whomever

/ˌhuːmˈevə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · [humˈɛvɚ] /ˌhuːmˈevər/ (ame, ipa)

whomever — pronoun

1. a formal pronoun that replaces 'whoever' when a person is the target — not the d

1.代名詞B2
釋義

a formal pronoun that replaces 'whoever' when a person is the target — not the doer — of an action, placed after a verb or a word like 'to', 'for', or 'with'

例句

The foundation will award the grant to whomever the selection committee recommends.

preposition + whomever + clause: object of 'to'

Constanza decided she would marry whomever her family chose for her.

verb + whomever: object of 'chose'

文法句型

verb + whomever + subject + verb

preposition + whomever + verb

用法筆記

In everyday speech, 'whoever' is almost always used instead of 'whomever', even in object positions. Reserve 'whomever' for formal writing, academic papers, and official documents. Some usage guides recommend checking whether the word functions as the object of its own clause: if it is the subject inside the clause, use 'whoever' even if it follows a preposition (e.g. 'Give it to whoever arrives first').

常見錯誤

❌The prize goes to whomever finishes first.
✅The prize goes to whoever finishes first.
💡'whoever' is the subject of 'finishes' inside the clause, so the subject form is correct even though it follows a preposition.
❌Whomever told you that was mistaken.
✅Whoever told you that was mistaken.
💡'whoever' is the subject of 'told', so 'whomever' is incorrect here.