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Nominative and objective case

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Guest  #79684  Wed, 09 Mar 05 02:41 AM
I am a coach for a local high school team that competes in mathematics, logic, and English.
We came across this during one of our tournaments.

Which one is the correct usage of the pronoun?

I want him to be me.
I want him to be I.

We know that him is in the objective case that is the subject fo the infinitive clause, but
we aren't quite sure if it should be me or I.
  
CalifJim  #79695  Wed, 09 Mar 05 04:07 AM
"I want him to be me". The subject of the infinitive clause and the subject complement of the infinitive clause should both take the same case -- objective in this sentence.

Also, in modern English, the subject complement is most often in the objective case even in the main clause: "Who is there?" "It's me!" Most native speakers are not comfortable with "I" anywhere in the sentence except in the subject position (normally at the beginning) of a finite clause.

CJ
  
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Anonymous  #190919  Mon, 30 Jan 06 11:34 PM
It really should be:  I want him to be like I am.  Therefore, it would be:  I want him to be I.
  
Anonymous  #356399  Fri, 27 Apr 07 02:17 AM

ok, no offense, but this page does not help me at all.......i need to know what a nominative case is and an objective case is!!!!   DUH!  :-

 

( 8:17:25 PM )

  
Grammar Geek  #356413  Fri, 27 Apr 07 03:09 AM

My dear Anonymous,

It's indeed difficult to anticipate what you need to know before you ever post. I'd like to suggest that you don't find old threads, in which the most recent post is far more than a year old, to append your questions. And I'd also like to suggest that if you want someone to help you, that ending your post with "DUH!" is not the best way to get it. "Please" really goes a lot further.

  
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Barbara, who answers in American English.
Anonymous  #479030  Tue, 19 Feb 08 09:29 PM

yeah i agree.

i want him to be like i am.
so therefore it is i want him to be i.

  
MiRag3  #490145  Tue, 18 Mar 08 03:52 AM

objective:me, us, you him, her, it, them, whom;

nominative: I, we, you, he, she, it, they, who

nominative case- function of the subject

objective case- function of the object.

 

  
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Yoong Liat  #490148  Tue, 18 Mar 08 04:26 AM

Hello Barbara

By the way, what is 'DUH"? Is it an abbreviation for a phrase?

Many thanks.

 

  
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