Who(m) does that car belong to?

[mehmetme]

Test No. incompl/elem-39 "Relative Pronoun Exercises", question 1

......... does that car belong to?

(a) Who
(b) Which
(c) Whose

Test No. incompl/elem-39 "Relative Pronoun Exercises", answer 1

Who does that car belong to?

Correct answer: (a) Who
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how can ı use "belong to" with subject pronoun?

mehmet

[Alan]

You can say: That car belongs to me.
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English as a Second Language
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[Jon]

Hello Alan and company,

Why is "whose" wrong here?

Thank you very much !!

[Yankee]

[Rishi070]

Hi Alan,
When do we use 'who'? and when do we use 'whom'?

Thanks.

[Chami]

Your explanation is very nice. Thanks.

[Ca2128]

This exercise in incorrect -- that's why you are confused. It should be:

"Whom does this car belong to?" (or better yet, "To whom does this car belong?")

It belongs to him.

It's basically the same as the third sentence.

A good rule is the "mmmm" rule: If you can answer the sentence with "him(mmm)" the question word should be "whom(mmm)".

Whom are you talking to?
I'm talking to him.

Who is talking?
He is talking.

[Alan]

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Hi,

Well yes and all right. 'Whom' is the object of a preposition - in this case 'to'. But to use the object form at the beginning of a sentence as in the test is taking it too far. The test is meant to reflect current spoken English and to say; To whom does this car belong?/Whom does this car belong to? sounds pedantic in the extreme.

Alan
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[Alan]

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Hi,

This pedantic stance reminds me of someone who insists on saying in answer to: Who's there? It is I - the rest of us say: It's me.

As they say the other side of the Atlantic: Have a nice day!

Alan
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English as a Second Language
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[Ca2128]

Ok, it was a little pedantic, and I agree that "To whom does this car belong" is going too far for ESL learners, but I find that a lot of non-native ESL teachers don't even know about "whom", let alone when to use it. I'm fine with teaching kids "spoken English" as long as it's correct English. You also wouldn't mark "She's gotta get outta here" as correct, even though it's spoken English.

[Kitosdad]

" Yankee, the word "whom" is dying out ? " - Wrong. That is a rumour being put about by Americans.

Who said that.? Someone from Filidelfia no doubt.!!! :) :) ( Only joking. )

Kitosdad.
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[Ca2128]

Hey! I am an American and I was the one advocating for "whom"! Though there are definitely Americans who either don't learn it in school or learn it and forget it, any kind of legitimate publications will look out for it. So it's definitely necessary.

And in the past few years books about grammar like "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" have become so popular, and Obama is using much better language than Bush did -- I think grammar is having a comeback!

[Kitosdad]

I think grammar is having a comeback!

I think it is making a comeback too. :) :)
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[T_H_Lawrence]

Is this interrogative sentence acceptable, moderators?

Excuse me but shouldn't you say to whom does that car belong?

URL: http://www.english-test.net/esl/learn/english/grammar/ei039/esl-test.php
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Anglophile

[Political Lurker]

Yes Sir
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