Use who or whoever if you can substitute the following pronouns for the “who” phrase: he, she, they, I, we. These nominative pronouns function as subjects. The substitution test takes a statement and turns it into a question (or vice versa) to determine the correct usage.
Difference Between Who and Whoever
Examples of who vs. whoever:
1. Who is waiting?
Substitution phrase: • He / She is waiting.
2. Who did they say was chosen?
Substitution phrase: • He / She / I was chosen.
3. The job goes to whoever answers the ad first.
Who answers the ad first?
Substitution phrase: • He / She answers the ad first.
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Excerpt from the book Grammar Essentials for Proofreading, Copyediting & Business Writing Chapter 8: Common Usage Errors.
Ashan R. Hampton is a long-time English instructor turned entrepreneur. She is also a proud graduate of the Donaghey Scholars Program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock under the direction of Dr. C. Earl Ramsey, Emeritus. Through her company, Onyx Online Education & Training, she offers online writing courses and print books for academic and professional development to individuals and corporations. She is also a prolific published author of several books on a variety of topics. To find out more about Ashan's work, visit www.arhampton.com.
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