After sensing a problem with the factory workers, the personnel officer demanded to know who the union leaders had contacted to conduct the petition drive.
After sensing a problem with the factory workers, the personnel officer demanded to know who the union leaders had contacted to conduct the petition drive.
Solution
This question tests who vs. whom usage and verb tense consistency.
Think of "who" as the doer (like "he") and "whom" as the receiver (like "him"). If you can substitute "him," use "whom." Example: "To whom did you give the cookie?" (You gave it to him, not he.)
Option 1 → Correct! "Whom" receives the action, "had contacted" matches timeline.
Option 2 → Double "had" makes this a grammatical train wreck.
Option 3 → Right pronoun, wrong tense—"have contacted" clashes with past context.
Option 4 → Too casual for formal writing, drops "whom" and articles.
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