ENGLISH
REFERENCE

whoever

pron.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //huˈɛvɝ// UK //huːˈɛvɐ// who·ev·er General-service Informal

pron. any person who does something, or the person who is responsible for something. You use it when you do not know exactly who the person is.

pron. the person or people who; any person at all who. Functions as a relative pronoun that introduces a noun clause, often acting as the subject of that clause.


SIMPLE

Whoever broke the window must pay for it.

CONTEXTUAL

The prize will be awarded to whoever finishes the marathon in the shortest amount of time.

COMPLEX

The committee decided that whoever is chosen for the leadership role must demonstrate a long-term commitment to the organization's core values and community outreach programs.

Origin

From Middle English whoever. By surface analysis, who + ever.

Usage

Often used as the subject of a verb; in formal writing, 'whomever' is traditionally used as the object, though 'whoever' is increasingly common in all positions.

Pitfall

Give it to whoever you want.Give it to whomever you want.In strictly formal grammar, 'whomever' should be used when the pronoun is the object of the verb or preposition, though 'whoever' is standard in casual speech.

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