Hello there, English learner! 👋
Great question about “whoever” vs. “whomever.” These two words can be tricky—even native speakers sometimes get them mixed up! But don’t worry—I’ll show you a simple way to understand the difference and use them correctly.

🗝️ Quick Answer:

• ✅ Use “whoever” when it’s the subject of the verb.
• ✅ Use “whomever” when it’s the object of the verb or preposition.

📚 1. Whoever = Subject (Does the action)

Think of it like “he/she”.

🗣️ Examples:

• Give the prize to whoever finishes first.
  → “Whoever finishes first” is the subject of “finishes.”
• Whoever called left a message.
  → “Whoever” is doing the action of calling.

📚 2. Whomever = Object (Receives the action)

Think of it like “him/her.”

🗣️ Examples:

• Give the prize to whomever you choose.
  → “You choose whomever” → whomever is the object of choose.
• I will hire whomever you recommend.
  → “You recommend whomever” → object of the verb recommend.

🧠 A Simple Test Trick: Substitute “he” or “him”

🔍 Example:

Give it to ______ wins the race.

• Try “he”: Give it to he wins the race. ❌
• Try “him”: Give it to him wins the race. ❌
  → BUT: “He wins the race” makes sense → so use whoever

✅ Give it to whoever wins the race.

🧭 What Makes It Tricky?

These words are often used in complex sentences, where the subject and object are inside clauses.

You may give the prize to whoever deserves it.
✔️ “Whoever deserves it” is a full clause
✔️ “Whoever” is the subject of “deserves”

Even though “to” is a preposition, it’s followed by an entire clause, not just one word. That’s why you still use whoever here—not whomever.

📝 More Examples:

💡 Learning Tip:

Pro Tip:

• If the word is doing something, it’s whoever.
• If the word is having something done to it, it’s whomever.