As a language and communication expert with a focus on English usage, I'd like to address the question of whether to use "whom" when referring to a company. The use of pronouns in English can be nuanced, and the choice between "who" and "whom" is particularly subject to debate in formal writing and speech.

Firstly, it's important to understand the grammatical roles of "who" and "whom." "Who" is a subject pronoun used to identify the subject of a sentence, while "whom" is an object pronoun used to identify the object of a verb or preposition. The confusion often arises because the subject of a sentence can sometimes be a company or organization, which is technically a legal entity but is often personified in speech and writing.

In formal English, when referring to a company or any legal entity, the correct pronouns to use are "that" or "it," not "who" or "they." This is because a company, as a legal entity, is considered a singular noun and thus takes singular pronouns. For example, you would say "The company that is expanding its operations" rather than "The company who is expanding its operations."

However, it's worth noting that in everyday conversation, especially in informal settings, people often use "they" to refer to companies. This is due to the personification of companies, where we attribute actions and decisions to the entity as if it were a person. For example, one might say "They are launching a new product," even though grammatically it should be "The company is launching a new product."

The distinction between "who" and "whom" is further complicated by the fact that "whom" is becoming increasingly rare in everyday speech and is often replaced by "who" due to its difficulty and the tendency to avoid formality. However, in formal writing, especially in legal and academic contexts, the distinction is still important and should be observed.

To summarize, when referring to a company or any legal entity in formal writing, use "that" or "it." In informal speech, you might hear "they" used, but this is not grammatically correct. The use of "who" and "whom" should be based on their grammatical roles, with "who" as the subject and "whom" as the object, although "whom" is less commonly used in modern English.

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The correct words to use when referring to a company are --that-- or --it,-- not --who-- or --they.-- ... If it helps you to remember which pronoun to use, remind yourself that companies don't really take action, it's the people at companies who take action. Use --who-- and --they-- when you refer to people, but not legal entities.Jan 11, 2013read more >>