It's them

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Kooyeen

#250556 Sun, 30 Jul 06 07:59 PM

(Doorbell ringing)

Who's it? ...Open the door, it's me!
Who's it? ...Open the door, it's us!
Who could it be? Maybe it's them. / It must be them.

I know I can say "it's me" and "it's us", but what about "It's them" and "It must be them"? Are the above structures possible?

Thank you.

Kooyeen

Joined on Thu, Dec 22 2005

Italy

Senior Member (4,072)

If you don't have a sense of humor already, it's about time you buy one.

Inchoateknowledge

#250557 Sun, 30 Jul 06 08:02 PM

Kooyeen wrote:
(Doorbell ringing)

Who's it? ...Open the door, it's me!

Who's it? ...Open the door, it's us!

Who could it be? Maybe it's them. / It must be them.

I know I can say "it's me" and "it's us", but what about "It's them" and "It must be them"? Are the above structures possible?

Thank you.

Not outside informal context.

Inchoateknowledge

Joined on Wed, May 3 2006

Senior Member (2,537)

Beep! Beep! :)

Kilimanjaro

#250560 Sun, 30 Jul 06 08:08 PM

Kooyeen wrote:

(Doorbell ringing)

Who's it? ...Open the door, it's me!
Who's it? ...Open the door, it's us!
Who could it be? Maybe it's them. / It must be them.

I know I can say "it's me" and "it's us", but what about "It's them" and "It must be them"? Are the above structures possible?

Thank you.

"It's them" is only possible if "the expected visitors are known by the host", (that said, the host and the man along with the guests know whom they have been expecting to welcome"

PS: Hey my friend friend! I'm not a native speaker. You better not take my comments into consideration without taking a native's advice!

Kilimanjaro

Joined on Sat, Dec 3 2005

İzmir

Full Member (273)

Whom

nona the brit

#250565 Sun, 30 Jul 06 08:21 PM

It's me. I am alone outside your door.

It's us. There is more than one person outside the door.

It's them. It is the people I am expecting.

They may not be 100% gramatical but they are the things that people say all the time. You'd sound a complete idiot grandly pronouncing 'It is I'.

nona the brit

Joined on Wed, Sep 22 2004

England

Veteran Member (11,450)

The name says it all.

Kooyeen

#250571 Sun, 30 Jul 06 08:43 PM

Thanks you all!!!

Nona The Brit wrote:

They may not be 100% gramatical but they are the things that people say all the time. You'd sound a complete idiot grandly pronouncing 'It is I'.

That's what I wanted somebody to say. Although you are a British English native speaker, I believe American English is the same in this case. I know "It is I" is grammatically correct, but it is unusual, sounds odd and, as you said, you'd sound an idiot pronouncing it. Thank you so much Nona.

Bye and take care.

Kooyeen

Inchoateknowledge

#250575 Sun, 30 Jul 06 08:58 PM

The noun after the verb is to be in nominative case and not in accusative.
Nothwithstanding, in speech everybody puts the noun in accusative. (demise of the language)

Inchoateknowledge

Verbs, Nouns, Nominative, Accusative

CalifJim

#250581 Sun, 30 Jul 06 09:14 PM

The noun after the verb is to be in nominative case and not in accusative.

I think you mean this to be true in the case of a pronoun after a linking verb only. Taking your "rule" literally, we must have

They invited we.

because the pronoun is after the verb, the conditions under which you say the pronoun must be nominative.

That aside, this "rule" is only a rule for those who persist in thinking of English as a language which must obey the rules of Latin.

In English, the rule is that pronouns are in the accusative whenever they are not the subject of a finite clause. Those who wish to speak Latin, coded into English words, will use the nominative pronouns after a linking verb. But why speak English with Latin grammar -- unless we wish to sound like idiots? Smile [:)]

CalifJim

Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004

California

Veteran Member (17,765)

"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

Grammar, Verbs, Clauses, Nouns, Pronouns, Speak English, Nominative, Accusative

Cool Breeze

#250594 Sun, 30 Jul 06 10:34 PM

Hi CJ

The reason some 'Latinists' may object to it's me is the fact that the verb to be is intransitive and thus can't take an object. Me, however, is generally known as the object form of I. They invited we is a different matter because invite is a transitive verb and can take an object. Don't get me wrong, though, I am all for it's me! Smile [:)]

"Pronouns are in the accusative whenever they are not the subject of a finite clause." In other words, he is as old as we is incorrect? Of course you have every right to think so, but the majority of serious grammarians disagree with you.

Cheers
CB