Pronoun case: I or me, who or whom
A pronoun's case depends on its grammatical role. Finding the verb and the pronoun's role within its own clause distinguishes subject forms such as I and who from object forms such as me and whom.
Subjects and objects
English pronoun forms such as I and me are remnants of the language's ancestral case structure, while word order and prepositions mark the roles of nouns in a sentence. Case identifies the role a noun or pronoun plays in a sentence.
The first step in choosing a pronoun's case is to find the verb. The case rule recommends nominative forms for the subject of a verb and the predicate complement of a linking verb, and objective forms for direct objects, indirect objects and objects of prepositions. The forms are:
| Nominative | Objective |
|---|---|
| I | me |
| you | you |
| he | him |
| she | her |
| it | it |
| we | us |
| they | them |
| who | whom |
| whoever | whomever |
The linking verb connecting a pronoun to the subject is usually a form of to be, such as am, is, are, was or were. Examples of nominative predicate complements are I am I, It was he and This is she. Other linking verbs usually connect the subject to an adjective or noun, as in I feel sick and he became king.
Objective-case examples are I like him for a direct object, I wouldn't give her the time of day for an indirect object, and between you and me for objects of a preposition. The prepositional phrase is between you and me, rather than between you and I.
Coordinated pronouns and reflexives
Myself should not replace I or me. The subject form is I in Lee, Pat, and I were present at the meeting, rather than myself; the object form is me in He gave the report to Lee, Pat, and me. In these lists, I and me go last as a matter of modesty.
Case within a clause
A clause can function as a subject or object in a larger sentence, but a pronoun's case depends on its role within that clause. Both You should give it to whoever wants it and You may give it to whomever you wish follow this rule: whoever is a subject within its clause, whereas whomever takes the objective case. The subject and any predicate complement within the clause take the nominative case; its direct and indirect objects take the objective case.
Sentence diagramming can help identify the pronoun's role, although a diagramming app may show structure without correcting grammar. A pronoun before the line separating subject and predicate takes the nominative case; one after it takes the objective case unless the verb is a linking verb, shown by a slash after the verb.
Comparisons with than and as
After except, but, than or as used as prepositions, an objective pronoun may be accepted. Adding a verb avoids controversy by making its subject's case explicit, as in I am taller than he is and He is as cautious as I am.
In People smarter than I have written about this, the comparison means than I am, with am understood, so the pronoun is I.