”
- I met several students, some of whom were from abroad.
- She invited many colleagues, some of whom she had known for years.
- We interviewed ten candidates, some of whom had impressive qualifications.
- He has several cousins, some of whom live overseas.
- I spoke with the employees, some of whom had concerns about the change.
- They hired several designers, some of whom had worked for major companies.
- The conference attracted hundreds of visitors, some of whom traveled from other countries.
- I contacted several experts, some of whom offered useful advice.
- She knows many writers, some of whom have published bestselling books.
- We met several researchers, some of whom specialize in linguistics.
- He introduced me to his friends, some of whom I had met before.
- The organization supports many families, some of whom need additional assistance.
- Several applicants were shortlisted, some of whom had international experience.
- I read interviews with several authors, some of whom discussed the same issue.
- The company employs hundreds of people, some of whom work remotely.
“Some of Whom” at the Beginning of a Sentence
“Some of whom” usually appears after a noun phrase, but similar structures can sometimes be used in more complex sentences.
For example:
Some of whom were already familiar with the process, the participants completed the task quickly.
However, this construction is less common and can sound awkward depending on the sentence.
A clearer structure is often:
Several participants were already familiar with the process, some of whom completed the task quickly.
In most cases, put the larger group first and then use some of whom to add information.
“Some of Whom” vs “Some of Them”
Both can be correct, but they are used differently.
Some of whom
Used to connect additional information to a previously mentioned noun.
I met several doctors, some of whom work at the hospital.
Some of them
Usually starts a new independent clause.
I met several doctors. Some of them work at the hospital.
Both sentences communicate a similar idea, but the grammatical structure is different.
Easy Rule
some of whom → connects information within a sentence
some of them → commonly begins a separate sentence or clause
“Some of Whom” vs “Some of Which”
The choice depends on whether you are referring to people or things.
People → whom
I met several teachers, some of whom were from London.
Things → which
I bought several books, some of which were expensive.
So remember:
- people → some of whom
- things → some of which
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using “Some of Who”
❌ I know several people, some of who work here.
✅ I know several people, some of whom work here.
Mistake 2: Using “Some of Which” for People
❌ I met several doctors, some of which were specialists.
✅ I met several doctors, some of whom were specialists.
In standard usage, which generally refers to things or animals rather than people.
Mistake 3: Thinking “Who” Is Always Correct
“Who” is the subject form:
Who called you?
“Whom” is traditionally the object form:
You called whom?
After of, the traditional object form is required:
some of whom
Mistake 4: Avoiding “Whom” Because It Sounds Formal
Some learners avoid whom because it can sound formal. However, certain fixed grammatical patterns naturally use it:
- some of whom
- many of whom
- all of whom
- both of whom
- neither of whom
- one of whom
- each of whom
These expressions are common and natural in formal writing.
Memory Trick
Remember this simple formula:
People + some of → whom
For example:
Some of whom
If you are talking about things:
Some of which
If you want to avoid whom altogether, you can often restructure the sentence:
I met several people. Some of them were teachers.
American vs British English
Both American English and British English use “some of whom” as the standard construction.
The main difference is that whom is often more strongly associated with formal writing in modern English. In casual conversation, speakers in both varieties frequently use who in places where traditional grammar would prescribe whom.
However, “some of who” is still not the standard form in careful written English.
For professional, academic, or formal writing, some of whom is the safe choice.
Similar Expressions
Once you understand some of whom, these related expressions become easy:
- many of whom
- most of whom
- all of whom
- both of whom
- neither of whom
- one of whom
- each of whom
- none of whom
- a few of whom
- several of whom
Examples
I interviewed five candidates, all of whom were qualified.
She has two brothers, both of whom are engineers.
We contacted several experts, many of whom responded.
He knows dozens of musicians, some of whom are internationally recognized.
The same grammatical principle applies throughout.
FAQs
Is “some of whom” correct?
Yes. “Some of whom” is the standard and grammatically correct construction when referring to some people from a previously mentioned group.
Is “some of who” grammatically correct?
“Some of who” is generally not accepted as the standard form in careful English. Use “some of whom” instead.
Why do we say “some of whom” instead of “some of who”?
Because whom is traditionally the object form of who, and it follows the preposition of in this construction.
Can I say “some of them” instead?
Yes. “Some of them” is perfectly correct, but it usually creates a different sentence structure.
I met several people. Some of them were doctors.
What is the difference between “some of whom” and “some of which”?
Use some of whom for people and some of which for things.
The students, some of whom were international…
The books, some of which were expensive…
Is “whom” still used in modern English?
Yes. Although whom is less common in casual speech than who, it remains standard in formal writing and in established constructions such as some of whom.
Is “some of whom” formal?
It is somewhat more formal than everyday alternatives such as some of them, but it is completely natural and widely used in professional and academic writing.
Can “some of whom” refer to women?
Yes. Whom refers to people regardless of gender.
I met several women, some of whom were doctors.
Final Verdict
“Some of whom” is the standard choice. Use it when referring to part of a previously mentioned group of people.
“Some of who” is generally not considered standard English, particularly in formal or professional writing.
The easiest rule is:
People → some of whom
Things → some of which
And if you want a simpler alternative, you can often use some of them in a separate clause.
Remember This
Some of whom = some of those people.
If the word refers to people and comes after of, whom is the standard form.
Conclusion
The difference between “some of whom” and “some of who” becomes much easier once you understand the role of whom. In standard English, whom is the object form of who, which is why the established expression is “some of whom.” It is especially useful when adding information about part of a group already mentioned in the sentence.
Although modern English often uses who in informal situations where traditional grammar would use whom, that does not make “some of who” the standard construction. For essays, professional writing, academic work and careful communication, use “some of whom.” When you want a simpler alternative, “some of them” is also perfectly natural.
