Should this relative clause start with “whom” or “to whom”? [duplicate]

Question

This question already has an answer here:

• Prepositions at the end of sentence and whom 3 answers

Which of the following sentences is correct according to English grammar and usage? (Note: this was asked in an examination and I have to select only one of the four sentences.)

1) The fishermen, whom the flood victims owed their lives, were rewarded by the government.

2) The fishermen, to which the flood victims owed their lives, were rewarded by the government.

3) The fishermen, to whom the flood victims owed their lives, were rewarded by the government.

4) The fishermen, that the flood victims owed their lives, were rewarded by the government.

I think it is 1) or 3), but I’m not sure which. Is “to” required before “whom” in a sentence like this?

Answer 1

If you have to choose only one option from "whom the river victims owed their lives" and "to whom the river victims owed their lives", go with "to whom the river victims owed their lives". This version of the relative clause is undeniably grammatical in standard written English. Putting a prepositional phrase containing a wh-word at the front of a relative clause is called "pied-piping" by linguists; it is relatively formal and may sound stilted in conversational English, but it wouldn't be considered "incorrect" in the context of an examination that is testing your mastery of standard written English.

There is less clarity about the status of clauses like "whom the river victims owed their lives". In this relative clause, the word "whom" represents the "indirect object" of the verb owe. Some sources say that wh-fronting of indirect objects is ungrammatical, or at least "infelicitous". For specific references, see my answer to Is “Whom did you give the book?” ungrammatical? Different speakers seem to have different judgements of the acceptability of clauses with fronted wh-words functioning as indirect objects.

Answer 2

It appears that all four edited examples are in error. The singular subject "fisherman" requires a singular verb "was."