Hello, is the following sentence correct?
It is not I who told him the story.
***** NOT A TEACHER *****
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Ucef,
(1) You have asked a great question.
(2) According to the "rules," the "correct" English is:
It is not
I who told him.
It is I, he, she, we, they.
(3) Today in modern American English, many (most?) people
refuse to follow the rule. I guess 95% of people say:
It is
me.
(4) Many teachers say that the "rule" was based on Latin,
and English -- of course -- is not Latin. So most teachers say that
"It is me/ her/ him/ us/ them" is now correct English.
(5) If you say "It is I" or "It was he" or "It is we," people may think
two things:
(a) You want everyone else to know that you speak better English
than they do. In other words, you are a snob.
or
(b) You are speaking "bad" English (because most native speakers
probably think that "It is me" is "correct" English).
(6) When you speak, maybe it's a good idea to "break" the rule and
say "It is me"; when you write (especially university-level
writing), you might want to follow the "rule" and write "It is I."
THANK YOU
P. S. There are also social reasons for one's choice. A young man
may be afraid to say "It is I" because some people might say or
think that he is a "sissy."