If it were me/I

[Allifathima]

1. If it were me, I would say “His comment is unnecessary.”
2. If it were I, I would say “His comment is unnecessary.”
   Are both sentences OK?
   Thanks.

[James_M]

@Allifathima

Are both sentences OK?

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

In my opinion, I believe that the answer is an absolute YES. (You accidentally forgot the comma after the word “say.”)

In 2014, I am pretty sure that most Americans would say, “If it were me …”

Of course, as you know, the rule calls for “If it were [/b]I[b] …”

But nowadays almost no one cares what the rule says.

From time to time, however, you will hear (or read) “If it were I.”

Personally, I always use “I,” but there are very few people left who do so.

I have a suspicion that some instructors at the university still follow the rule because they do not want people to think that they speak “bad” English.

James
[/b]

[Canadian45]

@Allifathima

1. If it were me, I would say “His comment is unnecessary.”
2. If it were I, I would say “His comment is unnecessary.”

Are both sentences OK? [color=blue]not as far as I am concerned
I would only say “If it were me…” “me” is the object of the verb “were”.

I would not put a comma after “say”. I see no reason to separate “say” and what is said with a comma.

Thanks.

[Beeesneees]

@Canadian45

I would not put a comma after “say”. I see no reason to separate “say” and what is said with a comma.

Many punctuation guides disagree, so if it were a scholarly work I would go with what is expected.

[Canadian45]

@Beeesneees

@Canadian45

I would not put a comma after “say”. I see no reason to separate “say” and what is said with a comma.

Many punctuation guides disagree, so if it were a scholarly work I would go with what is expected.

[color=blue]But other punctuation guides may well have have different recommendations. Therefore, the only people obliged to follow a certain punctuation guide are the people writing for that publication. That publication’s punctuation guide is mostly irrelevant to everyone else!

added later… Don’t assume that people who write punctuation guides for the print media are necessarily punctuation experts! They probably have spent much less time considering punctuation and such things than those of us who have spent years on sites like this have done.

[Beeesneees]

@Canadian45

But other punctuation guides may well have have different recommendations. Therefore, the only people obliged to follow a certain punctuation guide are the people writing for that publication. That publication’s punctuation guide is mostly irrelevant to everyone else!

That’s why I said ‘go with what is expected’!!

added later… Don’t assume that people who write punctuation guides for the print media are necessarily punctuation experts! They probably have spent much less time considering punctuation and such things than those of us who have spent years on sites like this have done.

Who’s talking about the media? I said ‘scholarly work’. Universities have style guides too. A student would ignore that guide at their cost.

[Canadian45]

@Beeesneees

Who’s talking about the media? I said ‘scholarly work’. Universities have style guides too. A student would ignore that guide at their cost.

[color=blue]What I said before still applies. Universities will also differ in their punctuation guides, and again the only people obliged to follow a particular guide are those writing at or for that university.
Your post accomplished nothing beyond wasting your and other people’s time.

[Beeesneees]

LOL - you seem to have a large chip on your shoulder simply because I replied to one of your posts.
I’m sure other people will read things with more clarity, so once again feel free to have the last word if you wish. There is no point in continuing responding when you are simply arguing against nothing.

[Canadian45]

@Beeesneees

There is no point in continuing responding when you are simply arguing against nothing.

[color=blue]I wonder if anyone knows what that is supposed to mean.