1

Which of the following is grammatical?

  1. Managers are one group to which these findings are relevant.
  2. Managers are one group to whom these findings are relevant.
RegDwigнt
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Jase
  • 141

2 Answers2

3

Relative pronouns tend to refer to the most recent noun, and here the most recent noun, is group. Group could be perceived as inanimate, but in this context, at least, it is clearly a group of people, and that makes whom appropriate. That choice is reinforced by the fact that managers is the topic of the discussion.

If you wanted to avoid the choice altogether, you could say ‘Managers are one group that these findings are relevant to’, but there are those who would object to that on stylistic grounds.

Barrie England
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-1

A collective noun is usually an inanimate concept, and which is the pronoun of choice. The nature of the membership of the group is irrelevant.

"one group to which these findings are relevant" is a single noun phrase.

"to which these findings are relevant" is adjectival to "group"

Consider

Managers to whom these findings are relevant agreed. - correct

But

The group to which these findings are relevant agreed. - correct

And

The group to which he belongs has reached the same conclusion. - correct.

Greybeard
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