How do you know when to use whoever vs. whomever?
Executive summary
The choice between whoever and whomever hinges on grammatical role: whoever functions as a subject (like he/she/they) and whomever as an object (like him/her/them) within their clause, so a simple substitution test usually resolves the dilemma [1] [2]. Several mainstream style guides endorse this rule but also note real-world usage favors whoever even in object positions, making whomever rarer and often perceived as formal [3] [4].
1. The core rule: treat them like he/him
At its simplest, use whoever when the word serves as the subject of a clause and whomever when it serves as an object — in other words, whoever = he/she/they and whomever = him/her/them; replace the pronoun mentally to check which fits [1] [2] [5]. Grammar resources from Grammarly, ThoughtCo, and Dictionary.com all present this substitution as a reliable quick test and explain that whoever behaves like subject pronouns while whomever behaves like object pronouns [1] [2] [5].
2. Watch for dependent clauses: analyze the whole clause, not just the slot
Whoever/whomever heads a dependent clause that itself can act as subject or object of a larger sentence, so the correct case depends on the pronoun’s role inside its own clause, not merely its position in the sentence overall [6] [7]. GrammarBook and Study.com emphasize that you must determine whether the whoever/whomever clause contains the subject of its verb (choose whoever) or an object (choose whomever) before deciding [6] [8].
3. Practical heuristics reporters and style guides recommend
Several handy heuristics recur across guides: cover up the preceding part of the sentence and test the clause alone, or substitute he/him (or he who/him who) to see if the clause makes sense; if “he” fits, use whoever; if “him” fits, use whomever [9] [1] [7]. These techniques are echoed in university handouts and online writing tools as dependable classroom tricks that surface the clause’s syntactic role quickly [9] [1].
4. Exceptions, trends, and the decline of whomever
Although the traditional rule remains clear, usage is shifting: whoever is increasingly used in both subject and object positions in informal and even some formal contexts, while whomever’s use is declining and sometimes survives mainly to signal formality [3] [4]. Several guides note that real-world writers often default to whoever, and high-frequency usage has made whomever feel archaic or stylized despite being grammatically correct when the object role applies [3] [5].
5. How to decide in practice: accuracy vs. tone
For formal writing or when precision matters, apply the substitution/clause test and use whomever when the clause requires an object form; grammar authorities from Merriam‑Webster, ThoughtCo, and Study.com recommend this conservative approach [3] [2] [8]. In everyday speech and less formal prose, many writers accept whoever in object slots to avoid sounding stilted, but that choice carries a stylistic cost and may be flagged by pedants or editors who prefer strict adherence to traditional case rules [3] [4] [10].