Some of whom is the standard correct form when a relative pronoun follows the preposition of and refers to people. The phrase some of who is generally considered incorrect in standard English because of is a preposition, and the pronoun after it should be in the objective case.
This distinction can feel confusing because who and whom are both relative pronouns used for people. In everyday conversation, many speakers use who where traditional grammar expects whom. However, formal writing still maintains a clear difference between the two.
Consider this sentence:
I interviewed ten candidates, some of whom had extensive experience.
The phrase some of whom means that some members of the group of ten candidates had extensive experience. The word whom functions as the object of the preposition of.
Here is another example:
She invited several colleagues, some of whom she had worked with for years.
The construction is of + whom, not of + who. Once you understand what role whom plays after a preposition, the choice becomes much easier.
Let’s make the rule concrete.
The Core Rule Explained Simply
The basic rule is straightforward:
Use “some of whom” when you mean some people from a previously mentioned group.
The word whom is the objective form of who. After a preposition such as of, traditional standard grammar requires the objective form.
Think of the pattern this way:
some + of + whom
For example:
- We met several researchers, some of whom specialize in linguistics.
- The company hired twelve employees, some of whom had international experience.
- I spoke to five students, some of whom were preparing for exams.
- They invited several guests, some of whom arrived early.
In each sentence, whom refers back to people already mentioned.
The incorrect standard form is:
- We met several researchers, some of who specialize in linguistics.
Although you may hear this construction in informal speech, it is not the preferred form in careful standard writing.
Rule 1: Use “Some of Whom” After “Of”
When of directly precedes the relative pronoun, use whom for people.
Correct:
Several employees attended the meeting, some of whom worked remotely.
Incorrect in standard formal English:
Several employees attended the meeting, some of who worked remotely.
The reason is grammatical case. Of is a preposition, and whom is the objective form required after a preposition.
Rule 2: Use “Who” When the Pronoun Is the Subject
Who is normally used when the relative pronoun performs the action described by the following verb.
For example:
The students who studied passed the exam.
Here, who is the subject of studied.
Compare that with:
The students, some of whom studied abroad, passed the exam.
Here, whom follows of, so it is in the objective position.
The distinction becomes much clearer when you look at the structure rather than simply memorizing the phrase.
Side-by-Side Comparison Table
| Situation | Example | Meaning | Correct Usage |
| Referring to part of a group of people after of | I met ten writers, some of whom were poets. | Some members of the group were poets. | Some of whom |
| Referring to a person who performs an action | I met writers who publish poetry. | The writers perform the action. | Who |
| Object after a preposition | She spoke with several students, some of whom were new. | Some students were part of the conversation. | Whom |
| Informal speech where case distinctions are relaxed | I met some people who I knew. | The speaker means people previously known. | Who is common informally, but whom is formal when grammatically required |
Deep Dive Into “Some of Whom”
The expression some of whom is a relative construction used to identify part of a previously mentioned group of people.
It normally follows a noun or noun phrase referring to multiple people.
For example:
The professor taught several classes, some of which were advanced.
Because classes are things, the sentence uses which.
Now change the noun:
The professor taught several students, some of whom were advanced learners.
Because students are people, whom is used.
Here’s why:
Some of whom can be understood as some of those people.
The word whom represents the people being selected from the larger group.
When Should You Use “Some of Whom”?
Use some of whom when all of these conditions are present:
- You are referring to people.
- A larger group has already been mentioned.
- You mean part of that group.
- The construction contains of immediately before the relative pronoun.
- You are writing in a context where standard grammatical usage matters.
For example:
The organization has 200 volunteers, some of whom work on weekends.
The antecedent is 200 volunteers. The phrase some of whom identifies a smaller portion of those volunteers.
Another example:
We invited six speakers, some of whom specialize in education.
The speakers are the larger group. Some members of that group specialize in education.
More Examples of “Some of Whom”
Look at these examples:
The author interviewed several teachers, some of whom had decades of experience.
Our department employs many researchers, some of whom have published internationally.
I contacted eight applicants, some of whom had already accepted other positions.
The conference attracted hundreds of visitors, some of whom traveled from overseas.
The manager thanked the employees, some of whom had worked there for more than twenty years.
We met several doctors, some of whom had trained abroad.
Each example follows the same grammatical pattern.
Group of people + comma + some of whom + additional information
That pattern is worth remembering.
The Quick Test
When you are unsure whether to write some of whom, ask:
Can I replace the phrase with “some of them”?
For example:
I interviewed ten candidates, some of whom had prior experience.
Try:
I interviewed ten candidates. Some of them had prior experience.
The meaning works perfectly.
That tells you that some of whom is referring to members of the previously mentioned group.
Now examine:
I interviewed ten candidates, some of who had prior experience.
The phrase does not follow the standard of + object pattern.
So the practical test is:
If you can say “some of them,” use “some of whom” in a formal relative clause.
Deep Dive Into “Some of Who”
The expression some of who is the form that causes the most confusion.
Why?
Because who is the normal relative pronoun when people are acting.
For example:
The students who studied passed the test.
That makes many writers instinctively choose who in other relative clauses.
But the presence of of changes the grammatical relationship.
Compare:
The students who studied passed.
with:
The students, some of whom studied abroad, passed.
In the first sentence, who is the subject of studied.
In the second sentence, whom is the object of of.
The important word is not simply who or whom. The important word is the complete construction.
Why “Some of Who” Sounds Natural to Some Speakers
Modern spoken English often uses who in places where traditional grammar recommends whom.
For example, many people naturally say:
Who did you speak to?
Traditional formal grammar may prefer:
To whom did you speak?
The first version is extremely common in everyday English.
However, that does not mean every occurrence of who can replace whom in formal writing.
The construction some of whom remains firmly established in edited English.
Therefore, if you are writing an essay, report, article, academic paper, business document, or professional website, some of whom is the safer and more precise choice.
Patterns to Watch
These related constructions follow the same principle:
- all of whom
- both of whom
- many of whom
- most of whom
- few of whom
- none of whom
- one of whom
- each of whom
- several of whom
Examples:
The company hired five interns, all of whom completed the program.
I contacted three experts, two of whom responded.
She knows many writers, most of whom work independently.
We interviewed several candidates, none of whom had previous management experience.
The pattern is highly productive.
Once you learn some of whom, you can transfer the same rule to these related expressions.
The Meaning Shift or Nuance
The difference between some of whom and some of who is primarily grammatical rather than a major difference in meaning.
In most cases, someone who says some of who intends exactly the same meaning as some of whom.
The issue is the grammatical form used to express that meaning.
Consider:
I invited several friends, some of whom live nearby.
The phrase means that some members of the group of friends live nearby.
There is no special additional meaning created by whom. Instead, whom signals the grammatical relationship between the pronoun and the preposition of.
This is similar to the difference between:
She spoke to him.
and:
He spoke to her.
He is a subject form, while him is an object form.
Likewise:
- who generally serves as a subject.
- whom generally serves as an object.
The distinction is less noticeable in casual speech, but it remains useful in formal writing.
Why the Confusion Persists
The confusion exists partly because English has gradually reduced the use of grammatical case endings.
In older and more formal varieties of English, the difference between who and whom was more consistently maintained.
Modern English is more flexible.
Many speakers use who in everyday conversation regardless of its traditional grammatical role. This is especially common when who appears after a preposition.
For example:
Who were you talking to?
This sounds perfectly natural to most modern English speakers.
The more formal alternative is:
To whom were you talking?
That formal construction is grammatically precise but may sound stiff in ordinary conversation.
There is another reason for the confusion.
Who is far more common than whom, so writers often choose it automatically. Educational materials may also simplify the subject-object distinction, leaving learners uncertain about when whom is actually necessary.
But expressions such as some of whom remain common in formal prose.
The construction is worth learning as a fixed pattern.
Formal vs Casual Contexts
Context matters when choosing between traditional grammatical precision and conversational naturalness.
In formal writing, use some of whom.
For example:
The committee interviewed twelve applicants, some of whom had extensive leadership experience.
This is appropriate for a report, academic paper, professional article, or formal correspondence.
In casual conversation, speakers often avoid whom altogether.
Instead of saying:
I met several people, some of whom I knew.
A speaker might restructure the sentence:
I met several people, and I knew some of them.
This avoids the who-versus-whom question completely.
That is an important strategy.
When English speakers are uncertain about whom, they often rewrite the sentence rather than force an unfamiliar construction.
Formal Example
The research team consulted several specialists, some of whom had worked on similar projects.
Casual Alternative
The research team consulted several specialists, and some of them had worked on similar projects.
Both communicate the same basic idea.
The second version is conversational and direct. The first is compact and polished.
Professional Writing
For professional and academic content, some of whom is generally preferable because it creates a clear grammatical relationship while keeping the sentence concise.
For example:
The survey included 500 participants, some of whom reported previous experience with the software.
This sounds natural in research writing.
Case Studies and Real-World Examples
The best way to understand this construction is to see how it works across different kinds of writing.
Academic Writing
Imagine a research report:
The study examined 150 participants, some of whom had previously completed similar assessments.
The phrase some of whom efficiently adds information about a subset of the participants.
An academic writer could instead write:
The study examined 150 participants. Some of the participants had previously completed similar assessments.
That version is correct, but some of whom creates a more compact sentence.
Business Writing
Consider a company report:
The company has expanded its management team, several members of whom have international experience.
The phrase identifies a portion of the management team without starting a completely new sentence.
News and Journalism
A journalist might write:
The event attracted dozens of visitors, some of whom traveled from neighboring cities.
Again, the phrase introduces additional information about a subset of the visitors.
Educational Writing
A textbook might state:
The class included several students, some of whom had studied the topic before.
The construction is especially useful when introducing additional details about people in a previously identified group.
Everyday Writing
Even outside formal contexts, the structure can sound natural:
We invited several neighbors, some of whom brought their children.
The sentence is concise and grammatically standard.
These examples demonstrate an important point: some of whom is not restricted to academic writing. It is a normal construction whenever you need to describe part of a group of people.
Advanced Scenarios and Flowchart
Sometimes the easiest way to choose the correct form is to follow a simple decision process.
Start with the sentence.
↓
Are you referring to people?
→ No: Consider which, that, or another appropriate construction.
→ Yes: Continue.
↓
Are you referring to only part of a previously mentioned group?
→ No: You may need who, whom, or another structure.
→ Yes: Continue.
↓
Does the phrase contain “of” immediately before the relative pronoun?
→ Yes: Use whom.
→ No: Determine whether the pronoun is functioning as a subject or object.
↓
Can the phrase be replaced by “some of them”?
→ Yes: some of whom is the standard formal construction.
For example:
We interviewed ten candidates, some of whom had previous experience.
Replace the relative construction:
We interviewed ten candidates. Some of them had previous experience.
The meaning remains intact.
What If the Sentence Is More Complicated?
Consider:
The university invited several professors, some of whom had previously taught at international institutions.
The antecedent is several professors.
The phrase some of whom refers to a subset of those professors.
Now consider:
The university invited professors who had previously taught abroad.
Here, who is the subject of had taught.
These two sentences may communicate related information, but their structures differ.
Some of whom introduces a subset.
Who introduces a relative clause describing people who perform an action or possess a particular characteristic.
Quick Reference Table
| Use | Correct Form |
| Part of a group of people after of | some of whom |
| Person performing an action | who |
| Object after a preposition in formal writing | whom |
| Part of a group of things | some of which |
| Informal alternative to avoid whom | Rewrite with some of them |
The key formula is simple:
People + part of group + of → whom
Remember that formula and many similar sentences become easy.
Common Mistakes That Lower Quality
Even experienced writers sometimes make mistakes with who and whom.
1. Writing “Some of Who”
This is the most direct error.
The company employs 100 people, some of who work remotely.
For standard formal English, write:
The company employs 100 people, some of whom work remotely.
2. Assuming “Who” Always Refers to People
This is only partly true.
Who and whom refer to people, but they do different grammatical jobs.
The question is not simply, “Does this refer to a person?”
The better question is:
What grammatical role does the pronoun have?
3. Using “Whom” Everywhere
The opposite mistake is also possible.
For example:
The students whom studied hard passed the exam.
That is incorrect.
The students are performing the action studied, so the correct form is:
The students who studied hard passed the exam.
Do not use whom merely because a sentence refers to people.
4. Forgetting the Preposition
Writers sometimes focus on the pronoun while ignoring the word before it.
Compare:
Some of whom
with:
People who
The presence of of is a major clue.
5. Confusing “Some of Whom” With “Some Who”
These constructions are not identical.
Some who attended left early.
This means some people who attended left early.
Some of whom attended left early.
This structure normally refers back to a previously mentioned group and identifies some members of that group.
The surrounding sentence determines which construction is appropriate.
6. Omitting the Comma in a Nonessential Clause
In a sentence such as:
The committee interviewed several candidates, some of whom had management experience.
The comma is important because some of whom had management experience adds information about the candidates.
Removing the comma can make the structure harder to read.
7. Choosing a Stiff Rewrite When a Simple Construction Works
Some writers avoid whom because they are uncertain about it.
They may produce an unnecessarily complicated sentence.
For example:
The organization has several advisors, and a portion of those advisors have worked internationally.
A cleaner version is:
The organization has several advisors, some of whom have worked internationally.
Precision does not require unnecessary complexity.
Memory Hacks That Actually Work
You do not need to memorize a long grammar textbook to remember this rule.
Try these practical methods.
Hack 1: Remember “Of = Whom”
The fastest memory shortcut is:
OF → WHOM
Whenever you see:
some of ___
and the blank refers to people, think:
some of whom
Examples:
- some of whom
- many of whom
- most of whom
- none of whom
- two of whom
- all of whom
This single pattern solves many questions.
Hack 2: Use the “Them” Test
Replace whom with them.
I interviewed several candidates, some of them had experience.
The standalone version makes sense:
Some of them had experience.
Therefore, the relative version becomes:
Some of whom had experience.
The relationship between them and whom is useful because both are objective forms.
Hack 3: Think “Who Does It, Whom Gets It”
A traditional shortcut is:
Who = subject
Whom = object
For example:
Who called you?
The person performs the action.
Whom did you call?
The person receives the action.
With some of whom, the pronoun is connected to the preposition of, so the objective form is appropriate.
Hack 4: Memorize the Whole Phrase
If grammatical terminology feels confusing, simply memorize:
some of whom
as a standard phrase.
This is particularly useful for writing.
You do not always need to analyze every grammatical detail before producing a correct sentence.
Hack 5: Build a Pattern Family
Learn this family together:
all of whom
both of whom
some of whom
many of whom
most of whom
few of whom
none of whom
Once the pattern becomes familiar, whom starts feeling natural after of.
Why Precision Matters for SEO and Authority
Grammar accuracy matters in any form of professional writing, including SEO content.
Search engines do not simply evaluate whether a page contains a keyword. A useful article also needs to communicate clearly, naturally, and professionally to human readers.
A grammar article that explains some of whom while repeatedly using some of who creates an obvious credibility problem.
Readers notice these errors.
For an educational website, precision matters even more because the content is teaching language. If a grammar guide uses questionable constructions, readers may doubt other explanations on the page.
Correct grammar also improves readability.
Compare:
The company interviewed several candidates some of who had experience.
with:
The company interviewed several candidates, some of whom had experience.
The second version is easier to process because the grammatical relationship is clear.
Strong SEO writing should not sacrifice correctness for keyword repetition.
The main keyword, some of whom or some of who, should appear naturally in the title, introduction, headings where appropriate, and explanatory sections. It should never be forced into awkward sentences.
Authority comes from useful information, clear examples, accurate grammar, and reader-focused explanations.
For grammar content especially, precision is part of the product.
A Quick Quiz
Fill in each blank with who or whom.
1. The company hired several designers, some of ___ had worked overseas.
2. The students ___ completed the assignment received feedback.
3. We invited ten speakers, two of ___ were professors.
4. The manager spoke with employees ___ had requested additional training.
5. The organization has many volunteers, most of ___ work on weekends.
6. The people ___ attended the workshop received certificates.
7. She contacted several experts, some of ___ specialized in language education.
8. The researchers ___ conducted the study published their findings.
Quiz Answers
1. whom
The company hired several designers, some of whom had worked overseas.
The phrase contains of, so whom is the standard formal choice.
2. who
The students who completed the assignment received feedback.
Here, who is the subject of completed.
3. whom
We invited ten speakers, two of whom were professors.
The construction is two of whom, referring to two members of the group.
4. who
The manager spoke with employees who had requested additional training.
Here, who is the subject of had requested.
5. whom
The organization has many volunteers, most of whom work on weekends.
The standard construction is most of whom.
6. who
The people who attended the workshop received certificates.
The people performed the action of attending.
7. whom
She contacted several experts, some of whom specialized in language education.
The phrase some of whom identifies part of the group.
8. who
The researchers who conducted the study published their findings.
The researchers are the subject of conducted.
Final Rule to Remember
The difference between some of whom and some of who becomes much easier once you focus on the grammatical structure rather than how the sentence sounds.
When you are referring to some members of a previously mentioned group of people, the standard construction is some of whom.
For example:
The conference attracted hundreds of professionals, some of whom traveled from abroad.
The phrase some of whom means some of those professionals. The word whom is the objective form and follows the preposition of.
By contrast, use who when the pronoun acts as the subject of a relative clause:
The professionals who attended the conference received certificates.
The simplest memory rule is of + whom. If you can replace the phrase with some of them, you probably need some of whom in the formal relative construction. In casual conversation, speakers may avoid whom or use who more broadly, but formal and polished writing generally favors the traditional distinction. Once you recognize these patterns, you can handle not only some of whom, but also all of whom, many of whom, most of whom, none of whom, and similar constructions with confidence.
Conclusion
Choosing between some of whom and some of who becomes much easier when you focus on the grammatical role of the pronoun. In standard English, some of whom is the correct construction when of comes before a relative pronoun referring to people. For example, “The company hired several employees, some of whom had previous experience” follows the standard rule.
The word whom functions as the object of the preposition of, while who is generally used when the pronoun acts as the subject of a clause. This distinction also applies to related expressions such as many of whom, most of whom, all of whom, none of whom, and two of whom.
The phrase some of who may appear in informal speech or writing influenced by the gradual decline of the traditional who-versus-whom distinction, but it is not the preferred choice in polished standard English.
If you are writing an academic paper, professional article, business document, grammar guide, or SEO-focused educational page, some of whom is the reliable form to choose. A useful memory trick is “of + whom”, while the “some of them” test can help confirm your choice. Once this pattern becomes familiar, you can recognize and use similar constructions naturally, accurately, and confidently.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “some of whom” grammatically correct?
Yes, some of whom is grammatically correct and is the standard form in formal English. It refers to some people within a larger group that has already been mentioned. For example, “I interviewed several candidates, some of whom had management experience” correctly identifies a portion of the candidates. The word whom follows the preposition of.
Is “some of who” correct?
Some of who is generally not considered the standard form in careful formal English. The preferred construction is some of whom when the phrase refers to people. Although who is increasingly used in everyday speech in places where traditional grammar would use whom, formal writing generally retains whom after the preposition of.
Why do we use “whom” in “some of whom”?
We use whom because it is the objective form of who, and it follows the preposition of. The phrase can be understood as meaning some of those people. Since them is the objective form of they, whom serves a similar grammatical function here. This is why “some of whom” is the standard construction.
Can I use “who” instead of “whom” after “of”?
In informal modern English, speakers sometimes use who instead of whom, particularly because the distinction has weakened in everyday conversation. However, in formal or edited writing, whom remains the preferred form after of in expressions such as some of whom, many of whom, and most of whom.
What is an easy way to remember “some of whom”?
Use the memory rule “of + whom.” When you see a phrase such as “some of ___” and the blank refers to people, whom is the standard choice. You can also use the them test. If the sentence makes sense with “some of them,” the corresponding formal relative construction will usually be “some of whom.”
What is the difference between “some of whom” and “who”?
Some of whom refers to part of a previously mentioned group and contains the preposition of. For example, “We interviewed ten students, some of whom studied abroad.” Who is normally used as a subject, as in “The students who studied abroad shared their experiences.” The grammatical structure determines which form is appropriate.
Can “some of whom” refer to things?
No. Whom is used for people, not things. When referring to things or objects, the appropriate construction is usually some of which. For example, “The company introduced several products, some of which became popular.” When the antecedent is people, use some of whom.
Is “some of whom” suitable for formal writing?
Yes. Some of whom is especially useful in formal, academic, professional, and informational writing. It allows you to add information about part of a previously mentioned group without creating a separate sentence. For example, “The study included 300 participants, some of whom had previously completed similar research” is concise, clear, and grammatically standard.
Can I avoid using “whom” if I am unsure?
Yes. You can rewrite the sentence using a structure such as some of them. For example, instead of “The organization employs several consultants, some of whom work remotely,” you could write, “The organization employs several consultants, and some of them work remotely.” This approach is completely grammatical and can sound natural in casual writing.
What is the best form, “some of whom” or “some of who”?
For standard formal English, some of whom is the correct choice. The phrase follows the pattern of + objective pronoun, with whom serving as the objective form. If you are writing professional, academic, or educational content, choose some of whom rather than some of who.
