[Grammar] "We Mortals" or "Us Mortals"?

[en_buff]

Which is correct?

Example: The prince has a life that we mortals can only dream of.

or The prince has a life that us mortals can only dream of.

I've seen it both ways, but curiously enough, the latter seems more prevalent.

Thanks.

 

[Rover_KE]

Leave out 'mortals' to judge whether to use 'we' (subject) or 'us' (object).

'The prince has a life that we (mortals) can only dream of.'

'The life of the prince makes us (mortals) green with envy.'

Unfortunately, many native speakers get it wrong.

Incidentally, princes are mortals, too.

 

[tedmc]

"We" is called a subject pronoun whereas "us" is an object pronoun.

 

[TheParser]

the latter seems more prevalent.

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


I understand how you feel, En_Buff.

Some native speakers here in the United States are not sure about the rule, or they want their speech to sound more folksy or friendly or conversational.

Raul: We Mexicans love soccer.

Joe: Oh, yeah? Well, us Americans love baseball.

As you have just been told by Rover and Tedmc, the rules call for:

"Oh, yeah? Well, we Americans love baseball."

My grammar books tell me that "Americans" is in apposition with "we." That is to say, it refers to and expands on "we."

As you can see, Joe could have just said, "Oh, yeah? Well, we love baseball." But Joe apparently wanted to make sure that Raul understood that "we" referred to "Americans."

(Of course, you would NEVER say: "Oh, yeah? Well, us love baseball.")