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which are no more closely united in thought than are the three words some, body, and else. Two of the latter are already united, and the close mental union of the third with the first and second would justify the innovation.

But the words are at present disunited. A majority of the best writers still conform to the old custom of placing the possessive with else.

"People were so ridiculous with their illusions, carrying their fool's caps unawares, thinking their own lies opaque, while everybody else's were transparent."-- George Eliot.

Some make a distinction by placing the possessive with else when the noun follows, and with somebody when the noun precedes; as, "This is somebody else's pencil," and "This pencil is somebody's else." This distinction is not generally followed.

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CHAPTER V

Pronouns

The correct use of the pronouns, personal and relative, involves a degree of skill which many speakers and writers fail to possess. The choice of the appropriate pronoun, the agreement with its antecedent, the proper case form, are matters that require careful consideration.

Case Forms

Following am, are, is, was, and other forms of the verb to be, the pronoun must be in the nominative case.

"Are you the person that called?" "Yes; I am him." The answer should have been, "I am he."

"I saw a man trespassing on my grounds, and I think you are him." Say, "You are he."

"It is only me; don't be afraid." "It is only I" is the correct form.

"It was him that struck you, not me." Change him, to he, and me to I.

"It might have been him that sent you the present." Use he, not him.

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"It is him whom you said it was." The sentence should be, "It is he who you said it was."

"That was but a picture of him and not him himself." Say, "and not he himself."

After Verbs and Prepositions

When a pronoun depends upon a verb or a preposition the pronoun must be in the objective case.

"Between you and I, that picture is very faulty." The pronouns you and I depend upon the preposition between. The pronoun I should therefore be in the objective case, and the sentence should be, "Between you and me, that picture is very faulty."

"The president of the meeting appointed you and I upon the committee."

As both pronouns are objects of the transitive verb appointed, both should be in the objective case. You having the same form in the objective as in the nominative is, therefore, correct, but I should be changed to me.

"The teacher selected he and I to represent the class." The pronouns are the objects of the verb selected, and should be changed to him and me. The infinitive to represent, like other infinitives, can have no subject, and, therefore, does not control the case of the pronouns.

Interrogatives

When a question is asked, the subject is usually placed after the verb, or between the auxiliary and

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the verb; as, "Did you go to town?" "Will he sail to-day?" "Has your uncle arrived?" "Hearest thou thy mother's call?"

The object or attribute of the verb, when a pronoun, is often used to introduce the sentence. "Who should I see coming toward me but my old friend?" Who should be whom, for it is the object, and not the subject, of the verb should see.

"Whom do you think that tall gentleman is?" Whom should be who, as it is the attribute of the verb is.

"Who do you take me for?" Being the object of the preposition for, who should be whom.

After "To be"

"I knew it was him" is incorrect, because the word which forms the pronoun attribute of the verb was must be in the nominative case. But the infinitive of the neuter verb requires the objective case.

Therefore we must say, "I knew it to be him," not "I knew it to be he." The latter faulty form is very frequently employed.

"Who did you suppose it to be?" Incorrect. Say, "whom."

"Whom did you suppose it was?" Incorrect. Say, "who."

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After the Imperative

The imperative mood requires the objective case after it. "Let you and I try it." It should be, "Let you and me try it."

"Let he who made thee answer that."-- Byron. He should have said, "Let him who made thee answer that."

"Let him be whom, he may." Him is the objective after the imperative let, and is correct. Whom should be who, as pronoun attribute of the verb may be. "Who he may be, I cannot tell," is correct. "Who he may be, let him be," is also correct. By transposing, and by omitting be, we have "Let him be who he may."

"Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." When, as in this case, the verb is widely separated from its object, we need to give particular care to the case of the pronoun which constitutes the object. They should be them.

Silent Predicate

"Who will go with us to the woods? Me." The complete answer would be,"

Me will go with you to the woods," the faultiness of which is evident.

The answer should be "I."

After "Than" and "As"

The objective pronoun is often incorrectly used for the nominative after than or as.

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