Choose the correct word to fill in the blanks. a) All except (he, him) have failed. b) She did it better than (he, him) c) Rama and (1, me) were present. d) Nobody but (he, him) was present. e) I know it was (she, her)
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Here are the correct choices for each sentence:
a) All except him have failed.
b) She did it better than he.
c) Rama and I were present.
d) Nobody but he was present.
e) I know it was she.
Explanation
Choosing the correct pronoun form depends on understanding subjective and objective cases in English grammar.
- Subjective pronouns (I, you, he, she, we, they) are used as the subject of a sentence or clause.
- Objective pronouns (me, you, him, her, us, them) are used as the object of a verb or a preposition.
Let’s analyze each sentence:
a) All except him have failed.
“Except” functions as a preposition here, and prepositions are followed by an objective pronoun. Hence, “him” is correct.
b) She did it better than he.
This is a comparison. The full sentence would be: “She did it better than he did.” The implied verb requires a subjective pronoun, so “he” is correct.
c) Rama and I were present.
When pronouns are used as the subject, use the subjective form. Since “Rama and I” are the compound subject of the sentence, “I” is correct.
d) Nobody but he was present.
“But” acts like “except,” but this is a formal or literary structure where “he” is viewed as the subject complement of “nobody.” Since “was present” links back to “he,” the subjective form is appropriate in this context.
e) I know it was she.
This is a sentence with a linking verb (“was”), and the pronoun after a linking verb (like “is,” “was”) should be in the subjective case. Therefore, “she” is correct. In formal English, we use “It was she” rather than “It was her.”
In informal contexts, people often use objective forms incorrectly (e.g., “It was her”), but in formal English, the above choices are grammatically correct
