Reflexive pronouns

>>
The objective forms "It is me/him/etc" are by far more common in vernacular speech, to the extent that the subjective forms "It is I/he/etc" sound stilted or archaic. I'd wager that very few people, when knocking on a friend's door, would say, "Hey, it's I!", or "Hey, it's we!"<<

Hey, I do it all the time. But I also use thou and ye in everyday speech, so don't listen to me.

"The objective forms 'It is me/him/etc' are by far more common in vernacular speech, to the extent that the subjective forms 'It is I/he/etc' sound stilted or archaic."

Lazar:

You are absolutely correct. This is a non-issue. The "copula" argument for "it is I" is mere grammatical pedantry.

The "it's me" construction is entirely acceptable. English speakers have been using it for centuries. It's time to move on with this issue.

<<Hey, I do it all the time. But I also use thou and ye in everyday speech, so don't listen to me.>>

Quit it! That's stupid and pretentious. "It's me" is correct.

This cage is everlastyng fire
That I am ordeynid in to dwell.
Hit is me gevyn unto my hire,
Evyr to bren in the fyre of hell.
This am I feterd with fendes fell,
And ther to abide as best in stall.
Ther is no tonge my care can tell —
Beware ye have not such a fall!

"Why is the standard form of the reflexive pronoun "himself" and not "hisself"?"

That's because there are two meanings of the feminine "her" but only one for the masculine "him".

We say:

"Let us congratulate HER."

"It is HER dress."

BUT...

"Let's congratulate HIM."

"It is HIS dress."

Although not many people have the opportunity to say "It is his dress".

<Guest Fri Dec 08, 2006 6:45 am GMT

The predicate of a clause whose verb is "to be" is in the nominative case. Therefore, "I" must be used. >

Do you use "it is I"?

<BUT...

"Let's congratulate HIM."

"It is HIS dress." >

Is he a transvestite? ;-)

"It is me" and "It is I" are both wrong. It should be "It am I".

According to modern structuralists, the subject of “It is I” is ‘it’, not 'I' by using the tag-test even though 'It' is not the performer or the doer. Therefore the be verb in this sentence should be 'is' not 'am'. “It is I” is and has been the accepted version in formal usage. “It is me” is common in conversational English.

If you accept “It am I”, do you accept “It are you.”?

<<If you accept “It am I”, do you accept “It are you.”?>>

"It are you" is the correct form. "It is you" is wrong.

>>"It are you" is the correct form. "It is you" is wrong.<<

Sure... And "ye are" is correct and "you are" is wrong too?

<<"It are you" is the correct form. "It is you" is wrong. >>


Forgive me for my ignorance, I’ve yet to be convinced by any grammar texts or other references I've got or could get my hand on that "It am I” or “It are you" is the correct form.

Is this some new grammar? Is this just your own conviction or insight? Can you kindly share some this insight or some useful references w/ us on this so we could be enlightened as well?

>> Sure... And "ye are" is correct and "you are" is wrong too? <<

Of course. "Ye" is used for the nominative.

"It are ye." is the best way to say it, IMO.