I need to know who I can trust.
Grammar Poll!
by Anonymous | reply 44 | June 6, 2020 10:34 AM |
This is us!
by Anonymous | reply 1 | June 5, 2020 5:46 AM |
"Rule: Use a subject pronoun following state-of-being verbs such as am, are, is, was, were, appeared, seemed, etc.
Example: It is she.
Example: It was we who won the election.
Because we don’t speak this way, we can’t use our ear to help us with this rule. This is a good time to discuss the difference between spoken language and written language, particularly when it comes to tests and formal papers. We speak informally but must write more formally. Frankly, if I knock on someone’s door and am asked, “Who is it?” I am not going to say, “It is I” for fear that the person on the other side of the door will think I’m weird and never open up. However, if I am taking an exam or writing a report, I will try to spot these state-of-being verbs and check my pronoun usage."
by Anonymous | reply 2 | June 5, 2020 5:49 AM |
I need to know whom I can trust.
Can't believe the grammar trolls didn't spot this one.
by Anonymous | reply 3 | June 5, 2020 5:53 AM |
^We did. We also knew it was intended in jest.
by Anonymous | reply 4 | June 5, 2020 5:55 AM |
R3, I hate snitches!
*ejected into space*
by Anonymous | reply 5 | June 5, 2020 6:02 AM |
R2 Thank you for reminding this old English major about the correct way. I loved reading about the difference between the written and the spoken word. This is another one of those things about DL that keeps me coming back. - Grammar Nerd
by Anonymous | reply 6 | June 5, 2020 6:09 AM |
Don’t we need more context?
If the question was “Whom did the policeman hit?”, the answer might be “It was us.”
If the question was “Who hit the policeman?”, then it might be “It was we.”
by Anonymous | reply 7 | June 5, 2020 6:15 AM |
"We were us" is preferred.
by Anonymous | reply 8 | June 5, 2020 6:19 AM |
this always bothers me.
by Anonymous | reply 9 | June 5, 2020 6:25 AM |
"At whom did the policeman shoot?" "Those people were we." This doesn't sound correct - like on an SAT test.
by Anonymous | reply 10 | June 5, 2020 6:25 AM |
Always remember, it's enamoured of, not enamoured with.
by Anonymous | reply 11 | June 5, 2020 7:36 AM |
Dont got no opinion on this as I arent no authority on this here subject
by Anonymous | reply 12 | June 5, 2020 8:47 AM |
The younger generations are learning to write via the gadget and conventions of social media
The full stop is disappearing
Also, paragraphs are disappearing because the current usage is to send a text that contains only one unit of meaning and then create a new text when there is an additional thought to communicate
by Anonymous | reply 13 | June 5, 2020 9:03 AM |
It was us.
by Anonymous | reply 14 | June 5, 2020 9:33 AM |
Where I’m from, no one, NO ONE ever sez either phrase.
by Anonymous | reply 15 | June 5, 2020 10:10 AM |
The worst are people who say something like, "Get in touch with Brad or myself to learn more."
MYSELF, really?
by Anonymous | reply 16 | June 5, 2020 10:16 AM |
'It was we' is grammatically correct, but it sounds odd unless you also speak the implied subsequent clause, such as:
'It was we who smelled Cheryl's stanky pussy.'
by Anonymous | reply 17 | June 5, 2020 10:41 AM |
Though "it was we" is correct, "it was us" sounds better, at least in America. Since I'm such a priss about grammar, I usually turn it around and say something like "we did it," so I'm using the pronoun in the proper case.
by Anonymous | reply 18 | June 5, 2020 12:44 PM |
[quote] The full stop is disappearing
Do you think that has anything to do with the lack of periods, r13?
by Anonymous | reply 19 | June 5, 2020 2:16 PM |
Related question: when you answer a phone call (on the rare occasion we still answer calls) and the caller asks: is this XX, do you reply "this is he(she)" vs "this is him(her)"? I sometimes do, but am aware how stilted it sounds. More often I just repeat my name: "this is XX".
by Anonymous | reply 20 | June 5, 2020 2:33 PM |
r17, but if the implied clause was objective we get:
'It was (given to) us.'
Because of the implied clauses, either is correct in spoken English.
by Anonymous | reply 21 | June 5, 2020 2:50 PM |
We were the ones.
by Anonymous | reply 22 | June 5, 2020 2:58 PM |
Them be we.
by Anonymous | reply 23 | June 5, 2020 3:12 PM |
It was zie.
by Anonymous | reply 24 | June 5, 2020 3:44 PM |
R20, I usually just say “speaking.”
by Anonymous | reply 25 | June 5, 2020 4:54 PM |
[quote] The younger generations are learning to write via the gadget and conventions of social media
People say this all the time but as a teacher, I have not noticed social media conventions in students' formal writing. Students code switch like the rest of us.
by Anonymous | reply 26 | June 5, 2020 4:58 PM |
It was us'uns!
by Anonymous | reply 27 | June 5, 2020 5:11 PM |
But R21 when do you hear or read the implied clause as objective?
I think the vast majority of instances involve people at the door.
by Anonymous | reply 28 | June 5, 2020 9:25 PM |
Officer: Who did the robber throw the gun at when he was out of bullets?
Couple: Us.
by Anonymous | reply 29 | June 5, 2020 9:27 PM |
[quote] when you answer a phone call (on the rare occasion we still answer calls) and the caller asks: is this XX, do you reply "this is he(she)" vs "this is him(her)"?
When I want to communicate to the caller that his phoning me is an annoying and disruptive intrusion (which is every phone call, really), I use, “This is he.” It has a subtle icy tone to it.
by Anonymous | reply 30 | June 5, 2020 9:31 PM |
Now a days I would expect "That is I". shudder
by Anonymous | reply 31 | June 5, 2020 9:34 PM |
The pronoun in this case functions as a predicate nominative, so the nominative case "we" is used (formally). If you're writing for a formal audience (paper for school, newspaper, magazine, serious website), it would be best to avoid the commonly used, but incorrect, "it was us."
If you're concerned that you'll sound uppity or unrelatable to a casual audience, use the incorrect form.
by Anonymous | reply 33 | June 6, 2020 4:00 AM |
It was whom, OP.
by Anonymous | reply 34 | June 6, 2020 4:04 AM |
r34 , please see r3, r4.
by Anonymous | reply 35 | June 6, 2020 4:09 AM |
It may not be logical but in colloquial speech “this is us” is acceptable.
However “between you and I” or similar “over-corrections” of “me” to I are NEVER ok.
by Anonymous | reply 36 | June 6, 2020 4:09 AM |
The objective case, like the adverb, gets no respect these days.
by Anonymous | reply 37 | June 6, 2020 4:12 AM |
Grammatically correct (subject verb is used with a an intransitive, "i.e., 'being'" verb): "It was we."
In modern, everyday, informal-conversational usage: "It was us."
by Anonymous | reply 38 | June 6, 2020 4:26 AM |
I am unanimous in this!
by Anonymous | reply 39 | June 6, 2020 4:28 AM |
I used to think I had this figured out. However, after reading these responses, it is I who is totally confused.
by Anonymous | reply 40 | June 6, 2020 4:40 AM |
it is I who is totally confused.
it is I who am totally confused?
by Anonymous | reply 41 | June 6, 2020 4:56 AM |
See??
by Anonymous | reply 42 | June 6, 2020 4:59 AM |
“We” is correct.
One wouldn't say, “Us few, us brave few...”.
by Anonymous | reply 43 | June 6, 2020 5:19 AM |
[quote]it is I who am totally confused?
this is correct
by Anonymous | reply 44 | June 6, 2020 10:34 AM |