The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-22

that she cannot be with US todav' OF
course our hostess did not mention the
laoy name. L should not have noticed
the error if you had not called nv at
tention to it in my own speech before
knew you L had no idea that educated
people were SO careless IN speech. WHY.
ind that persons whom l suppose used
excellent English make an error either
in pronunciation or in grammatical con-
struction in almost every sentence they
utter Ihat is a surprising statement,
but l am prepared to defend it.
Mrs. B.-I think, in many instances your
statement is warranted by the facts But
you must not say, persons whom / sup
posed used excellent English etc. Who,
ana not whom, is the proper form, because
who is the subject of the verb used
and not the object of the verb sup
posed"
The rule is that when the verb think.
suppose, consider, etc, are used in the
sense Of Tin ones estimation" or "in ones
opinion they do not take an object.
Mrs. Aft one could study the lessons
correct English and How to Use It." one
would not make many errors in grammat.
zeal construction.
Mrs. B.-That is true, for wherever the
lessons have been introduced the result
has been marked Improvement in
speech In some places where the col
lege is the center of interest ladies have
formed classes for the purpose of giving
more attention to English. They say that
until the introduction of the lessons in
Correct English and How to Use It,"
they were unaware of their errors in
speech.
Shall and Should.
81 shall" and ST should" express a
condition beyond the control of the WILL
Correct-First: IF eat this fruit L
shall be ill., or, secondly, IF L were to
eat this fruit 1 should be H."
1t is incorrect to say If l eat this fruit
[ will be ILL.," because 81 will means
either L am determined or 81 promfse:"
consequently to say 81 will be ilI'' is
equivalent to saying 81 am determined
to be ill., or 81 promise to be i'll"
Incorrect-I will be obliged to go. Cor
rect-I shall be obliged to go.
Incorrect-I will be delighted to 60
Correct-1 shall be delighted to go.
Incorrect-I will be pleased to see you.
Correct-I shall be pleased to see you
Incorrect-I would have been obliged
to go. Correct should have been
obliged to go.
Incorrect-I would have been disap-
pointed. Correct should have been dis
appointed.
Incorrect-I will like my new home.
Correct-I shall like my new home.
Iucorrect-I would like to announce
that the next meeting, etc. Correct-I
should like to announce that the next
meeting. etc.
Incorrect-I would like to 60 Correct
I should like to go.
In each of these sentences the condition
is beyond the control of the will
person is happy, delighted, pleased,
disappointed, obliged, etc., because he
cannot help it. 1t is beyond the control of
his will; consequently 81 shall" and ST
should" are correct forms, not st wilI'
and 81 would"
Forms With the Verb to Be.
at is She" ''it is he cit is II These
are the correct forms Rule-The noun
or pronoun which follows the verb ''to
be" is in the same case as the noun or
pronoun which precedes the verb ''to be-
In each sentence 'it'' Is in the nomina-
tive case, consequently che" ''she" and
81 must be the nominative case Dr..
Latham, the English grammarian, saws
that me" might be used as quasi-nomi-
native, but other grammarians do not
agree with him.
II think it was he,'' ST think 1t was
she" II think 1t was T." These ara
correct forms. HE" "she" and "I''
must be in the nomnative case, because
it is In the nominative case Rule
The noun or pronoun following the verb
to be- Is in the same case as the noun
or pronoun preceding the verb 'to be-
Note-'It" is not the object of the
verb think" Rule-When the verb
thing is used intranstively in the
sense of ones opinion, in ones judg-
ment or estimation it never has an OBJ
ject.
st could not have been they is cor
rect. They is in the nomnative case,
because sit" is in the nominative case.
He supposed it to be me" Is correct.
and not "he supposed 1t to be l."
Rule-A noun or pronoun following the
verb ito be- is in the same case as the
noun or pronoun preceding the verb Ito
be-" ct is in the objective case; con-
sequently me and not 81" is correct.
TT Is in the objective case because it
is the subject of the ininitive mood ito
be-"
Rule--The subject of the infinitive mood
"to be- is in the objective case.
The same rule obtains in the sentence,
DO you believe it to be him?"
Whom did, she understand it to be?"
is correct The sentence transposed is:
She understood it to be 'whom?" The
same rule applies, viz, to the noun or
pronoun following the verb ito be" is
in the same case as the noun or pronoun
preceding the verb 'to be- whom
is in the objective case because sit" is.
TT is in the objective case because it
Is the subject of the infinitive verb ito
be-
The inf1nitive mood '.to be" is the only
part of the verb ''to be" that is preceded
by the objective case, and in consequence
it is the only part of the verb ''to be"
that is followed by the objective case.
who did you say called?~ is correct,
because ''who" is the subject of the verb
called" and not the .iseJ Get Of the verb
"did say" The sentence transposed is:
Who called. did you say?"
"He is man who you may think IS
your friend, but he is your enemy" This
form is correct, because "who" Is the
subject Of "is" and not the object Of
think"
When the verb think is used intransi-
lively In the sense of ones opinion, m
ones judgment or estimation. 1t never
has an object
Here Is the man who, they say, would
purchase the estate" Is correct, because
who" is the subject Of would purchase
and not the object of the verb said"
IAN apparent exception to the rule that
a noun or pronoun following the verb
ito be- Is in the same case as the noun
or proncun preceding the verb ito be-
occurs when a noun or pronoun In the
possessive case follows the verb to be;
as; this is mine; 1t Is hers. This Is ex-
planned by the following rule: "The
forms NINE thine, ours, yours, theirs and
sometimes his or hers, though possessiVe
in form. have come to be used only in
the nominative and objective cases. They
are in reality substitutes for a noun and
its possessive modifier.''