Pronoun Case Question

Question

Which is grammatically correct?It's her.or It's she.Also, You are you.orYou are yourself.

KickingCat · Accepted Answer

it's her is correct.

you can say she is it but not the other way around.

No native speaker would say you are you... it is not incorrect but no one uses it.

You are yourself, well I guess it is the same as the answer above

Breez · Answer

Dictionary.com's usage states that the subjective case is needed in formal usage? Are both acceptable?

Nef · Answer

BreezDictionary.com's usage states that the subjective case is needed in formal usage? Are both acceptable?

(I'm in the western US, and don't claim to know what is common in many other places.)

Even though what Breez says is correct, I'm used to people saying "It's me", rather than "It's I". The same is true for "It's her", rather than "It's she", etc.

This usage has become so common that the subjective case soundsstrange to a lot of people, including myself. I think this is one of many areas where what is considered acceptable English is changing. Some people don't like the change. Some do like it. Many don't even know it's a change.

MrPedantic · Answer

1. It's her.

— This is the usual form.

2. It's she.

— This is the form that you would use if you believed that a subject complement must take the same case as its subject.

I can't imagine a formal context in which you'd need to say "It is she" (not "it's she"); but yes, it is more formal. (Perhaps you might hear it in the context of archly mock-melodramatic humour: e.g. "It is she!", as a friend entered the room. Actors might say it.)

3. You are you.

— This is uninformative but grammatical.

4. You are yourself.

— This too is grammatical.

MrP

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