This is her, This is she, This is I, This is me

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Which of the following answers is correct below?

(on the phone) Hello, is this Louise?

This is her

This is she

This is I

This is me

Thank you

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Define "correct".

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@paok1970,

paok1970 wrote:

Which of the following answers is correct below?

(on the phone) Hello, is this Louise?

This is her

This is she

This is I

This is me

Thank you

Sounds like a simple, one-word response would suffice, eh? To wit: "Yes."

0 Replies

@paok1970,

paok1970 wrote:

Which of the following answers is correct below?

(on the phone) Hello, is this Louise?

This is her

This is she

This is I

This is me

Thank you

Sounds like a simple, one-word response would suffice, eh? To wit: "Yes."

0 Replies

@centrox,

How should I answer the question below?

(on the phone) Hello, is this/that Louise?

1) This/That is her/she

or

2) This/That is I/me

Thank you

0 Replies

@paok1970,

Yes.

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

ehBeth wrote:

Yes.

Me, I would never say "yes." I would answer by saying "Who the **** is asking, and why are you asking?"

1 Reply

@layman,

I'm sure we've all been exposed to a situation where you answer your phone only to have the person calling ask: "Who is this?"

If they don't know, then why are they calling? My invariable response is "Who are you?" 9 out of 10 times I figure it's the damn pigs calling, trying to see if I'm at home so they can come execute an arrest warrant on me, ya know?

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Sometimes I call people from my office, and I am required to get them to say who they are first, so I say "Who am I speaking to?" or "Can I speak to xxxx?"

0 Replies

@paok1970,

If you wish to follow traditionally correct English grammar, you should probably answer: Yes, this is SHE.

a. This = subject
b. is = linking verb
c. she = subjective complement. (You need the nominative case after a linking verb, NOT the objective case "her.")

In reality, however, probably most native American speakers say "her."

If you say "she," some people may think that you are being snobbish, and some people (who do not know the rule) may think that you are speaking "bad" English!

2 Replies

@TheParser,

Yeah, I would get snobbish about it, if I were her, and say "You're talking to she, fool, what the **** do you want?"

1 Reply

@layman,

Thank you for your very humorous comment.

So that we do not confuse our learner friends, your sentence -- as you know -- should be:

"You're talking to HER, fool. What the f*ck do you want?"

After a preposition such as "to," we always use the objective form ("her").

Sadly, I sometimes hear native speakers say something like: "I gave some donuts to Tony and she."

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@TheParser,

Quote:

If you wish to follow traditionally correct English grammar, you should probably answer: Yes, this is SHE.

a. This = subject
b. is = linking verb
c. she = subjective complement. (You need the nominative case after a linking verb, NOT the objective case "her.")

In reality, however, probably most native American speakers say "her."

If you say "she," some people may think that you are being snobbish, and some people (who do not know the rule) may think that you are speaking "bad" English!

This is another of those silly prescriptions. Reality, as you have noted, Parser, has most speakers using the objective case. Why? Because the "traditionally correct English" was just another prescriptivist's lame attempt at trying to foist false rules upon English speakers, who, obviously, know the rules of English much better.

0 Replies

This is her, This is she, This is I, This is me

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