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Pastimes : SI Grammar and Spelling Lab -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jbe who wrote (1029)	4/2/1998 12:05:00 AM
From: Wizzer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 4711

I believe "Are you who I think you are?" is the right way. This analysis may be entirely incorrect but I will try anyway. I also believe it has something to do with the verb in the sentence. There are two people: the person asking the question, and the person being asked the question. The "think" refers to the person who is asking the question. If the action in the sentence refers to the person asking, it is who. If the action in the sentence refers to the party being asked the question it is "whom". For example, "With whom am I speaking?" or "Whom am I speaking with?" or "Whom is it that you are referring to?" The verb in these sentences are all the actions of the person being asked the question (either in a shared or solitary role). In these cases I use whom. Please correct me if I am wrong.

To: jbe who wrote (1029)	4/2/1998 12:08:00 PM
From: Achilles	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 4711

"Are you who/whom I think you are?" CONTINUED >> It just occurred to me that there is yet another reason to prefer "who" over "whom" in the above sentence. It is this. The verb "to think," when used in the sense of "to believe," "to suppose," is an intransitive verb. Hence, it cannot take a direct object!<< Whether or not 'think' is transitive or intransitive depends on how it is being used. We can 'think thoughts', for example, that is, conceive of ideas. In that case it is transitive. But when it is about perception ('I think <sc. that> x is true'), it is intransitive. How to people feel about 'Are you whom I think you to be?'