'Whomever' or 'Whoever' Positioned Between Two Clauses

Here’s an e-mail I got recently:

Normally I have no difficulty with who/whom. I do when it  comes to a sentence like "Give it to who(m)ever wants it." If the rephrasing would be he wants it, it would be "whoever." If the rephrasing would be give it to him, it would be "whomever." Which would you use?

This is exactly why I caution people against using “whom.” It’s simple in a lot of cases. But once you start using “whom” you’ve pretty much committed to using it for the entire document. And if you come across a sentence like this, you could find yourself in over your head.

Here’s what I wrote back:

In your example, the object of the preposition "with" is not the pronoun that follows. It's the whole clause that follows. And that clause needs a subject. 

"Give it to whoever wants it."

That is, the verb "wants" needs a subject. And when combined with its subject ("whoever") the whole clause becomes the object of the first part. That's why "whomever" is wrong in your sentence and "whoever" is correct.

When in doubt, remember this: If a pronoun is in position to be the object of one thing and the subject of another, the subject form wins.

Hire whomever you want.

BUT

Hire whoever wants the job.

The man whom I marry.

BUT

The man who marries me.

They recruited an engineering major who they believed would do the job better.

BUT

They recruited an engineering major whom they trusted.

See what I mean? In "Hire whomever you want," the pronoun is the object of the verb "want." What's the object of the verb "hire"? The whole clause that follows.

In "Hire whoever wants the job," the pronoun is the subject of the verb. "Wants" needs a subject.

 

 

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