My husband said that one of his pet peeves is when the clerk says, "May I help whoever is next?" He thinks it should be "whomever."

I think he is wrong. Wouldn't the object of the verb be the entire phrase "whoever is next?" If the sentence were "May I help whomever?" I could see his point.

What are your thoughts?

Well...

"whomever is next" would certainly be an object phrase and therefore would fit the sentence,

BUT

I think he's fighting a battle that's already lost. The word "whomever" is used by almost no one nowadays (shu excepted of course).

I would have to cast a peevish look at whomever used "whomever."

Since it's not the object of a preposition, but the object of a proposition (The clerk proposes to help the next in line) I would use "whoever."

Ask him which one he would say:

1. I like he who is next.
2. I like him who is next.
3. I like him whom is next.

quote:

"whomever is next" would certainly be an object phrase and therefore would fit the sentence,

BUT

I think he's fighting a battle that's already lost. The word "whomever" is used by almost no one nowadays (shu excepted of course).

Well, you are an English teacher, so I guess I have to take your word for it. However, I didn't think it was correct since the entire phrase (whoever is next) is the object.

Z, Shu is exhausted from our daughter's wedding this weekend and is sleeping. But I definitely will ask him about those three sentences. He actually began to think I was right after I argued my side. He'll be happy to hear Bob's view!