[Grammar] It was him, or, It was he?

[Rollercoaster1]

Hello.
How can "it" function for a person, because It should be used for objects and not for human beings or animals, correct?

It was him/he.
Why not?
He was him.

 

[Tarheel]

Where did you find "it" used to refer to a person?

 

[Rollercoaster1]

Where did you find "it" used to refer to a person?

In some movies.
E.g; Hanna: Kirsty, someone was chasing me last night when I was coming back home from work. I doubt, it was Joe.
Kirsty: No, it can't be joe. Joe has been admitted to a hospital for the past 3 days. He met an accident.

 

[Tarheel]

That's common conversational English, and "it" is not being used to refer to a specific person but to "someone."

 

[Rollercoaster1]

That's common conversational English, and "it" is not being used to refer to a specific person but to "someone.

And that "someone" is a "human being", right? As I asked in my first question that "it" should be used to refer to objects, and not for human beings or animals.

 

[Roman55]

'It' is being used as a dummy subject in your sentences. It stands for 'the person who was chasing Hanna'.

 

[Tdol]

It can also function for a person when we're not sure- you will sometimes hear babies being called it when we don't know the sex.

 

[Tarheel]

Also, we use "it" to refer to animals all the time -- especially when we don't know the sex, and sometimes even when we do. Example:

Watch out for that dog. It bites.