Nominal Relative Clauses: Whoever, Whomever, and What
A nominal relative clause (also known as a fused relative clause) does the work of a noun phrase by combining both the antecedent and the relative pronoun into a single word. For example, in the sentence "I will hire whoever is most qualified," the entire clause acts as the direct object of the verb hire, while whoever serves as the subject of the clause itself. Similarly, in "What you need is a vacation," the nominal relative clause functions as the subject of the main sentence.
This advanced challenge tests your ability to navigate tricky pronoun cases and verb agreements within these unique clauses. You will practice choosing between whoever and whomever based on their grammatical role inside the dependent clause—a classic trap for English learners! You will also distinguish what from that or which, correctly match singular or plural verbs to nominal relative subjects, and identify fused relative clauses in complex sentences.
You'll encounter these grammar puzzles across eccentric billionaires' last wills, dramatic courtroom reveals, and sci-fi alien encounters. Work your way through 9 questions in single-choice, multi-choice, drop-down, and drag-and-drop formats.
Try the quiz to check your knowledge!
Correct Answers
The correct answers are I leave my haunted mansion to whoever can spend a full night inside it. and I leave my vintage sports car to whomever my cat chooses to sit on.
In formal English, the choice between whoever and whomever depends entirely on its grammatical function inside the nominal relative clause, regardless of the clause's role in the main sentence.
In the first correct sentence, whoever is the subject of the verb phrase "can spend." Even though the whole clause is the object of the preposition "to," the subject pronoun is required.
In the second correct sentence, whomever is the object of the preposition "on" ("my cat chooses to sit on [whomever]").
The correct answers are what, whoever, and however.
what: This nominal relative pronoun means "that which" or "the thing that." It functions perfectly as the object of the preposition "for." "Which" and "that" cannot stand alone here without a noun before them.
whoever: This is a classic C2-level trap! Although it comes immediately after the preposition "to," the object of the preposition is the entire clause. Inside that clause, the pronoun is the subject of the verb "shows," so it must be in the subjective case ("whoever," not "whomever").
however: Here, "however" functions as a nominal relative adverb meaning "in whatever way" or "by whatever means."
Help the head judge complete the rules of the magical baking tournament by selecting the correct pronoun.
The Golden Spatula will be awarded to ___ can bake a pie that genuinely sings a lullaby.
The correct answer is whoever.
Although the pronoun follows the preposition "to," the entire nominal relative clause ("whoever can bake...") functions as the object of that preposition. Within its own clause, whoever is the subject of the verb phrase "can bake." Using whomever here is a common trap!
The correct answers are What the elusive thief left behind was a single red rose. and The inspector will aggressively pursue whoever tampered with the evidence.
A nominal relative clause functions as a noun phrase (acting as a subject, object, etc.) and contains its own antecedent within the relative pronoun. "What" means "the thing that," and "whoever" means "the person who."
Incorrect options:
- "The single red rose that the thief left behind..." contains a standard relative clause modifying the head noun "rose."
- "The inspector asked what the elusive thief had left behind" contains an interrogative noun clause (an embedded question), not a nominal relative clause.
The correct answers are whoever, is, and what.
whoever: In a nominal relative clause, the pronoun takes the case required by its role inside its own clause. Here, it is the subject of the verb "manages," so we need the subjective case "whoever." ("Anyone" is incorrect because it would require a relative pronoun, like "anyone who manages").
is: When a nominal relative clause ("whoever manages to survive...") acts as the subject of a sentence, it generally takes a singular verb.
what: This acts as a nominal relative pronoun meaning "the thing(s) that." Both "which" and "that" are standard relative pronouns and would incorrectly require a preceding noun (antecedent) to attach to.
Complete the starship captain's final log entry about a bizarre alien encounter by dragging the correct words into the blanks.
The crew eventually realized that what baffled them most was how the creatures effortlessly manipulated whatever matter they happened to touch.
The crew eventually realized that what baffled them most was how the creatures effortlessly manipulated whatever matter they happened to touch.
what is a nominal relative pronoun meaning "the thing that." It acts as the subject of the verb "baffled." Using "that" would create an incomplete noun clause lacking a subject, and "which" requires a preceding noun (antecedent).
how acts as a nominal relative word meaning "the way in which." The entire clause functions as the subject complement after the verb "was."
whatever acts as a determinative in this nominal relative clause, meaning "any matter that." "Whichever" would imply a specific, limited selection of matter, whereas "whatever" correctly implies an open, limitless possibility.
The correct answers are What were once considered bizarre science fiction tropes have now become everyday realities. and What was once considered a bizarre science fiction trope has now become an everyday reality.
When a nominal relative clause starting with "what" acts as the subject of a sentence, the verb agreement depends on the meaning of "what." If "what" refers to a plural concept (the things that), the verbs inside and outside the clause should be plural. If it refers to a singular concept (the thing that), the verbs should be singular. Mixing singular and plural verbs across the clause and main sentence creates grammatical disagreement.
Choose the correct word to complete the detective's dramatic courtroom revelation.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, ___ the defendant hid inside that oversized tuba is exactly the missing diamond we've been searching for!"
The correct answer is what.
Here, what functions as a nominal relative pronoun (meaning "the thing that"). It acts simultaneously as the object of "hid" and as the head of the noun clause that serves as the subject of the main sentence. Using that would create a declarative fact ("The fact that he hid... is the diamond"), which makes no logical sense in this context!
Complete the eccentric billionaire's rather unusual last will and testament by choosing the appropriate word.
My entire fortune of vintage yo-yos shall go to ___ of my nephews manages to walk the dog for a full minute.
The correct answer is whichever.
We use whichever as a nominal relative pronoun when referring to a restricted, specific choice from a defined group (in this case, "of my nephews"). Whoever is used for open, unlimited groups and does not naturally pair with an "of" phrase in this manner.
Adverb
- ✅ She sings beautifully — ❌ She sings beautiful
- ✅ He drives carefully — ❌ He drives careful
- ✅ They arrived late — ✅ a late train (same form, both roles)
- ✅ She works hard — ❌ She works hardly (different meaning!)
The -ly words are adverbs — they modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, telling you how, when, where, or to what degree.
Pattern: most adjectives become adverbs by adding -ly, but watch the exceptions — fast, hard, late, well — that keep the same shape or change meaning entirely.
Clause
- I missed the bus. — ✅ independent clause (stands alone)
- Because I overslept. — ❌ fragment (dependent clause, can't stand alone)
- Because I overslept, I missed the bus. — ✅ dependent + independent = complete sentence
- I missed the bus, and I was late. — ✅ two independent clauses joined by and
A clause is a unit built around a verb with a subject. Independent = can stand alone. Dependent = needs an independent clause to complete it.
Test: does the group of words have a subject + verb AND can it be a sentence on its own? Yes → independent clause. Has a subject + verb but feels incomplete → dependent clause.
Complex sentence
- ✅ Because I overslept, I missed the bus. — dependent clause (reason) + independent
- ✅ The man who called is my uncle. — relative clause inside the sentence
- ✅ If it rains, we'll stay inside. — conditional dependent + independent
- ❌ Because I overslept. — fragment (dependent clause alone)
A complex sentence pairs an independent clause with one or more dependent clauses linked by subordinating conjunctions (because, although, if, when) or relative pronouns (who, which, that).
Pattern: independent clause = the main point. Dependent clause = the background, reason, or condition. Move the dependent clause around for emphasis.
Determiner
- ✅ The cat sat on a mat. — articles as determiners
- ✅ My sister has three dogs. — possessive + numeral as determiners
- ❌ I went to the home. — wrong (idiomatic: I went home — no determiner)
- ❌ She is a good student. ✅ vs She is good student. ❌ — missing determiner
A determiner sits before a noun to specify which, how many, or whose. Types include articles, demonstratives, possessives, and quantifiers.
Rule: most singular countable nouns in English require a determiner — a cat, the cat, my cat, this cat. Dropping it (cat sat on mat) breaks the sentence.
Noun
- The cat sat on the mat. — concrete nouns (things you can touch)
- Happiness is important. — abstract noun (idea/quality)
- London is beautiful. — proper noun (specific name, capitalised)
- I need some information. — uncountable noun (no a/an, no plural)
A noun names a person, place, thing, idea, or quality. Nouns determine article choice, verb agreement, and pronoun reference. Types: common/proper, concrete/abstract, countable/uncountable.
Test: can you put the or a before it? Can you make it plural? If yes to either → it's functioning as a noun.
Object
- Sam fed the dogs. — direct object (what was fed)
- She sent him a present. — indirect object (who received it)
- She waited for Lucy. — prepositional object (after preposition)
- I gave her a book. — indirect + direct object together
An object is what a verb acts on or directs its action toward. Direct = the thing affected. Indirect = the recipient. Prepositional = after a preposition.
Test: Verb + what/whom? = direct object. Verb + to/for whom? = indirect object. After a preposition? = prepositional object.
Preposition
- ✅ interested in — ❌ interested on
- ✅ good at football — ❌ good in football
- ✅ depend on — ❌ depend of
- ✅ arrive at the station — ❌ arrive to the station
Prepositions link nouns to the rest of the sentence: time (at 5pm), place (in London), manner (with care), abstract (afraid of). Most are idiomatic — the "correct" preposition must be memorised with each verb/adjective combination.
Rule: there is no universal rule. English prepositions are learned by combination: interested IN, good AT, depend ON, afraid OF. Your native language's equivalent will often mislead.
Pronoun
- ✅ between you and me — ❌ between you and I (objective case after preposition)
- ✅ its colour — ❌ it's colour (it's = it is)
- ✅ She did it herself. — reflexive pronoun
- ✅ The person who called… — relative pronoun
Pronouns replace nouns: personal (I/me/my), demonstrative (this/that), relative (who/which/that), interrogative (who?/what?), reflexive (myself), indefinite (everyone/nobody). They carry case that nouns have lost.
Trap: pronouns are where English case still matters: I vs me, who vs whom, its vs it's. Get these wrong and it's instantly noticeable.
Relative clause
- ✅ The man who called is my uncle. — restrictive (essential: which man?)
- ✅ My uncle, who lives in Paris, called. — non-restrictive (extra info, commas)
- ❌ My uncle that lives in Paris — wrong (that can't introduce non-restrictive)
- ✅ The book that I read = The book I read — restrictive (pronoun optional)
Relative clauses modify nouns using who/whom/whose/which/that or where/when/why. Restrictive = essential, no commas, that OK. Non-restrictive = extra, needs commas, uses which/who (never that).
Rule: if you can remove the clause and still know which noun is meant → non-restrictive (commas). If removing it makes the noun ambiguous → restrictive (no commas).
Sentence
- She left. — simple (one independent clause)
- She left, and he stayed. — compound (two independents)
- She left because she was tired. — complex (independent + dependent)
- She left because she was tired, and he stayed. — compound-complex
A sentence = one or more clauses forming a complete thought, ending with terminal punctuation. Four types based on clause structure: simple, compound, complex, compound-complex.
Minimum requirement: at least one independent clause with a subject + finite verb. Without that → fragment.
Subject
- ✅ The list of items is wrong. — subject = list (singular), not items
- ❌ The list of items are wrong. — trapped by nearest noun
- ✅ Running is good exercise. — gerund as subject
- ✅ What he said surprised me. — clause as subject
The subject is the noun/pronoun/phrase before the verb that controls its number and person. Finding the true subject — especially through prepositional phrases — is the key to subject-verb agreement.
Rule: strip away prepositional phrases between subject and verb. Whatever's left is the true subject. The list (of items) is wrong.
Verb
- walk → walk / walks / walked / walked / walking (5 forms, regular)
- go → go / goes / went / gone / going (5 forms, irregular)
- be → am/is/are/was/were/be/being/been (8 forms)
- can → can / could (modal: only 2 forms, no -s, no -ing)
A verb is the one word class every English sentence requires. Carries tense (when), aspect (duration), mood (attitude), and voice (active/passive). Regular verbs add -ed; ~200 irregular verbs have unpredictable past forms.
Key insight: fix your verbs and most grammar problems disappear. Wrong tense, wrong agreement, wrong form — verb errors account for the majority of grammatical mistakes.
C2 | Proficiency
- ✅ His was a pyrrhic victory, if ever there was one. — literary allusion + inversion
- ✅ She'd have been none the wiser had he not let slip. — inverted conditional + idiom
- ✅ The proposal, laudable though it may be, fails on pragmatic grounds. — formal concession
- ✅ "Nice weather," he deadpanned, eyeing the hailstones. — irony + narrative register
These are C2 patterns — the highest CEFR level. At C2 you handle literary allusion, irony, any register, and complex written argument with native-like precision across all subjects.
Marker: if your English is indistinguishable from an educated native speaker's across registers, you're C2.
Hard
- Had she not intervened, the situation would have escalated. — inverted conditional
- All distractors are grammatically plausible in other contexts
- Multiple rules interact (e.g., tense + aspect + modality)
- Context determines the answer — no single "rule" is enough
Hard marks upper-intermediate to advanced challenges: B2+, interacting rules, edge cases, plausible distractors, and contexts where pattern-matching fails.
Use "Hard" when Easy/Medium feel trivial and you want to test whether you actually understand a rule versus just recognising surface patterns.