Questions tagged [grammatical-case]
The distinction between subject and object forms of pronouns. For questions about upper- and lowercase, use the tag "capitalization".
2
votes
1answer
52 views
We three or us three
Does the subject value in the following example need to be "us" or "we". Does it follow the same principle in pluralising the subject where removing one component isolates the correct noun?
Dad and ...
0
votes
1answer
44 views
“With my/their/our V-ing…” as supplement to main clause
Here are some news article examples containing 'with my/their etc. being...' as supplement to a main clause:
(1) Since the opposing counsel would be the U.S. Department of Justice, and with my ...
0
votes
1answer
31 views
Them or their after despite? [duplicate]
What's the correct usage: embattled customers whose flats are in limbo despite them or their having made the payment? What's the logic?
0
votes
0answers
10 views
what is the correct inflection of the pronoun with “to tell”? [duplicate]
Which is correct?
"They told John and me", or
"They told John and I"
3
votes
1answer
27 views
Is there a name other than “absolute” for this kind of construction?
In some languages there are absolute constructions like the Genitive Absolute in Greek:
Καὶ ἤδη ὥρας πολλῆς γενομένης προσελθόντες αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἔλεγον ὅτι ἔρημός ἐστιν ὁ τόπος καὶ ἤδη ὥρα ...
4
votes
1answer
189 views
He/Him/His VS She/Her/Her
How did her become the female equivalent of both him and his instead of only being a possessive pronoun like his? Is there a reason?
For example:
She likes him and his dog.
He likes her and her dog.
2
votes
2answers
189 views
Whom should I say is calling?
Note, originally my question was "should I ask" instead of what I meant, which is "should I say". Sorry for the confusion.
If I do an internet search about:
Whom should/shall I say is calling.
I ...
5
votes
2answers
512 views
What is the possessive case and the objective case of “ye?”
I know very well that archaically, "thou" is the nominative case for the modern day "you" while "thee" is the accusative case and that there is no distinction between the nominative and accusative ...
2
votes
1answer
93 views
“This looks like him” or “This looks like he”? [duplicate]
Another, easier case question:
Obviously, of the two variants
This looks like him
and
This looks like he
the first seems more naturally idiomatic. However, is it grammatically correct?
I ...
2
votes
3answers
130 views
He looked the same “as she” or “as her”? [duplicate]
"He looked the same as her" or is it "He looked the same as she"
I thought the rule was to complete the clause to figure this out such as "He looked the same as she looked" in which case the answer ...
-1
votes
2answers
42 views
You and Ted's dinner conversation tonight
This was addressed to a family regarding what they should talk about at dinner that night. Should "you" be "your"? What is the rule?
2
votes
2answers
78 views
Noun case and case usage for “of you” in the clause “that was kind of you”
The clause or sentence, "That was kind of you," uses what seems like a genitive case "of you", but I'm not sure what type of genitive it should be considered.
The form of the answer I'm looking for ...
0
votes
1answer
279 views
“It was he/him who/whom I voted for.”
I'm not particularly a grammar pedant, but I thought of this sentence this morning and it has defied my searching skills.
It was he/him who/whom I voted for.
The question here covers something ...
2
votes
0answers
97 views
New Yorker “Who”/“Whom”
Has The New Yorker changed its "who"/"whom" policy? Recently, I noticed--for the first time in fifteen years of more or less consistent readership---two occasions I considered non-standard, both from ...
3
votes
5answers
97 views
What’s the underlying grammar behind starting off a ɢᴇʀᴜɴᴅ clause with an ᴏʙᴊᴇᴄᴛ pronoun?
Yesterday I encountered this sentence (I’ll refer to the numbered words in
my question below):
This is because many students think that all of their sentences need to
be ‘complex’ (...
0
votes
3answers
1k views
Can you start a sentence with “her”? [closed]
Can someone please answer this burning question? Is the following sentence correct?
Her and her voice were truly a gift.
-1
votes
2answers
154 views
Whoever vs whomever in “you could become whomever and whatever you wanted to be” [duplicate]
I think I noticed a mistake in Ready Player One:
In the OASIS, you could become whomever and whatever you wanted to be, without ever revealing your true identity, because your anonymity was ...
1
vote
0answers
97 views
On the principle governing pronoun forms with verbs and after prepositions
As I understand it, the following is a principle (or "rule" if you wish) of English grammar:
Finite verbs take subject pronouns: I sing.
Non-finite verbs take object/possessive pronouns: That's me ...
2
votes
2answers
136 views
What case follows “fond of”? [closed]
What case is "I am fond of her"? Dative or possessive? My thought is that this form comes from the Anglo-Saxon, which is still heard in German, for example "ich bin derren bewusst" (I am hers aware) ...
1
vote
1answer
75 views
In this example, is the correct usage 'she' or 'her'? [closed]
In this example, is the correct usage 'she' or 'her'?
Jenny administers the second high-dose adrenaline shot and her and
Bron change places on the table. Chest compressions are tiring, so
they ...
0
votes
0answers
72 views
“My and my sister, Anna Smith's records” or “My and my sister's, Anna Smith, records.” [duplicate]
I'm writing a request letter to my and my sister's high school but I don't how to properly say it.
I, Rebecca Smith, would like to request a copy of my and my sister, Anna Smith's Transcript of ...
2
votes
2answers
261 views
Does being in the accusative case guarantee the existence of a direct object?
I want to clear this matter up once and for all. Even though I have already asked a few questions on the site related to the nominative case and the accusative case, I still get confused by one ...
11
votes
3answers
2k views
“…will divide the people (who/whom) most need to be brought together” [duplicate]
With a two-party system, our nation will divide the people (who/whom)
most need to be brought together.
Do I use who or whom for this sentence? I think that "people" is the direct object and ...
18
votes
2answers
1k views
Construction of “woe is me”
The expression “woe is me” (meaning) looks strange. On the surface, it seems to mean “an unhappy event is me”. Sure, it's an old idiom, undoubtedly reflecting vocabulary or grammar that is no longer ...
1
vote
1answer
281 views
What are the correct names of English cases?
I have seen the three extant cases in English referred to with several different names. Which of these is most correct in describing the respective case?
Nominative or subjective?
Accusative, ...
1
vote
2answers
1k views
Should it be “you and I” or “you and me” in the song “We are the world”
In the song "We are the world" by Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie, there are these lyrics:
"We are the world,
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So, ...
3
votes
3answers
814 views
The use of “whoever” or “whomever” in complex sentence
Should the following say whoever or whomever. And why?
Each of us is free to pretend to be whoever/whomever we wish to be.
This sentence needs an object, right?
4
votes
2answers
372 views
How do you assign Case to sentences with an infinitival clause?
Look at this example: For the butler to attack the robber would be surprising.
Here, the butler and the robber are assigned accusative case. Is 'for' assigning case to the butler and 'to attack' ...
1
vote
0answers
419 views
“Each of whom's” or “each of whose” [duplicate]
I have been most certainly sure that the second is the better option until I came across the first expression from a lecture by an American professor on EdX.
And an array is a chunk of memory, each ...
3
votes
1answer
220 views
“me, him and Clara” [duplicate]
My friend is starting to write a small book. She wanted me to check the grammar so she can be sure about it. She has a sentence that goes, "me, him and Clara started hanging out in middle school." The ...
0
votes
2answers
589 views
Conflicting who/whom usage rules in a sentence [duplicate]
Consider the sentence "Please gather information on who can serve as a proctor."
The he/him, she/her test gives conflicting answers here: One would say "Please gather information on her", but "He can ...
2
votes
1answer
251 views
What is the Old English(Ænȝlıſc/Eald Englisc/Anglo Saxon) Word for “Grammatical Case?”
I am curious as to what the Ænȝlıſc word is for "grammatical case." I remembered hearing a man say it before, but I cannot remember for sure. If I recall, he said something along the lines of "ſe Fæle,...
3
votes
0answers
206 views
Does Early Modern English Have Ablative Case? [closed]
I was thinking the other day, and a phrase popped into my mind that sounds as if I have heard it before, and I quickly realized it is not grammatically correct {on the surface.} It is:
"Get thee mee ...
1
vote
0answers
2k views
“All, but her, ” vs. “All, but she, had” [duplicate]
All, but her, had made an attempt.
All, but she, had made an attempt.
If all is the subject of the sentence, should I use a subject or object in the parenthesis statement? Why?
Is this correct ...
2
votes
2answers
820 views
Does “suggest” + another verb go with an object or subject pronoun?
I've found this phrase in an English grammar book: "She suggested us going there."
Is it right? I'd say: "She suggested going there to us" or "She suggested we go there" etc ... but I would never say ...
10
votes
2answers
917 views
What's up with “this,” in Old English(Ænȝlıſ͡ċ/Anglo Saxon‽)
I am asking two things here, about Ænȝlıſċ (Old English)
First and foremost, see this picture here:
– which was taken from this page:
QUESTION 1:
What is the difference between these two words: "...
1
vote
1answer
388 views
Is it true that English has “evolved” to say that “Jim and me” instead of “Jim and I” is correct? [duplicate]
My English teacher was saying that English has "evolved" so that saying "Jim and me" or "me and Jim" is acceptable to use in instances like "Me and Jim are going to the bathroom". Here is what I found ...
3
votes
0answers
228 views
The dative case in medieval English [closed]
I speak an analytic language, Chinese, and a weakly inflected language, English. As such I'm having a bit of trouble wrapping my head around the concept of the dative case in Old English. I understand ...
1
vote
0answers
49 views
“Who are they angry at - you or I” or “you or me” [duplicate]
Donald Trump at a charity dinner in NY last week said to Hillary Clinton:
Who are they angry at? You or I.
German English schoolbooks teach "You and me" is right. Who is right? Does Trump use a ...
0
votes
2answers
2k views
He, together with she and I? [duplicate]
How do you write the following sentence:
Marcelo, together with Angela and I, are going to...
Marcelo, together with Angela and myself, are going to...
23
votes
7answers
3k views
Should foreign words used in English be inflected for gender, number, and case according to the conventions of their source language?
Is there a general rule for whether, for, example, foreign nouns and adjectives used in English should be inflected for gender, number, and case as they would be if the entire text were written in the ...
6
votes
1answer
323 views
Did noted 17th century poet Katherine Philips make a grammatical error?
Does the last line of the first stanza of Katherine Philips's poem, To Mrs. M. A. at parting have a grammatical error?
It's surprising that a renowned poet and translator at that time would use the ...
40
votes
3answers
6k views
Why is “whomse” not a word?
I often hear people say something like
For whose benefit is that?
Should it not be
For whomse benefit is that
Who -> Whom
Whose -> Whomse
I know "whomse" is not a real word. My question is: ...
-2
votes
1answer
88 views
Would “who’s slept with who” be acceptable in a novel? [closed]
In the sentence below, which version is correct:
John pretty much knows who’s slept with who within certain circles in Manhattan.
John pretty much knows who’s slept with whom within certain circles ...
1
vote
2answers
833 views
Has the use of the subject pronoun after the verb “to be” become archaic?
"Is that your wretched husband on the phone again, my love?"
"Yes, of course it's him!"
Well, we all might think the use of "him" instead of "he" is wrong, but following "is" with "he" in ...
12
votes
9answers
3k views
I am [who/whom] G-d made me
Please fill in the blank with the correct word and explain your choice.
I am __ G-d made me.
A. who
B. whom
Some people have suggested I elaborate on this question so here goes.
The above was not ...
3
votes
1answer
172 views
What case do we assign a relativizer representing a subject raised to object?
The basic rule I follow is that the case of the relativizer is determined by the role played within the relative clause by the entity it represents.
Give it to [OBJ whomever you admire __ most]. (...
8
votes
3answers
2k views
“Being [he/him] is not easy.” Which is prescriptively “correct”?
"It is I" follows a well-known prescriptivist rule
This question is about prescriptive grammar. It’s a fairly well-known prescriptivist rule that “me, him, her, them” (in other words, pronouns in the ...
3
votes
3answers
276 views
Would pronouns be objective or subjective in this sentence?
Sentence:
John's entire plan was nothing more than him/he and me/I walking by
his neighbors' houses armed with twenty-eight inches of potentially
bone-crushing sports equipment.
Should I use "...
0
votes
2answers
7k views
“I’ll listen to any concerns you or him may have.” Which pronoun do I use here, “he” or “him”?
I had a question about possession. I wrote the sentence:
He may need to stay for a while, therefore I’ll listen to any concerns you or him may have.”
Is it him or he? Because it sounds natural to ...
