Question 38

The salutation of a formal letter is often to whom it may concern.

The appropriate word to complete the sentence is "whom," which correctly aligns with the formal context of addressing a letter. In this case, "whom" serves as the object of the preposition "to."

A) whoever

"Whoever" is incorrect in this context because it is a pronoun that refers to any person, often used in a more informal or indefinite sense. It does not fit the formal structure required in salutations.

B) who

"Who" is also incorrect as it serves as a subject pronoun, which does not align with the grammatical structure needed after the preposition "to." The sentence requires an object pronoun.

C) whose

"Whose" is incorrect because it is a possessive pronoun, used to indicate ownership. It does not fit the context of the sentence, which is about addressing the recipient rather than ownership.

D) whom

"Whom" is the correct choice because it is the objective case of "who," and it is appropriate to use it in a formal salutation context. It correctly applies to the phrase "to whom it may concern."

Conclusion

In summary, "whom" is the only suitable option for the blank, as it properly serves as the object of the preposition in a formal greeting. All other options fail to meet the grammatical requirements of the sentence, reinforcing the correctness of "whom" in this context.