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Old 25-Aug-2007, 03:18
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Default Re: Whichever one of you

Whichever is short for whichever one of X (a thing, not a person), and the word one or the phrase one of the, even the entire phrase one of the X is often omitted:

Adjective
Take whichever one of the books you please.
Take whichever of the books you please.
Take whichever books you please.

Pronoun
Take whichever you please.



Now to your examples:

Adjective
a. Whichever one of you broke the window ...
b. Whichever of you broke the window ...
c. Whichever you broke the window. <!pronoun>
d. Whichever broke the window ...
e. Whoever broke the window ...

Note on c., you is a pronoun; it can't be modified by an adjective. The preposition of is needed to accommodate the syntax: whichever of you.

Note on d., as a pronoun whichever refers to things, and whoever refers to people.

Does that help?
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