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Grammar Poll!

I need to know who I can trust.

by Anonymousreply 44June 6, 2020 10:34 AM

This is us!

by Anonymousreply 1June 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."

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by Anonymousreply 2June 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 Anonymousreply 3June 5, 2020 5:53 AM

^We did. We also knew it was intended in jest.

by Anonymousreply 4June 5, 2020 5:55 AM

R3, I hate snitches!

*ejected into space*

by Anonymousreply 5June 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 Anonymousreply 6June 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 Anonymousreply 7June 5, 2020 6:15 AM

"We were us" is preferred.

by Anonymousreply 8June 5, 2020 6:19 AM

this always bothers me.

by Anonymousreply 9June 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 Anonymousreply 10June 5, 2020 6:25 AM

Always remember, it's enamoured of, not enamoured with.

by Anonymousreply 11June 5, 2020 7:36 AM

Dont got no opinion on this as I arent no authority on this here subject

by Anonymousreply 12June 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 Anonymousreply 13June 5, 2020 9:03 AM

It was us.

by Anonymousreply 14June 5, 2020 9:33 AM

Where I’m from, no one, NO ONE ever sez either phrase.

by Anonymousreply 15June 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 Anonymousreply 16June 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 Anonymousreply 17June 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 Anonymousreply 18June 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 Anonymousreply 19June 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 Anonymousreply 20June 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 Anonymousreply 21June 5, 2020 2:50 PM

We were the ones.

by Anonymousreply 22June 5, 2020 2:58 PM

Them be we.

by Anonymousreply 23June 5, 2020 3:12 PM

It was zie.

by Anonymousreply 24June 5, 2020 3:44 PM

R20, I usually just say “speaking.”

by Anonymousreply 25June 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 Anonymousreply 26June 5, 2020 4:58 PM

It was us'uns!

by Anonymousreply 27June 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.

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by Anonymousreply 28June 5, 2020 9:25 PM

Officer: Who did the robber throw the gun at when he was out of bullets?

Couple: Us.

by Anonymousreply 29June 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 Anonymousreply 30June 5, 2020 9:31 PM

Now a days I would expect "That is I". shudder

by Anonymousreply 31June 5, 2020 9:34 PM

R29 =

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by Anonymousreply 32June 5, 2020 9:37 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 Anonymousreply 33June 6, 2020 4:00 AM

It was whom, OP.

by Anonymousreply 34June 6, 2020 4:04 AM

r34 , please see r3, r4.

by Anonymousreply 35June 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 Anonymousreply 36June 6, 2020 4:09 AM

The objective case, like the adverb, gets no respect these days.

by Anonymousreply 37June 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 Anonymousreply 38June 6, 2020 4:26 AM

I am unanimous in this!

by Anonymousreply 39June 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 Anonymousreply 40June 6, 2020 4:40 AM

it is I who is totally confused.

it is I who am totally confused?

by Anonymousreply 41June 6, 2020 4:56 AM

See??

by Anonymousreply 42June 6, 2020 4:59 AM

“We” is correct.

One wouldn't say, “Us few, us brave few...”.

by Anonymousreply 43June 6, 2020 5:19 AM

[quote]it is I who am totally confused?

this is correct

by Anonymousreply 44June 6, 2020 10:34 AM
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