A Girl Like I

A Girl Like I A Girl Like I A Girl Like I By Maeve Maddox A reader writes I know you have written on this issue before, but I see the problem has arisen even in your latest message. You say  For those of you who, like me, hadn’t heard of SI symbols, you’ll find a list here.    Like me   My husband and I have been arguing over the use of me and/or I daily. I would say like me, and he says, like I. I have a sinking feeling he is grammatically correct.   Answer please? I wish all grammar questions were as easy to answer as this one. Its never, ever correct to say like I. In Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Marilyn Monroe plays a blonde bimbo (what else?)   One of her conversational character tags is like I? When the movie came out in 1953, the audience was expected to laugh when she said it. Like is a preposition. Prepositions ALWAYS take an object. The object form of I is me. Im sorry to learn that even one person thinks that like I is a grammatical possibility in standard English. The incorrect use of I in compound objects after the preposition to has been around for some time now. For example: They were very kind to Michelle and I. Putting anothers name in front of the pronoun does not change the fact that to is a preposition and requires an object form: They were very kind to Michelle and me. I hope that this incorrect use of I after like doesnt make the strides in popular speech that it has after transitive verbs. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Program vs. Programme"Wracking" or "Racking" Your Brain?7 Other Types of Pronouns

The Personal A of Spanish

The Personal A of Spanish In English, theres no difference in the way the following two sentences are structured: I saw the tree.I saw Teresa. But in the Spanish equivalent, theres an obvious difference: Vi el rbol.Vi a Teresa. The difference is a one-letter word - a - but its an essential one to learn. Known as the personal a, the short preposition is used to precede direct objects when those objects are people. Although a is usually translated as to, the personal a normally isnt translated into English. The First Rule of the Personal A The basic rule is a simple one: The a precedes the mention of a specific person or persons used as a direct object, and (except in some rare cases where its used for clarification) it is not used in other cases. Some simple examples: Levantà ³ la taza. (He lifted the cup.)Levantà ³ a la muchacha. (He lifted the girl.)Oigo la orquestra. (I hear the orchestra.)Oigo a Taylor Swift. (I hear Taylor Swift.)Recuerdo el libro. (I remember the book.)Recuerdo a mi abuela. (I remember my grandmother.)No conozco tu ciudad.  (I dont know your city.)No conozco a tu padre. (I dont know your father.)Quiero comprender la leccià ³n. (I want to understand the lesson.)Quiero comprender a mi profesora. (I want to understand my teacher.) The a is not used if the object doesnt refer to anyone specific: Conozco a dos carpinteros. (I know two carpenters.)Necesito dos carpinteros. (I need two carpenters.) Keep in mind that a is a very common preposition with a variety of translations. The basic rule here pertains to its use preceding a direct object, not in the numerous other cases where a preposition is called for. Although the basic rule is quite simple, there are a few exceptions (arent there always?), and even an exception to an exception. Key Takeaways: The Personal A in Spanish The personal a is used in Spanish before direct objects.The personal a is generally used when the direct object is a person, or an animal or thing that is thought of as a having personal qualities.Although in other contexts a is the equivalent of the English to, the personal a is usually not translated to English. The Exceptions With certain pronouns: This is really more of a clarification rather than an exception. When used as direct objects, the pronouns alguien (somebody), nadie (nobody) and quià ©n (whom) require the personal a. So do alguno (some) and ninguno (none) when referring to people. No veo a nadie. (I dont see anyone.)Quiero golpear a alguien. (I want to hit somebody.) ¿A quià ©n pertenece esta silla? (Whose chair is this?) ¿Taxis? No vi ningunos. (Taxis? I didnt see any.) ¿Taxistas? No vi a ningunos. (Taxi drivers? I didnt see any.) Pets: Many pet owners think of their animals as people, and so does Spanish grammar, so the personal a is used. But the a isnt used with ordinary animals. Veo a mi perro, Ruff. (I see my dog, Ruff.)Veo tres elefantes. (I see three elephants.) Personification: A country or object can be personified, that is it can be treated as if it were a person. Use of the personal a often implies some sort of a personal relationship, such as an emotional attachment, with the noun personified. Yo extraà ±o mucho a Estados Unidos. (I very much miss the United States.)Abracà © a la muà ±eca a causa de era mi amiga. (I hugged the doll, for she was my friend.) With tener: Generally, the a is not used after tener. Tengo tres hijos y una hija. (I have three sons and a daughter.)No tengo jardinero. (I dont have a gardener.) Exceptions to an Exception After tener: The personal a is used after tener when it is used in the sense to physically hold someone or to have someone somewhere. Tengo a mi hijo en los brazos. (I have my son in my arms.)Tengo a mi hija en el pesebre, I have my daughter in the crib. The personal a can also be used after tener when its usage suggests a particularly close or emotional relationship. Cuando estoy triste y necesito hablar, tengo a mis amigos. (When I am sad and need to talk, I have my friends.)Tengo amigos.  (I have friends.)