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Attention all fanfic writers
Dec. 11th, 2002 05:08 pmI have seen this mistake once too often. Now you must suffer the consequences.
Today's lesson concerns the conjunction of a personal pronoun and a proper name.
First, we will review the personal pronouns in English. These are among the few words which change according to their case. That is, they have one form when they are the subject of the sentence, another when the object. (These words also have a possessive pronoun form and a possessive adjective form, but that is a lesson for another day.)
For example, in the first person singular:
The first example shows the "nominative" form of the pronoun, the last three show the "objective" form. The third person pronouns show similar differences. He, she and they are the nominative forms, him, her and them are the objective forms.
Are you with me so far? Use the comments function for any questions you may have.
Let me repeat: when a pronoun is the object of a preposition, it is correct to use the "objective" form in English.
The rules do not change when we use a personal pronoun in conjunction with a proper name. Consider the following examples:
For some reason, people tend to use the nominative form of the personal pronoun instead of the objective form, when combined with a proper name, even where the correct form is the objective form and even where if the personal pronoun were removed the author would use the correct form of the personal pronoun.
Or, to quote Fowler's Modern English Usage s.v. I (1): "Between you and I is a piece of false grammar which, though often heard, is not sanctioned, like its opposites It's me and That's him even in colloquial usage..."
Please, have pity. Don't make me read "between he and I" instead of "between him and me" ever again. Don't write, "Hermione gave the book to Ron and I" when you mean "Hermione gave the book to Ron and me." Please. Or I might just have to get out that hacksaw.
Comments, criticisms of my idiosyncratic punctuation and pleas for mercy welcome.
Today's lesson concerns the conjunction of a personal pronoun and a proper name.
First, we will review the personal pronouns in English. These are among the few words which change according to their case. That is, they have one form when they are the subject of the sentence, another when the object. (These words also have a possessive pronoun form and a possessive adjective form, but that is a lesson for another day.)
For example, in the first person singular:
I went to the bookstore. "I" is the subject of the sentence.
The Devil sent me to Hell. "Me" is the direct object.
Arlene gave me the book. "Me" is the indirect object.
Hermione made a cake for me. "Me" is the object of the preposition "for." Pay attention to this last usage. We will return to it.
The first example shows the "nominative" form of the pronoun, the last three show the "objective" form. The third person pronouns show similar differences. He, she and they are the nominative forms, him, her and them are the objective forms.
Are you with me so far? Use the comments function for any questions you may have.
Let me repeat: when a pronoun is the object of a preposition, it is correct to use the "objective" form in English.
The rules do not change when we use a personal pronoun in conjunction with a proper name. Consider the following examples:
Helena and I went to the bookstore.
Hermione made a cake for Ron and me.
and finally:
That is between John and me.
For some reason, people tend to use the nominative form of the personal pronoun instead of the objective form, when combined with a proper name, even where the correct form is the objective form and even where if the personal pronoun were removed the author would use the correct form of the personal pronoun.
Or, to quote Fowler's Modern English Usage s.v. I (1): "Between you and I is a piece of false grammar which, though often heard, is not sanctioned, like its opposites It's me and That's him even in colloquial usage..."
Please, have pity. Don't make me read "between he and I" instead of "between him and me" ever again. Don't write, "Hermione gave the book to Ron and I" when you mean "Hermione gave the book to Ron and me." Please. Or I might just have to get out that hacksaw.
Comments, criticisms of my idiosyncratic punctuation and pleas for mercy welcome.
