"Whoever" acts as the subject of the clause it introduces; "whomever" acts as the object of the clause it introduces.
Relative/indefinite pronoun: subject form. "Whoever" is the SUBJECT (who performs the action) within the clause it introduces. "Give the prize to whoever wins" = give the prize to HE/SHE WHO wins (the winner is the subject of "wins"). "Whoever arrives first should set up the room" = HE/SHE WHO arrives first (subject of "arrives"). Test: within the clause it introduces, it can be replaced by "he/she".
Whoever is responsible for the error should report to the manager immediately.
The award will go to whoever demonstrates the most consistent improvement over the semester.
Whoever finishes the task first can leave early — the rest should stay until 6 p.m.
Relative/indefinite pronoun: object form. "Whomever" is the OBJECT (who receives the action) within the clause it introduces. "Invite whomever you want" = invite HIM/HER whom you want (him/her = object of "want": you want him/her). "Give it to whomever the manager recommends" = give it to HIM/HER the manager recommends. Test: within the clause, it can be replaced by "him/her".
She said she would give the position to whomever the panel recommended — the final decision was theirs.
You may invite whomever you like to the company dinner — space is not limited.
The contract will be awarded to whomever submits the most competitive bid by the deadline.
Common mistake
The error: using "whoever" when the clause needs an object. "Give the award to whoever the committee selects" — INCORRECT. In this clause, "the committee selects [him/her]" — it is the object, so it must be "whomever". "Give the award to whomever the committee selects." The confusion occurs because "to" before it makes one think everything following is the object of "to" — but what matters is the function INSIDE the clause. In everyday speech, "whoever" has nearly completely replaced "whomever" and is accepted informally. In formal writing and exams, the distinction matters.
Trick to remember it
The same HIM/HER TRICK as for who/whom: substitute inside the clause it introduces. Clause: "whoever/whomever wins" — substitute: "he wins" (not "him wins") = WHOEVER. Clause: "whoever/whomever you invite" — substitute: "you invite him" (not "you invite he") = WHOMEVER. The rule: HE/SHE inside the clause = WHOEVER. HIM/HER inside the clause = WHOMEVER. The preposition before the whole clause (to, for, with) does not matter — what matters is the function INSIDE the relative clause.
Quick rule
Whoever = subject within its clause (replaceable by he/she). Whomever = object within its clause (replaceable by him/her).
Did you know?
"Whomever" is today one of the rarest words in spoken English — many native speakers never use it and always fall back on "whoever". Linguist Steven Pinker argues in "The Language Instinct" that the whom/whoever vs whomever distinction is so arcane that even expert grammarians make errors when choosing between them. Some modern style guides recommend simply avoiding "whomever" in speech and using it only in legal and formal documents where precision is essential.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
_____ wins the competition will receive a full scholarship for the upcoming academic year.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The manager will assign the account to _____ the client specifically requests.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Whoever = subject within its clause (replaceable by he/she). Whomever = object within its clause (replaceable by him/her).
The error: using "whoever" when the clause needs an object. "Give the award to whoever the committee selects" — INCORRECT. In this clause, "the committee selects [him/her]" — it is the object, so it must be "whomever". "Give the award to whomever the committee selects." The confusion occurs because "to" before it makes one think everything following is the object of "to" — but what matters is the function INSIDE the clause. In everyday speech, "whoever" has nearly completely replaced "whomever" and is accepted informally. In formal writing and exams, the distinction matters.
The same HIM/HER TRICK as for who/whom: substitute inside the clause it introduces. Clause: "whoever/whomever wins" — substitute: "he wins" (not "him wins") = WHOEVER. Clause: "whoever/whomever you invite" — substitute: "you invite him" (not "you invite he") = WHOMEVER. The rule: HE/SHE inside the clause = WHOEVER. HIM/HER inside the clause = WHOMEVER. The preposition before the whole clause (to, for, with) does not matter — what matters is the function INSIDE the relative clause.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy