USC linemen get pushed around by a bad case of pronoun abuse

Billy MacDonald, a genial local television sportscaster in Los Angeles, recently interviewed University of Southern California football line coach Pat Ruel. The focus of MacDonald's questioning hinged on Ruel's charges playing at high levels of efficiency: How is it they perform so well, asked MacDonald, also known as Billy Mac. "Our guys push each other each day for starting positions," responded Ruel.

Billy Mac's followup question: "Who's pushing who?"

No, Billy Mac. The big fellows push each other each day in practice to gain a starting position for Saturday's game. When you push someone, you need to represent that someone as an object; otherwise, you'd be pushing yourself, which is possible to express if you mean "self-motivated."

Billy Mac meant to say: "Who's pushing whom."

Thus: I push him, not I push I.
He pushes him or them, not He pushes he or they
and, Who's pushing whom, not Who's pushing who?

Nicole Gets One Sentence Right

Self-observed, Nicole Richie had the following to say about her becoming pregnant,

"It was my best friend and I," she said, the "it" referring to the fetus. Another way of saying "it" would be, "The fetus and I are best friends."

"best friend and I" serve as a predicate noun and predicate pronoun in a compound predicate noun phrase linked by the linking verb "was" to the subject "It." Many would have said, "best friend and me," a disagreement in pronoun case with the subject pronoun. With the syntax rearranged, it's a safe bet few would say, "My best friend and me are my fetus and I."

Maternal affection and proper use of the personal pronoun, all in the same sentence. Something to celebrate.

Personal Pronouns and Objects of Prepositions

Recently, Bree Walker, a former newscaster in Los Angeles, was being interviewed on radio. No longer in the television business, Ms. Walker involves herself in public awareness projects on a variety of subjects, particularly those surrounding disabilities. Asked how she chooses her projects, she responded, "The project chooses me instead of I it."

Ms. Walker should have used the objective case pronoun me in place of I because the pronoun follows a prepositional phrase commanding an object pronoun. Elliptically (inserting words not spoken but perhaps thought), Ms. Walker was probably thinking something like: I choose my projects." One could offer an argument that the entire, elliptical clause "I (choosing) it" serves as the object of the preposition, and operating within the clause is the subject pronoun I, but this would be a stretch in grammatical terms.

When it comes to inflecting pronouns for an ordained case, and particularly in English, the ear may become confused. As we have seen, such exalted types as Kobe Bryant and Prince William can't trust their ears on occasion either.

The rules are clear, and modern English, a language emphasizing vocabulary and syntax, still remains true to certain rules of more inflected languages. Therefore, those who can trust their ears and would have Ms. Walker say, "The project chooses me instead of me it" are correct. The prepositional phrase commands the use of the objective case pronoun following it. Any thought of the whole clause acting as object with the subjective case "I" in that object clause matters not. You might say, the ears have it, not the I's, at least for those who know the rules.

Prince William Joins Kobe

At a recent tribute to his late mother Princess Diana, Prince William graciously spoke to all those contributing to the success of the event. "It remains for Harry and I to...thank you...." he said with a charm reminding you of his mother's own appeal.

William's problem stems from using the subject pronoun "I" after the preposition "for." Pronouns following prepositions should be objective case pronouns. William should have used "me."

It remains for Harry and me to thank you.

It is easy to see where William went wrong. He was thinking, Harry and I want to thank you which is grammatically correct because no preposition lies in wait. Both Kobe and William may be forgiven for misspeaking; difficult to edit yourself while talking. We are hopeful these two celebrated individuals make no similar mistakes while writing.

Kobe Bryant's Misuse of Personal Pronoun, Nothing Personal

On May 28th we had to issue a citation to appear in "grammar court" to Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers who said, "...the Lakers and me just have two different visions for the future."

Is it just all about "me"? Perhaps, yet in this case, "I" can mean "me" and be the correct grammar choice, sort of a "two for one" deal for Kobe.

Grammatically, Kobe's sentence contains a compound subject, two subjects. Because a subject lies in the subjective case realm (also called nominative case), it must actually be a subject. Although "me" is in the subject position, it is not a subjective case personal pronoun but a an objective case pronoun. Things happen to it; it does not do things. A common solution to the problem is to use each choice alone letting your ears do the work:

The Lakers have a different vision for the future works.

Me have a different vision for the future clearly does not work. The correct choice is I.

Kobe might have said: I have a different vision of the future from the Lakers as they have not done enough for me.