Analyzing the Sentence Structure and Redundancy

The given sentence is: “Whoever performs exceptionally well he will be promoted immediately.”

We need to examine the underlined segment “he will be” and determine if it needs improvement to make the sentence grammatically correct and clear. The core issue lies in the use of the pronoun “he” after the relative pronoun “Whoever”.

“Whoever” acts as both a relative pronoun (introducing a clause) and the subject of the verb “performs”. It means “any person who” or “the person who”. When “Whoever” is used as the subject of the introductory clause (“Whoever performs exceptionally well”), it also serves as the subject of the main clause's action (being promoted).

Using an additional subject pronoun like “he” to refer back to “Whoever” in the same sentence is redundant. This is a common grammatical error called pronoun redundancy.

Let’s break down the structure:

• Subject: Whoever (meaning 'any person who')
• Verb of the introductory clause: performs
• Predicate of the introductory clause: exceptionally well
• Main action: will be promoted immediately

Since “Whoever” is already the subject performing the action of being promoted, the pronoun “he” is unnecessary and makes the sentence awkward and grammatically incorrect.

Evaluating the Options for Sentence Improvement

Let's look at the provided options to see which one correctly addresses the redundancy and maintains the intended meaning.

1. he would be: This option retains the redundant pronoun “he”. Also, “would be promoted” suggests a hypothetical or conditional outcome, whereas “will be promoted” indicates a definite future consequence based on the condition met by “Whoever”. Therefore, this option does not improve the sentence.
2. No improvement required: As explained above, the pronoun “he” is redundant with “Whoever”. The sentence requires improvement to remove this redundancy.
3. will be: This option removes the redundant pronoun “he”. The sentence becomes “Whoever performs exceptionally well will be promoted immediately.” Here, “Whoever” correctly serves as the subject for both “performs” and “will be promoted”. This structure is grammatically sound and conveys the intended meaning directly.
4. he should be: This option also retains the redundant pronoun “he”. Furthermore, “should be promoted” suggests obligation or recommendation rather than a direct consequence, changing the meaning of the sentence from a definite outcome to a suggested one.

Selecting the Most Appropriate Improvement

Based on the analysis, the most appropriate option is the one that eliminates the redundant pronoun “he” while keeping the correct tense and meaning. Option 3, “will be”, achieves this by allowing “Whoever” to serve as the subject for the main verb “will be promoted”.

The improved sentence is: “Whoever performs exceptionally well will be promoted immediately.”

Revision Table: Comparing Original and Improved Sentence

Additional Information: Understanding Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns like “who”, “whom”, “whose”, “which”, “that”, “whoever”, “whomever”, etc., introduce relative clauses that modify a noun or pronoun, or in some cases, function as the subject of the sentence themselves (like “Whoever” here, acting as an indefinite relative pronoun). When the relative pronoun itself serves as the subject of both the relative clause and the main clause (or a part of it), you should not repeat the subject with another pronoun.

Examples of correct usage:

• Incorrect: The man who called, he wants to speak to you.
• Correct: The man who called wants to speak to you.
• Incorrect: What you need, that is patience.
• Correct: What you need is patience.
• Incorrect: Whoever arrives first, they will get the best seats.
• Correct: Whoever arrives first will get the best seats.

This principle applies directly to the sentence structure in the question involving “Whoever”.