An English Grammar Part 87

(1) When the object is far removed from the verb, verbal, or preposition which governs it; as, "_He_ that can doubt whether he be anything or no, I speak not to" (_he_ should be _him_, the object of _to_); "I saw men very like him at each of the places mentioned, but not _he_" (_he_ should be _him_, object of _saw_).

(2) In the case of certain pairs of p.r.o.nouns, used after verbs, verbals, and prepositions, as this from Shakespeare, "All debts are cleared between you and I" (for _you_ and _me_); or this, "Let _thou_ and _I_ the battle try" (for _thee_ and _me_, or _us_).

(3) By forgetting the construction, in the case of words used in apposition with the object; as, "Ask the murderer, _he_ who has steeped his hands in the blood of another" (instead of "_him_ who,"

the word being in apposition with _murderer_).

[Sidenote: _Exception 1_, who _interrogative_.]

405. The interrogative p.r.o.noun who may be said to have no objective form in spoken English. We regularly say, "_Who_ did you see?" or, "_Who_ were they talking to?" etc. The more formal "To _whom_ were they talking?" sounds stilted in conversation, and is usually avoided.

In literary English the objective form _whom_ is _preferred_ for objective use; as,--

Knows he now to _whom_ he lies under obligation?--SCOTT.

What doth she look on? _Whom_ doth she behold?--WORDSWORTH.

Yet the nominative form is found quite frequently to divide the work of the objective use; for example,--

My son is going to be married to I don't know _who_.--GOLDSMITH.

_Who_ have we here?--_Id._

_Who_ should I meet the other day but my old friend.--STEELE.

He hath given away half his fortune to the Lord knows _who_.--KINGSLEY.

_Who_ have we got here?--SMOLLETT.

_Who_ should we find there but Eustache?--MARRVAT.

_Who_ the devil is he talking to?--SHERIDAN.

[Sidenote: _Exception 2, but_ he, _etc._]

406. It is a well-established usage to put the nominative form, as well as the objective, after the preposition _but_ (sometimes _save_); as,--

All were knocked down but _us_ two.--KINGSLEY.

Thy sh.o.r.es are empires, changed in all save _thee._--BYRON.

Rich are the sea G.o.ds:--who gives gifts but _they?_--EMERSON.

The Chieftains then Returned rejoicing, all but _he_.

--SOUTHEY

No man strikes him but _I_.--KINGSLEY.

None, save _thou_ and thine, I've sworn, Shall be left upon the morn.

BYRON.

Exercise.

Correct the italicized p.r.o.nouns in the following, giving reasons from the a.n.a.lysis of the quotation:--

1. _Thou_, Nature, partial Nature, I arraign.

2. Let you and _I_ look at these, for they say there are none such in the world.

3. "Nonsense!" said Amyas, "we could kill every soul of them in half an hour, and they know that as well as _me_."

4. Markland, _who_, with Jortin and Thirlby, Johnson calls three contemporaries of great eminence.

5. They are coming for a visit to _she_ and _I_.

6. They crowned him long ago; But _who_ they got to put it on n.o.body seems to know.

7. I experienced little difficulty in distinguis.h.i.+ng among the pedestrians _they_ who had business with St. Bartholomew.

8. The great difference lies between the laborer who moves to Yorks.h.i.+re and _he_ who moves to Canada.

9. Besides my father and Uncle Haddock--_he_ of the silver plates.

10. _Ye_ against whose familiar names not yet The fatal asterisk of death is set, _Ye_ I salute.

11. It can't be worth much to _they_ that hasn't larning.

12. To send me away for a whole year--_I_ who had never crept from under the parental wing--was a startling idea.

II. POSSESSIVE FORMS.

[Sidenote: _As antecedent of a relative._]

407. The possessive forms of personal p.r.o.nouns and also of nouns are sometimes found as antecedents of relatives. This usage is not frequent. The antecedent is usually nominative or objective, as the use of the possessive is less likely to be clear.

We should augur ill of any _gentleman's_ property to whom this happened every other day in his drawing room.--RUSKIN.

For _their_ sakes whose distance disabled them from knowing me.--C.B. BROWN.

Now by _His_ name that I most reverence in Heaven, and by _hers_ whom I most wors.h.i.+p on earth.--SCOTT.

He saw her smile and slip money into the _man's_ hand who was ordered to ride behind the coach.--THACKERAY.