Who did the company choose for the promotion?
Which of the following correctly revises the sentence for formal usage?
- Whom did the company choose for the promotion? (correct answer)
- Who did the company choose for the promotion?
- Whoever did the company choose for the promotion?
- Whose did the company choose for the promotion?
Explanation: This question tests your understanding of when to use "who" versus "whom" in formal writing. The key is determining whether the pronoun functions as a subject or an object in the sentence. To decide between "who" and "whom," rearrange the question into a statement and see what role the pronoun plays. "The company chose [someone] for the promotion." Since "someone" receives the action of being chosen, it's the direct object of the verb "chose." When a pronoun serves as an object (direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition), you must use "whom" in formal writing. Choice A is correct because "whom" properly functions as the direct object in this sentence. The formal revision requires this objective case pronoun. Choice B keeps the original "who," which is actually the subjective case. While this might sound natural in casual conversation, it's grammatically incorrect in formal writing since the pronoun serves as the object, not the subject. Choice C uses "whoever," which is completely inappropriate here. "Whoever" means "any person who" and would create a nonsensical meaning: "Any person who did the company choose for the promotion?" Choice D uses "whose," the possessive form of "who." This creates an incomplete and meaningless sentence since "whose" indicates ownership and requires a noun to follow it. Study tip: When choosing between "who" and "whom," substitute "he/him" or "she/her" in the rearranged statement. If "him" or "her" fits, use "whom." If "he" or "she" fits, use "who."