predicate nominative?

Share on Facebook

Anonymous

#474618 Sat, 09 Feb 08 02:16 AM

Hi,

I was told that when you use the word 'than' in a comparative sense, you use the subjective form for what comes next.

Sue is a better swimmer than he

Sue swims better than he.

But if we have to tell others about the identity of a person unknown hitherto, do we always to use the subjective form for what follows the verb 'is'?

eg,

Who was that beautiful woman who danced with the prince at the mask party last night?

She was I

Anonymous

Verbs, Predicates, Nominative

CalifJim

#474622 Sat, 09 Feb 08 02:27 AM

I was told that when you use the word 'than' in a comparative sense, you use the subjective form for what comes next.

Actually it depends on its function in the clause.

The following are two different statements.

She likes you better than he.
She likes you better than him.

To be clear, add the verb do after the subject form:

She likes you better than he does.
________

Better answers:

That woman was me.
That was me.
It was me.

There are tons of posts on this subject. Use the search box at the upper right.

CJ

CalifJim

Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004

California

Veteran Member (16,966)

"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

Verbs, Clauses, Predicates, Nominative

Mister Micawber

#474623 Sat, 09 Feb 08 02:28 AM

First, you don't have to use the nominative case of the pronoun: She's a better swimmer than me is far more common. You must use the nominative if the rest of the clause is there: She's a better swimmer than I am. Without the clause, I sounds stilted to many nowadays.

Pronouns on the predicate side of a sentence commonly appear in objective case, and your 'She was I' also sounds very stilted in current English.

Who was that beautiful woman who danced with the prince at the mask party last night? That was me!

Mister Micawber

Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004

Yokohama

Veteran Member (21,223)

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

Clauses, Nouns, Pronouns, Predicates, Nominative

Avangi

#474626 Sat, 09 Feb 08 02:31 AM

I would say "She was I", but Kooyeen delights in pointing out that I'm in a 1% minority. It comes down to, what do you mean by "correct"? - and what do you mean by "allowed"? - and what "register" would you like to represent?

I like to think of the song lyric from the musical, The Man From La Mancha: "I am I, Don Quixote!" "Correct grammar should be confined to art, and has no place in conversation."

They say the king of Spain once spoke with a lisp, so the whole country was required to follow suit. Perhaps some day the whole world will say, "nucular."

Avangi

Joined on Mon, Nov 19 2007

Senior Member (3,289)

". . . le plaisir delicieux et toujours nouveau d'une occupation inutile." - Henri de Regnier

Grammar, Conversations, Predicates, Nominative

CalifJim

#474687 Sat, 09 Feb 08 05:51 AM

Kooyeen delights in pointing out that I'm in a 1% minority.

LOL. That does sound like Kooyeen, all right! But we must allow him his freedom of expression!

what do you mean by "correct"? - and what do you mean by "allowed"? - and what "register" would you like to represent?

The lines are quite blurry at times. The American Heritage Dictionary uses a "Usage Panel" of journalists and writers. Such questions are answered in terms of percentages! In the case at hand, I believe the most middle of the road register (2.0) would be represented by the answer "That was me".

They say the king of Spain once spoke with a lisp, so the whole country was required to follow suit.

I've read that this is basically an old-time equivalent of an urban legend. The whole population went through the same phonetic change at the same time.

Perhaps some day the whole world will say, "nucular."

You could be right. I believe there are only a few thousand more to go before that goal is reached. Smile [:)]