英语语法：30 “It Is I” Versus “It Is Me”

Grammar Girl here, or actually for this episode I should say, “'Tis I, Grammar Girl, here to help you understand when to use the words I and me.”.

So this week, Jodie wanted to know which is correct: It is I or It is me. She says that when she answers the phone and the person asks, "Is Jodie there?" she usually responds by saying, "This is she." But one of her friends says this is incorrect, and now they have a $5 bet on the question. 

Wow! Ryan, David, Jane, and Iljitsch also asked this question, but they don't have money riding on the answer.
 
The short answer is that Jodie wins. The traditional grammar rule states when a pronoun follows a linking verb, such as is, it should be in the subject case. That means it is correct to say, “It is I,” and “It was he who dropped the phone in shock when Jodie answered, 'This is she.'”
 
Linking verbs are words like is, was, were, appear, and seem, which don't describe an action so much as describe a state of being. When pronouns follow these non-action verbs, you use the subject pronouns such as I, she, he, they, and we.
 
Here are some more correct examples:
 
Who called Jodie? It was he.
Who told you about it? It was I.
Who had the phone conversation? It must have been they.
Who cares? It is we.
 
Now the problem is that 90 percent of you are almost certainly thinking, “Well, that all sounds really weird¹. Is she serious?”
 
Well, yes, I'm serious, and that is the traditional rule, but fortunately most grammarians forgive you for not following the rule. In her aptly titled book Woe² Is I, Patricia O'Connor notes that almost everyone says, “It is me,” and that the “It is I” construction is almost extinct (1). Most other grammarians agree that unless you're answering the phone for the English department at the University of Chicago or responding to a Supreme³ Court judge, it's OK to use what sounds right and therefore, “That's me” is an acceptable answer (2, 3, 4, 5). So even though Jodie is technically⁴ correct, it would probably be more fair for her and her friend to take the $5 and go get a cold beverage⁵ together.
 
On a related note, a listener named Jane wanted to know whether it is correct to say, “Rather you than me,” or “Rather you than I,” and the answer is similar to the “it is I” situation.
 
Traditional grammar rules state that you use the subject pronoun, I, after words such as than and as. So the correct answer is that when Jane's friends are in trouble, she can say, “Rather you than I.” On the other hand, using the object pronoun, me, is so common that most grammarians also accept “Rather you than me.”
 
I hate it when language is in flux⁶ like this because it's easy to get confused. But a lot of people have asked me these questions, and in the end, I believe it's best to know the traditional rules and then if you decide to break them you can do so knowingly and with conviction.
 
Last weekend I went to the Portable Media Expo in California and met a great bunch of other podcasters. It was a blast and if you ever get the chance to attend, you should go. We're having a smaller free shindig in Phoenix⁷ in early November called Podcamp Arizona and I'll put a link in the blog for people who are interested.

Here's another bonus: I created a quiz on Facebook to go with this episode. You have to become my Facebook friend, but then you can take the quiz and see how much you've learned. It's pretty easy to do, so if people take the quiz, I'll keep making them for each episode.

You can find a transcript⁸ of this podcast, my contact information, and all the other great Quick and Dirty Tips podcasts at quickanddirtytips.com. Also, I'm working on a new, more informal podcast called “Behind the Grammar,” which will also be up on the website, probably just embedded⁹ in this show's transcript for now.

 
So until next time, it is I, Grammar Girl, who thank you for listening.
 

1 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

2 woe   

n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌

参考例句：

• Our two peoples are brothers sharing weal and woe.我们两国人民是患难与共的兄弟。
• A man is well or woe as he thinks himself so.自认祸是祸，自认福是福。

3 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

4 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

5 beverage   

n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料

参考例句：

• The beverage is often colored with caramel.这种饮料常用焦糖染色。
• Beer is a beverage of the remotest time.啤酒是一种最古老的饮料。

6 flux   

n.流动；不断的改变

参考例句：

• The market is in a constant state of flux.市场行情在不断变化。
• In most reactors,there is a significant flux of fast neutrons.在大部分反应堆中都有一定强度的快中子流。

7 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

8 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

9 embedded   

a.扎牢的

参考例句：

• an operation to remove glass that was embedded in his leg 取出扎入他腿部玻璃的手术
• He has embedded his name in the minds of millions of people. 他的名字铭刻在数百万人民心中。