[Grammar] The prize will be given to whomeve/whoever will make the best grades.

[wotcha]

1. The prize will be given to whomever will make the best grades.

2. The prize will be given to whoever will make the best grades.


Which one is grammatical?

 

[SlickVic9000]

(Not a Teacher)

I believe it should be "whomever", but I think you would hear native speakers say both. Also, I would omit "will" and add an "s" to "make".

 

[Odessa Dawn]

(Not a Teacher)

I believe it should be "whomever", but I think you would hear native speakers say both. Also, I would omit "will" and add an "s" to "make".

Thank you, Slick.

Due to certainty in the second part of this sentence, we can't use will right here. Do you accept this explanation, please?

​

 

[MikeNewYork]

The second choice is the correct one. The use of who/whom is very complicated for many people. When this pronoun is the object of a preposition, the pronoun should be in the objective case -- whom/whomever. However, in this case, the pronoun is the subject of a noun clause, the entire clause being the object of the preposition. When this pronoun is the subject of a clause, the nominative case who/whoever is correct. Breaking down the sentence, we have: The prize will be given to [whoever makes the best grades]. The words in brackets form a clause with a subject, verb, and direct object.