While I was preparing for the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) today, I was struck by the fact that I basically have no clue of elementary written English, especially the grammar. The GMAT is divided into 3 parts of which one, called "sentence correction" features a lot of grammar questions. Let's review "Errors in Pronouns after the Verb TO BE":
I have to admit, when I first read the incorrect phrase, I thought "what's wrong with that"? However, reading the explanation it comes quite clear: "TO BE is an intransitive verb and will always be followed by a subject pronoun." But somehow it would have never appeared to me that "I wish I was him" is completely wrong seen from a grammatical point of view. I can only assume why it sounds so normally for our ears to hear the incorrect phrases. It might be due to the high influence of the media and influential people who don't know the right sentence either.
A Google search as of September 24th reveals around 39,000 hits for the searchphrase "i wish i were him" and only 139 for "i wish i were he", most of them where the term 'he' marks the beginning of a new sentence.
In fact, John Bon Jovi sings in Always "I wish I were him" instead of "I wish I were he", a reality that "ME" am not the first one to mention.
(The picture is taken from the Google Books preview of "Barron's GMAT", a comprehensive guide that I recommend everyone who is learning for the test.)
INCORRECT: I wish I were him!
CORRECT: I wish I were he!INCORRECT: He didn't know that it was me who did it.
CORRECT: He didn't know that it was I who did it.INCORRECT: It must have been her at the door.
CORRECT: It must have been she at the door.
I have to admit, when I first read the incorrect phrase, I thought "what's wrong with that"? However, reading the explanation it comes quite clear: "TO BE is an intransitive verb and will always be followed by a subject pronoun." But somehow it would have never appeared to me that "I wish I was him" is completely wrong seen from a grammatical point of view. I can only assume why it sounds so normally for our ears to hear the incorrect phrases. It might be due to the high influence of the media and influential people who don't know the right sentence either.
A Google search as of September 24th reveals around 39,000 hits for the searchphrase "i wish i were him" and only 139 for "i wish i were he", most of them where the term 'he' marks the beginning of a new sentence.
In fact, John Bon Jovi sings in Always "I wish I were him" instead of "I wish I were he", a reality that "ME" am not the first one to mention.
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