Whatever / Whoever / However (Concession)
Words ending in '-ever' introduce clauses meaning 'no matter what/who/how'. They express that the outcome holds regardless of the circumstances.
Level C1
Clauses
Summary
- Words ending in '-ever' introduce clauses meaning 'no matter what/who/how'. They express that the outcome holds regardless of the circumstances.
Structure
whatever / whoever / wherever / however + clause, main clause
Examples
- Whatever you decide, I'll support you.
- Whoever wrote this is very talented.
- However hard he tries, he can't please everyone.
- Wherever you go, take a map.
Common mistakes
- • Splitting them wrongly: 'what ever you decide' is usually written 'whatever you decide' in this sense.
- • Misordering 'however + adjective': 'However he tries hard' should be 'However hard he tries'.
Related
More clauses
Relative Clauses (Defining)
B1
Use defining relative clauses to give essential information that identifies which person or thing you mean. Use who for people, which for things, and that for both. No commas are used.
Reported Speech
B2
Use reported speech to tell someone what another person said without quoting their exact words. Tenses usually shift back, and pronouns and time expressions often change.
Reported Statements
B1
Reported statements relay what someone said without quoting them directly. Tenses usually shift back one step, and pronouns and time expressions change to fit the new viewpoint.
Reported Questions
B2
Reported questions turn a direct question into a statement-order clause. Yes/no questions use 'if' or 'whether', and there is no inversion or question mark in the reported form.
Reported Commands and Requests
B2
Commands and requests are reported with a verb plus an object and a to-infinitive. Negative commands use 'not to' before the verb.
Reporting Verbs and Patterns
C1
Beyond 'say' and 'tell', many reporting verbs summarise the function of what was said. Each follows its own grammatical pattern, such as verb + gerund, verb + object + infinitive, or verb + that-clause.