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Whoever, whatever, and whichever: plural or singular?

Question
Whoever, whatever, and whichever: plural or singular?
Answer

Question

Sanjaya in Nepal asked: Which is correct, "Whoever wants..." or "Whoever want..."?


Answer

"Whoever wants..." is correct. When whoever is a subject, it is singular, and it takes a singular verb. The same is true for whatever and whichever. Here are some examples:

Whoever

  • Whoever gets the most electoral votes wins the election.
  • I hope that whoever becomes president knows how to fix the economy.

Whatever

  • Whatever happens, I’ll still be your friend.
  • Whatever makes you happy is fine with me.

Whichever

  • You can send the check by mail or bring it to me, whichever is easier.
  • Change the oil after 6 months or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first.

 

I hope this helps.

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