subject form or object form

Status
Not open for further replies.

edmondjanet

Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Malayalam
Home Country
India
Current Location
India
Hello everyone,
It is me/I
It is them/they
It is him/he
Here, subject form or object form? I have seen both in books.
Thank you.
 

FreeToyInside

Member
Joined
May 3, 2012
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
China
In AmE we prefer the object form in short sentences like this.

A: Who did this?
B: I did/It was me.

Or beginning a phone conversation, "Hi, it's me. What are you doing?"

I think when we hear 'it is I' and 'it was he', it sounds like reading out of an old book, or like affected speech.

An alternative to that form as our sentences get longer, is to change "It was me who had given her the watch." into "I'm the one who gave her the watch."

It sounds more usual to begin sentences in this way.

"I'm the one who..." instead of "it is/was me who..."
"He's the one who..." instead of "it is/was him who..."
"They're the ones who..." instead of "it is/was them who..."


(not a teacher, just a language lover)
 

billmcd

Key Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Hello everyone,
It is me/I
It is them/they
It is him/he
Here, subject form or object form? I have seen both in books.
Thank you.

Correct- subject form (when used, used mostly in print); Most frequently used- object form.

 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top