Errors in Using Cases

Predicate Nominative

Predicate nominative হচ্ছে subjective complement যা subject সম্পর্কে একটি তথ্য দেয় বা sub-এর একটি আতিরিক্ত পরিচয় দেয় এবং যার আগে একটি ‘to be’ verb বসে। বাক্যের predicate অ্ংশে বসে বলে একে predicate nominative বলা হয়। মনে রাখতে হবে এটি অবশ্যই nominative case-এ হয়।

Incorrect: That was me whom you say yesterday.

Correct: That was I whom you saw yesterday.

Incorrect: The leader may be him, but they do not support him.

Correct: The leader may be he, but they do not support him.

Incorrect: Whomever it may be, I wish him success.

Correct: Whoever it may be, I wish him success.

The object of a Verb

Incorrect: We chose Shina and he for the committee.

Correct: We chose Shina and him for the committee.

Incorrect: Who does she want?

Correct: Whom does she want?

Note: Verb-এর object হিসেবে pronoun বসলে অবশ্যই তার objective form বসবে।

The object of A Preposition

Incorrect: The answer seemed wrong to Mike and she.

Correct: The answer seemed wrong to Mike and her.

Incorrect: Between you and I, this should be an easy task.

Correct: Between you and me, this should be an easy task.

Note: Preposition-এর পরে object হিসেবে কোন pronoun বসলে তার objective form বসে।

Indirect Object of the Verb

Incorrect: Please read Peter and I that story.

Correct: Please read (for) Peter and me that story.

Incorrect: The coach gave they and we a lecture.

Correct: The coach gave (to) them and us a lecture.

Note: Verb-এর indirect object যদি pronoun হয় তাহলে তার objective case হয়। এখানে indirect object (ব্যক্তিবাচক object) হলো ১ম বাক্যে me এবং ২য় বাক্যে them এবং us. আর direct object (বস্তুবাচক object) হলো ১ম বাক্যে that story এবং ২য় বাক্যে a lecture.

The subject of the Infinitive

Incorrect: That was Jeff who the captain asked to help the corporal.

Correct: That was Jeff whom the captain asked to help the corporal.

Incorrect: It was I who they requested to sing.

Correct: It was I whom they requested to sing.

Note: কোনো Pronoun যদি infinitive-এর subject হয় তাহলে অবশ্যই তার objective case হয়।

Incorrect: The instructor advised he to sing.

Correct: The instructor advised him to sing.

Nouns and Pronouns Used in Apposition

Incorrect: The winners. Alif and him, treat the losers, they and we.

Correct: The winners. Alif and he, treat the losers, them and us.

Incorrect: They chose the old officers, Alif and she.

Correct: They chose the old officers, Alif and her.

Incorrect: The leaders, Alif and me, had a score of 20.

Correct: The leaders, Alif and I, had a score of 20.

Note: Apposition মানে ’নিকট অববস্থান’। কোনো noun বা pronoun যখন subject বা object-এর পাশে বসে তার ভিন্ন একটা পরিচয় তুলে ধরে তখন সেই noun বা pronoun-কে apposition বলে। Noun বা pronoun যখন কোনো subject-এর apposition হয় তখন noun বা pronoun-এর nominative case (কর্তৃকারক) হয়; আবার যখন কোনো

object-এর apposition হয় তখন noun বা pronoun-এর objective case (কর্মকারক) হয়।

But Used as a Preposition

Incorrect: The class wanted to criticize everyone but Arif and I.

Correct: The class wanted to criticize everyone but Arif and me.

Incorrect: They did not object to anyone but Patrick and she.

Correct: They did not object to anyone but Patrick and her.

Note: But যখন except (ছাড়া) অর্থে ব্যবহৃত হয় তখন তা preposition হয়; আর preposition-এর পরে noun, pronoun-এর objective case হয়।

Gerunds modified by Possessive

Incorrect: I was not impressed by she speaking softly.

Correct: I was not impressed by her speaking softly.

Incorrect: Father objected to Sana singing.

Correct: Father objected to Sana’s singing.

Incorrect: Mr. Ahmed disliked he asking so many questions.

Correct: Mr. Ahmed disliked his asking so many questions.

Note: কোনো gerund-কে যদি noun, pronoun দ্বারা modify করতে হয় তাহলে সেই noun, pronoun-এর possessive case হয়।

Errors in Use of Reflexive Pronouns

Incorrect: Lira and myself were in the prow of the old boat.

Correct: Lira and I were in the prow of the old boat.

Incorrect: She chose Lira and myself for the task.

Correct: She chose Lira and me for the task.

Note: Reflexive pronoun সবসময় objective case-এ থাকে। তাই তা কোনো verb-এর subject হতে পারে না। তাই উপরের ১ম বাক্যে ‘Lira and myself’ object হবে না, কারণ আমরা জানি reflexive pronoun হলো সেই object যার মধ্যে subject-এর অর্থ প্রতিফলিত হয়। কিন্তু এখানে myself-এর মধ্যে she-এর অর্থ প্রতিফলিত হচ্ছে না। তাই myself-এর জায়গায় object হয়েছে me.