Pronoun Case: Who or Whoever Versus Whom or WhomeverMINI-LESSON #81FROM THE UWF WRITING LAB’S101 GRAMMAR MINI-LESSONS SERIES

Who and Whoever

• Who and whoever are used when a subject is needed.

• Substitute he (or she) for who and whoever.

– He’s the professor who teaches Symbology. (He teaches Symbology.)

– He who speaks must listen. (He speaks.)– Give the job to whoever applies. (He

applies.)

Whom and Whomever

• Whom and whomever are used when an object is needed.

• Substitute him for whom and whomever.• Sometimes it may be necessary to rearrange

the word order in which the word who or whom is functioning.

– Are you trying to contact the people to whom this house belongs? (This house belongs to him.)

– Give the job to whomever we recommend. (We recommend him.)

Let’s Practice!

• I never met a man who/whom I didn’t like.

• I never met a man whom I didn’t like.

• Can you tell me who/whom you are?

• Can you tell me who you are?

More Practice!

• Who/whom is the artist who/whom painted this portrait of the woman who/whom he loved?

• Who is the artist who painted this portrait of the woman whom he loved.

• He is the one who/whom was going to leave.

• He is the one who was going to leave.