9

I want to know firstly if it's grammatically correct to start a declarative sentence with "Am". For example:

Am excited about the game today.

Secondly, if it is grammatically incorrect, then I wanted to ask how much "head room" there is for the above usage. I can't think of an example now, nor find one here at english.stackexchange. However I imagine there are usages of the english language that grammatically are illegal, yet have somehow become accepted as colloquial or idiomatic perhaps.

Improve this question
2
  • 2
    You're probably hearing people say I'm, with an accent that makes the "I" part inaudible to you. I'm is vastly more common in speech than am. That's in speech. In writing, everything depends on the context, and everybody makes up their own rules for infrml wrtng.
    – John Lawler
    Commented Apr 4, 2013 at 14:19
  • I've noticed people from Africa start sentences this way and claim to be from US cities. It is a pre cursor to possible money scam.
    – Mario Reginald Oliver
    Commented Aug 16, 2020 at 14:15

7 Answers 7

Reset to default
14

Some languages are subject-drop languages, but English is considered a subject-obligatory language. The sentence as it stands is non standard. It's the type of telegraphic language you might see in a text message.

Improve this answer
9
  • +1 @Brett. Ah interesting, I din't know about that "subject-obligatory" rule. I think that's the clincher!
    – andy
    Commented Feb 17, 2012 at 0:57
  • 3
    Also social networking sites, forums, etc., normally "auto-preface" every comment with the username. So when I see FumbleFingers appearing on a chat log in front of whatever I type, it looks "grammatical" to omit "I", switch to third person, and enter a comment like thinks the moon is made of green cheese.
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Feb 17, 2012 at 1:05
  • 2
    Never implied? No. Not true.
    – Robusto
    Commented Feb 17, 2012 at 2:33
  • 1
    @Robusto: What are you referring to?
    – Brett Reynolds
    Commented Feb 17, 2012 at 2:47
  • 6
    @BrettReynolds: Don't know?
    – Robusto
    Commented Feb 17, 2012 at 3:56
15

There is a style of English speaking which drops subject pronouns, which I associate (perhaps wrongly) with Colonel Blimp-type figures. Something like:

Went up to town this morning. Met Caruthers at the club. Just got back from Africa. Ate a well lubricated lunch together for old times' sake. Am now coming home by train.

It is not standard English, and is prone to ambiguity. But it exists.

Improve this answer
6
  • +1 ah ha! interesting. I'm not very grammatically knowledgable and so didn't pick up that it was all about the dropping of the subject pronoun. So with that now established, I guess starting a sentence with "Am..." is as acceptable as starting one with "Went...". However I'd say "Am..." is a little different no as there is no ambiguity?
    – andy
    Commented Feb 17, 2012 at 1:07
  • 5
    @andy: I would seriously suggest you just ignore this style. As Henry says, it's non-standard. Using it most likely won't give people the impression you have extensive knowledge of English and can fluently use all variations - it'll make them think you haven't been well taught.
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Feb 17, 2012 at 3:02
  • 5
    "You're late!" ... "Am not!"
    – GEdgar
    Commented Aug 14, 2012 at 18:38
  • @GEdgar, Good counter example.
    – Pacerier
    Commented May 6, 2017 at 8:24
  • @Henry, Need some context on this. What's with this "Colonel Blimp"?
    – Pacerier
    Commented May 6, 2017 at 8:25
8

It’s quite normal to drop the subject pronoun in contexts where brevity is important. It is certainly a practice found in emails and texting, but it was previously found in their predecessor, the telegram, and many people drop the subject pronoun when taking notes. It is also dropped in quite formal prose to avoid repetition, as in, for example, I went to New York last week and am going again tomorrow. It is a form of ellipsis, and should not be considered ungrammatical.

Improve this answer
1
  • Re "when taking notes", any source on this?
    – Pacerier
    Commented May 6, 2017 at 8:26
2

Scottish English has a common replacement Am for I am:

Am going to be late tonight.

This can be compared to the contraction of the negative form, which doesn't drop the I:

I amn't going to be late tonight.

Improve this answer
1
  • 1
    True, but maybe worth noting that in this case it's not that the pronoun 'I' is dropped or silent. The Scottish first person singular nominative pronoun is pronounced as 'Ah' and spelled either "Ah or "A". So it's not that the subject is dropped, it's just a contraction similar to Standard English "I'm". You could also write it as "Ah'm going to be late tonight".
    – ArchContrarian
    Commented Oct 17, 2019 at 22:22
1

I think you need to say "I am...." or your sentence is missing a subject. In other languages, such as Greek, you might say "Ego..... " but that translates to "I am;" in that case there is an understood first-person subject caused by the conjugation of the verb "to be."

This is not, however, acceptable in English.

Improve this answer
3
  • +1 @ncmathsadist: hey, yeah I understand "I am" is the correct form, but was wondering on the acceptance of "Am". As you say, in greek "Ego..." is accepted because there is an understood first-person subject. However, wouldn't you say that "Am..." also suggests a clear first-person subject?
    – andy
    Commented Feb 17, 2012 at 0:54
  • But, according to standard English usage, you are omitting the subject. The "am" is a verb in the predicate.
    – ncmathsadist
    Commented Feb 17, 2012 at 1:48
  • 1
    Ego doesn't mean I am by the way. Ego just means I in both Greek and Latin. Ego eimi is I am in Greek, and sum is I am in Latin (sum, es, est, sumus, estis, sunt).
    – Phoenix
    Commented Feb 17, 2012 at 2:37
0

I'm not sure in what context you're seeing people use this, but I would guess that it's internet or texting related. If so, then it's just typical modern-day internet prose (i.e. the continued downward spiral of the English language).

Technically, it is not grammatically correct. A sentence should have a subject and a verb (at least that was how I was taught). I certainly wouldn't use it in any formal writing.

Improve this answer
1
  • okay, that actually makes sense because i have not come across it in any formal writing. it is mostly internet and texting related
    – Śśòzī ɱīçhæł
    Commented Apr 4, 2013 at 5:48
0

I believe some people find it easier to (only) use "am" in cases where they have already used the subject pronoun and have to use it a second time in the same sentence. Example: "I went on maternity leave on December 1st, and am not returning to work." ...It would just save you the having to specify that YOU did something, and (again) YOU will (or are) doing something as a consequence of. - However, (to me) it would feel more (grammatically) correct to use the subject pronoun as many times as you have to. Example: "I went on maternity leave on December 1st, and I am not returning to work."

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .