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Philip Newton
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branchandroot - Resources: Vintage Christmas 6
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Date: Monday, 22 December 2008 06:03 (UTC)I'm actually a bit unsure of how to use English pronouns sometimes, since I have at least three influences pulling at me: what I hear people around me say; the conservative, prescriptive grammar my Father encouraged us to use; and German grammar.
I'm also unsure what to teach Amy; should I say, "He's taller than me" or "He's taller than I" or "He's taller than I am", for example? I think (1) is probably most "authentic" given what most people say these days, but (2) might be regarded as "better" even by some who use (1) themselves. Perhaps having a command of both (1) and (2), and an idea when to use which depending on level of formality/setting/etc. might be best, but a bit much to expect of a four-year-old...
It's also sometimes hard to remember that English is not Latin, and that "I" and "me" are not "nominative" and "accusative", respectively, so "me" is probably not "wrong" in many cases where Latin/German speakers would use "ego/ich".
Thanks for the comment! It made me think a little. Please feel free to continue pointing out such things.