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Liveinjapan Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

Whomever

He says he wants to get along with whomever the next president of the US will be.

He says he wants to get along with whoever will be the next president of the US.

I think the first is correct and the second is wrong because whoever is the object. The word order in the whoever clause is wrong.

Right?

Thanks
LiJ
  

Top answer

It's not the combination with whomever that determines the choice whoever/whomever . It's the combination whoever the next president will be that determines the choice. The linking verb be (as in will be ) does not take a direct object ( whom ); it takes a subject complement ( who ).

— CalifJim

  • It's not the combination with whomever that determines the choice whoever/whomever .
  • It's the combination whoever the next president will be that determines the choice.
  • The linking verb be (as in will be ) does not take a direct object ( whom ); it takes a subject complement ( who ).
  • So the correct choice is whoever .
  • He says he wants to get along with whoever the next president of the US will be.
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2 Answers
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It's not the combination with whomever that determines the choice whoever/whomever.
It's the combination whoever the next president will be that determines the choice.

The linking verb be (as in will be) does not take a direct object (whom); it takes a subject complement (who). So the correct choice is whoever.
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I understand this issue perfectly. Thank you very much, CJ. Emotion: smile
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