THE PRONOUNS
Very many mistakes occur in the use of the pronouns. "Let
you and I go" should be "Let you and me go." "Let them and we go" should
be "Let them and us go." The verb let is transitive and therefore takes the
objective case.
"Give me them flowers" should be "Give me
those flowers"; "I mean them three" should be "I mean those
three." Them is the objective case of the personal pronoun and cannot be used
adjectively like the demonstrative adjective pronoun. "I am as strong as
him" should be "I am as strong as he"; "I am younger than
her" should be "I am younger than she;" "He can write better than
me" should be "He can write better than I," for in these examples the
objective cases him, her and me are used wrongfully for
the nominatives. After each of the misapplied pronouns a verb is understood of
which each pronoun is the subject. Thus, "I am as strong as he (is)." "I am
younger than she (is)." "He can write better than I (can)."
Don't say "It is me;" say "It is I" The verb
To Be of which is is a part takes the same case after it that it has
before it. This holds good in all situations as well as with pronouns.
The verb To Be also requires the pronouns joined to
it to be in the same case as a pronoun asking a question; The nominative
I requires the nominative who and the objectives me,
him, her, its, you, them, require the
objective whom.
"Whom do you think I am?" should be "Who do
you think I am?" and "Who do they suppose me to be?" should be
"Whom do they suppose me to be?" The objective form of the Relative
should be always used, in connection with a preposition. "Who do you take me
for?" should be "Whom do, etc." "Who did you give the apple to?" should
be "Whom did you give the apple to," but as pointed out elsewhere the
preposition should never end a sentence, therefore, it is better to say, "To
whom did you give the apple?"
After transitive verbs always use the objective cases of
the pronouns. For "He and they we have seen," say "Him and
them we have seen." |
