The Century Handbook of Writing - LightNovelsOnl.com
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=b. Guard against the improper attraction of _who_ into the objective case by intervening expressions like _he says_.=
Wrong: The man whom they believed was the cause of the trouble left the country. [_They believed_ is parenthetical, and the subject of _was_ is _who_.]
Right: The man who they believed was the cause of the trouble left the country.
Wrong: Whom do you suppose made us a visit?
Right: Who do you suppose made us a visit?
=Guard against the improper attraction of _who_ or _whoever_ into the objective case by a preceding verb or preposition.=
Wrong: Punish whomever is guilty. [The p.r.o.noun is the subject of _is_. The object of _punish_ is the entire clause _whoever is guilty_.]
Right: Punish whoever is guilty.
Wrong: The mystery as to whom had rendered him this service remained. [The p.r.o.noun is the subject of _had rendered_. The object of the preposition is the entire clause _who had rendered him this service_.]
Right: The mystery as to who had rendered him this service remained.
=c. The predicate complement of the verb _to be_ (in any of its forms, _is_, _was_, _were_, _be_, etc.) is in the nominative case.= _To be_ never takes an object, because it does not express action.
Wrong: Was it her? Was it them? It is me.
Right: Was it she? Was it they? Is it I.
Wrong: The happiest people there were him and his mother.
Right: The happiest people there were he and his mother.
=d. The object of a preposition or a verb is in the objective case.=
Wrong: Some of we fellows went fis.h.i.+ng.
Right: Some of us fellows went fis.h.i.+ng.
Wrong: That seems incredible to you and I.
Right: That seems incredible to you and me.
Wrong: Who did they detect?
Right: Whom did they detect?
=e. The "a.s.sumed" subject of an infinitive is in the objective case.=
Right: I wanted him to go. [_Him to go_ is the group object of the verb _wanted_. _To go_, being an infinitive, cannot a.s.sert an action, and consequently cannot take a subject. But _to go_ implies that something is at least capable of action. _Him_ is the latent or a.s.sumed subject of the action implied in _to go_.]
Right: _Whom_ do you wish _to be_ your leader? [_Whom_ is the a.s.sumed subject of the infinitive _to be_.]
=f. A noun or p.r.o.noun used to express possession is in the possessive case.= Do not omit the apostrophe (See 97) from nouns, or from the p.r.o.nouns _one's_ and _other's_. Most of the other possessive p.r.o.nouns do not require an apostrophe.
Right: The man's hair is gray.
Right: The machine does its work well. [_It's_ would mean _it is_.]
Right: One should do one's duty.
=g. A noun or p.r.o.noun linked with a gerund should be in the possessive case whenever the use of the objective case might cause confusion.=
Faulty: Is there any criticism of Arthur going?
Right: Is there any criticism of Arthur's going?
Right: I had not heard of his being sick.
Right, but slightly less desirable: I had not heard of him being sick.
Note.--In other instances than those in which clearness is involved many good writers use the objective case with the gerund. But even in these instances most writers prefer the possessive case.
=h. It is usually awkward and slightly illogical to attribute possession to inanimate objects.=
Awkward: The farm's management.
Better: The management of the farm.
Awkward: The stomach's lining.
Better: The lining of the stomach.
Note.--Usage justifies many exceptions, particularly (1) expressions that involve time or measure, _a day's work_, _a hair's breadth_, _a year's salary_, _a week's vacation_, _a cable's length_; and (2) expressions that involve personification, explicit or implied, _Reason's voice_, _the law's delay_, _for mercy's sake_, _the heart's desire_, _the tempest's breath_.
=i. A p.r.o.noun agrees with its antecedent in person, gender, and number, but not in case.=
Right: _I, who am_ older, know better.
Right: Tell _me, who am_ older, your trouble.
Right: Many a man has saved _himself_ by counsel.
Exercise:
1. I am as old as (he, him). They may be pluckier than (we, us). n.o.body is less conceited than (she, her).
2. He gave help to (whoever, whomever) wanted it. The girls (who, whom) they say have the worst taste are on a committee to select the cla.s.s pin.
3. Four of (we, us) boys were left without a cent. That is a good investment for her cousin and (she, her).
4. It was (he, him). It is (they, them). The sole occupants of the car were his chum and (he, him).
