Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'he' after 'to be' in formal writing; use 'him' in everyday conversation.
- Formal: Use subject pronouns (he, she, I) after 'to be'. Example: 'It is he.'
- Informal: Use object pronouns (him, her, me) after 'to be'. Example: 'It's him.'
- The Mirror Rule: The verb 'to be' is an equals sign; both sides should be subjects.
Overview
It is I가 맞다고 배웠는데, 실제 미드나 영화, 혹은 원어민 친구와의 대화에서는 모두가 It's me라고 말하는 것을 목격할 때일 것입니다. To-be-he와 To-be-him의 차이는 단순한 문법적 옳고 그름의 문제를 넘어, 영어라는 언어가 가진 격식(Formal)과 비격식(Informal)의 경계, 그리고 언어의 역사적 변화를 보여주는 아주 흥미로운 지점입니다.he, I, she와 목적어로 쓰이는 him, me, her 중 어떤 것을 be 동사 뒤에 써야 하는가에 대한 논쟁이죠. 전통적인 규범 문법(Prescriptive Grammar)에서는 be 동사를 앞뒤가 같은 상태임을 나타내는 '연결 동사'로 보기 때문에 주격 대명사를 써야 한다고 강조합니다.be 동사가 바로 이 '이다'의 역할을 수행합니다. 수학으로 치면 등호(=)와 같습니다.He(주어) =a teacher(보어)
- 1전통적 관점 (주격 보어 원칙):
be 동사는 동작을 나타내는 동사가 아닙니다. 주어가 어떤 동작을 누구에게 행하는 것이 아니기 때문에, be 동사 뒤에 오는 말은 목적어가 아니라 주어를 보충 설명해 주는 '주격 보어'가 됩니다. 주어를 보충해 주는 말이니 당연히 주어와 같은 '주격'이어야 한다는 논리입니다.The winner(주어) =he(주격 대명사)- 문장:
The winner is he.
- 1현대적 관점 (위치적 격 결정):
be 동사가 연결 동사일지라도, 위치상 동사 뒤에 있으니 본능적으로 목적격(him, me, her)을 쓰고 싶어 하는 것입니다.- 문장:
The winner is him.(현대 구어체에서 훨씬 자연스럽게 들림)
I, he, she, we, they | 은/는, 이/가 (문장의 주인공) |me, him, her, us, them | 을/를, 에게 (동사의 대상) |am, is, are, was, were | ~이다 (상태나 정체성 연결) |be 동사, 그리고 그 뒤에 주격 대명사를 배치하는 것입니다. 하지만 상황에 따라 목적격을 사용하는 패턴도 함께 익숙해져야 합니다.Subject + be verb + Subject Pronoun (주격 대명사 사용)It is I.(접니다.)It was she who called you.(당신에게 전화한 사람은 바로 그녀였습니다.)The candidates are they.(후보자들은 바로 그들입니다.)
Subject + be verb + Object Pronoun (목적격 대명사 사용)It's me.(나야.)It was her.(그녀였어.)That's them over there.(저기 있는 사람들이 그들이야.)
I | me |he | him |she | her |we | us |they | them |you와 it은 주격과 목적격의 형태가 같기 때문에 고민할 필요가 없습니다. It is you나 It's you 모두 형태상 차이가 없으니까요. 문제는 I/me, he/him, she/her, we/us, they/them에서 발생합니다.he, I, she)를 써야 하는 경우:- 학술적 글쓰기나 공식 보고서: 대학 리포트나 논문에서는 전통적인 문법 규칙을 따르는 것이 안전합니다.
The primary researcher was he.와 같은 표현은 전문성을 더해줍니다. - 법적 상황이나 격식 있는 인터뷰: 매우 보수적인 환경에서는 문법적 정확성이 신뢰감으로 이어질 수 있습니다.
- 전화 응대 (전통적 방식): 전화를 걸어 누군가를 찾을 때,
Is this [Name]?이라는 질문에This is she.혹은This is he.라고 답하는 것은 매우 세련되고 격조 있는 표현으로 간주됩니다.
him, me, her)를 써야 하는 경우:- 일상적인 대화: 친구와 카페에서 수다를 떨거나, 가족과 대화할 때
It is I라고 하면 지나치게 딱딱하거나 심지어 농담을 하는 것처럼 들릴 수 있습니다. 이때는 무조건It's me가 정답입니다. - 문자 메시지나 SNS: 카카오톡이나 인스타그램 DM 등에서는 격식을 차리지 않는 것이 오히려 자연스럽습니다.
That was him!이라고 쓰는 것이 훨씬 현대적입니다. - 대부분의 비즈니스 이메일: 최근의 비즈니스 영어는 지나친 격식보다는 명확하고 친근한 소통을 중시합니다. 따라서 아주 딱딱한 공문서가 아니라면
It's me정도의 표현은 충분히 허용됩니다.
- 상황 A (배달 앱 상황): 배달 기사님이 «누구세요?»라고 물을 때
- (자연스러움) "It's me!" (저예요!)
- (어색함)
It is I.(본인입니다. - 지나치게 엄격함) - 상황 B (회사 면접): 면접관이 과거 프로젝트의 책임자가 누구였는지 물을 때
- (전문적임)
The lead developer was I, in collaboration with the design team.
- (무난함)
I was the lead developer.
be 동사 뒤를 무조건 목적어라고 생각하는 오류:him, me)이 와야 한다고 생각하기 쉽습니다. 하지만 be 동사는 '상태'를 나타내는 연결 동사임을 잊지 마세요.- 실수:
The winner is him만 정답이라고 생각함. - 교정: 격식 있는 자리에서는
The winner is he가 더 높은 수준의 영어로 대접받는다는 것을 인지해야 합니다.
be 동사 뒤에 주격을 써야 한다는 규칙에 너무 집착한 나머지, 일반 동사 뒤에도 주격을 쓰는 실수를 범하곤 합니다.- 잘못된 예:
She saw he at the library.(X) - 설명:
saw는be동사가 아니라 일반적인 '타동사'입니다. 타동사 뒤에는 반드시 목적격인him을 써야 합니다.be동사 그룹(am, is, are, was, were)일 때만 주격을 고민하는 것입니다.
than 뒤의 격):be 동사 문제는 아니지만 원리가 비슷하여 한국인들이 자주 틀리는 부분입니다.- 실수:
He is taller than me.(일상적) - 실수:
He is taller than I.(격식적)
than 뒤에 me만 써야 한다고 생각하거나, 반대로 I는 틀렸다고 생각합니다. 하지만 than I (am)에서 am이 생략된 형태이므로 than I가 문법적으로는 더 원칙에 가깝습니다. 상황에 맞춰 골라 써야 합니다.be 동사와 같은 연결 동사(Linking Verbs)들은 일반적인 동작 동사(Action Verbs)와는 다른 문법적 규칙을 따릅니다. 이를 표로 비교해 보면 명확해집니다.be, become, seem, appear | hit, love, see, buy, eat |he, she, I) | 목적격 (him, her, me) |It was she. (그녀였다) | I saw her. (그녀를 보았다) |become이나 seem 같은 동사들도 연결 동사 그룹에 속하지만, 현대 영어에서 이들 뒤에 주격 대명사를 쓰는 경우는 거의 없습니다.He seemed to be her.(O) - 거의 항상 목적격을 씁니다.He seemed to be she.(X) - 문법적으로 설명은 가능하나 원어민들도 거의 쓰지 않는 고어적인 표현입니다.
be 동사만이 유독 주격과 목적격 사이에서 팽팽한 줄다리기를 하고 있는 셈입니다.It's me라고 말하면 문법적으로 틀린 건가요?It is I라고 하면 의사소통의 흐름을 방해할 정도로 어색할 수 있습니다. 시험 문제라면 주격을 선택하되, 실생활에서는 It's me를 편하게 사용하세요.Is [Name] there?라고 물을 때 This is him이라고 해도 되나요?This is he라고 답하는 것이 훨씬 정중하고 교양 있게 들립니다. 한국어로 치면 «제가 그 사람이에요»와 «네, 저입니다(본인입니다)» 정도의 뉘앙스 차이라고 보시면 됩니다.Who is it?이라는 질문에 It's I라고 대답하는 원어민을 본 적이 없어요.It's I는 현대 구어체에서 거의 사멸한 표현입니다. 다만, 강조를 위해 It is I, your king! 처럼 극적인 효과를 노릴 때나 아주 격식 있는 문어체에서만 생명력을 유지하고 있습니다. 여러분은 It's me를 기본으로 사용하시되, 아주 격식 있는 글을 쓸 때만 he/she/I를 떠올리시면 됩니다.he, she, I)을 고르는 것이 안전합니다.Pronoun Choice After 'To Be'
| Subject | Verb (To Be) | Formal Pronoun | Informal Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
|
It
|
is
|
I
|
me
|
|
It
|
is
|
he
|
him
|
|
It
|
is
|
she
|
her
|
|
It
|
is
|
we
|
us
|
|
It
|
is
|
they
|
them
|
|
The winner
|
was
|
he
|
him
|
|
The callers
|
were
|
they
|
them
|
Common Contractions (Informal Only)
| Full Form | Contraction | Usage |
|---|---|---|
|
It is him
|
It's him
|
Very Common
|
|
That is her
|
That's her
|
Common
|
|
It is me
|
It's me
|
Universal
|
|
It is them
|
It's them
|
Common
|
Meanings
This rule determines which pronoun case to use following a linking verb (specifically 'to be'). It distinguishes between traditional grammatical correctness and modern idiomatic usage.
Identification (Formal)
Using the subjective case (he) to identify a person in a formal or academic context.
“It was he who first discovered the error.”
“The winner of the prize is she.”
Identification (Informal)
Using the objective case (him) for identification in natural, everyday speech.
“Who's that in the photo? Oh, that's him.”
“It's me! Open the door.”
Phone/Intercom Etiquette
A specific scenario where both forms are frequently encountered depending on the speaker's desired level of politeness.
“May I speak to John? 'This is he.'”
“Is that Sarah? 'Yeah, it's her.'”
Reference Table
| 주격 대명사 | 목적격 대명사 | 격식 있는 올바른 예시 ('be동사' 뒤) |
|---|---|---|
|
`I`
|
`me`
|
The one who called was `I`.
|
|
`you`
|
`you`
|
The best candidate is `you`.
|
|
`he`
|
`him`
|
We thought the captain was `he`.
|
|
`she`
|
`her`
|
I'm certain the owner is `she`.
|
|
`it`
|
`it`
|
Yes, that is `it`.
|
|
`we`
|
`us`
|
The people responsible are `we`.
|
|
`they`
|
`them`
|
The winners will be `they`.
|
격식 수준 스펙트럼
This is he. (Phone call)
Yes, that's me. (Phone call)
Yeah, it's me. (Phone call)
Yo, you got him. (Phone call)
'To Be' 뒤 주격 대명사 vs. 목적격 대명사
어떤 대명사를 사용할까?
'be동사'의 형태(is, was, were...)인가요?
상황이 격식적인가요 (에세이, 시험)?
연결 동사 뒤 대명사
주격 대명사
- I It was I.
- He / She The spy was she.
- They The winners are they.
목적격 대명사
- me It's me.
- him / her It was her.
- them It was them.
상황이 핵심
격식 / 서면
- • It was he.
- • The director is she.
- • The guilty parties were they.
비격식 / 구어체
- • It was him.
- • The director is her.
- • 저기 있는 그들이야!
수준별 예문
It is me!
It is me!
That is him over there.
That is him over there.
Is it her?
Is it her?
It's not them.
It's not them.
I thought it was him.
I thought it was him.
It's me, Sarah.
It's me, Sarah.
The winner is her!
The winner is her!
Was it him who called?
Was it him who called?
If you need the doctor, it is he.
If you need the doctor, it is he.
This is she speaking.
This is she speaking.
It was him who broke the window, not me.
It was him who broke the window, not me.
I'm sure it was they who arrived first.
I'm sure it was they who arrived first.
It was he who spearheaded the project.
It was he who spearheaded the project.
The person you are looking for is I.
The person you are looking for is I.
Despite the evidence, it wasn't him.
Despite the evidence, it wasn't him.
It is they who must decide the future.
It is they who must decide the future.
Should the culprit be he, we shall act.
Should the culprit be he, we shall act.
It is I who am responsible for this mess.
It is I who am responsible for this mess.
The only ones left were he and she.
The only ones left were he and she.
It's him we need to worry about.
It's him we need to worry about.
Were it he, the outcome would differ.
Were it he, the outcome would differ.
It is he to whom we owe our gratitude.
It is he to whom
The ghost was thought to be he.
The ghost was thought to be he.
It's him, the man from my dreams.
It's him, the man from my dreams.
혼동하기 쉬운
Both involve the choice between subjective (who/he) and objective (whom/him) cases.
Learners often think 'than' is a preposition (requiring 'me') rather than a conjunction (requiring 'I').
Learners often say 'Him and me went' because they are used to object pronouns coming later in sentences.
자주 하는 실수
It is he.
It's me / It's him.
Me am here.
I am here.
Is him?
Is it him?
That him.
That is him.
I saw he.
I saw him.
It's he.
It's him.
Them are my friends.
They are my friends.
Between you and I, it was him.
Between you and me, it was him.
It was him who did it.
It was he who did it.
If I was him...
If I were he...
It is him whom I love.
It is he whom I love.
The culprits were them.
The culprits were they.
It is me who is responsible.
It is I who am responsible.
문장 패턴
It was ___ who called you.
If I were ___, I would leave.
That's ___!
The winner of the race is ___.
Real World Usage
This is she.
It's him!
The best candidate is I.
That's him, officer.
It was he who initiated the change.
Just me and him.
'등호' 테스트
에세이에서는 사용 금지
'It's me' 마스터하기
Use it confidently when speaking.
자연스럽게 들리기 vs. '정확하게' 들리기
Smart Tips
Use 'This is he' or 'This is she' to sound instantly more authoritative.
Avoid contractions and use subject pronouns after 'to be'.
Try reversing the sentence. If 'Him is the winner' sounds wrong, then 'The winner is him' is the informal version.
Match the pronoun to the 'who' clause. 'It is I who am' vs 'It is me who is'.
발음
Contraction Stress
In the informal 'It's him', the stress is usually on 'him'. In the formal 'It is he', the stress is often on 'is'.
Rising for questions
Is it him? ↗
Seeking confirmation
암기하기
기억법
The 'Be' is a mirror: what you see on the left (Subject) is what you see on the right (Subject).
시각적 연상
Imagine a king looking into a mirror. He doesn't see a servant (him); he sees another king (he).
Rhyme
If the verb is 'be', use 'he'. If the verb is 'do', 'him' will do.
Story
A man named 'He' walked into the 'Is' Mirror Shop. When he looked in the mirror, he didn't see a stranger named 'Him'; he saw himself, 'He'.
Word Web
챌린지
Try answering your next phone call from a friend with 'This is he/she' and see if they notice how formal you sound!
문화 노트
Answering 'This is he' or 'This is she' is considered the gold standard of professional phone etiquette.
Upper-class or 'Received Pronunciation' speakers are more likely to use 'It is I' in social settings than Americans.
Songwriters almost never use 'It is he' because it sounds unnatural in a rhythmic, emotional context.
Old English had a robust case system where the predicate nominative was strictly required. As the language evolved, the position of the word (after the verb) became more important than its function.
대화 시작하기
If you could be any famous person for a day, who would it be? 'It would be...'
Look at this old photo. Is that you? 'Yes, it's...'
Someone left a bag here. Do you think it was him?
If the president called you, how would you answer? 'This is...'
일기 주제
자주 하는 실수
Test Yourself
The person responsible for the final check was ___.
Choose the correct sentence:
Find and fix the mistake:
In the video call, I realized the new manager was him.
Score: /3
연습 문제
8 exercisesIf anyone is to blame for the delay, it is ___.
Who's at the door? It's ___ (me/I)!
Find and fix the mistake:
I called he yesterday.
It was them who won.
Caller: 'May I speak with Sarah?' Sarah: 'This is ___.'
1. It's him. 2. It is he.
Sort: Him, He, Me, I, Her, She
'The person in the mask was him.'
Score: /8
Practice Bank
11 exercisesWho's that? I think it's ___.
The last people to leave the building were ___.
Choose the correct sentence:
The best person for the job is definitely her.
Translate into English: 'The person who called was I.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the pronouns:
If I were ___, I would accept the offer immediately.
Choose the correct sentence:
The person you need to speak to is me.
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Score: /11
자주 묻는 질문 (8)
No. In modern English, `It's me` is considered grammatically acceptable in almost all contexts. Only the most traditional grammarians would call it an error.
It's a survival of old formal etiquette. It signals to the caller that you are professional and educated.
Yes, but it's a mix of styles. `It is he who...` is the consistent formal choice.
Informally, `It's them` is fine. Formally, use `It is they`.
Yes, all forms of the verb `to be` follow this rule.
In a casual setting, yes, it can sound a bit 'stuck up'. Use `It's me` to be friendly.
Informally, `It was him and me`. Formally, `It was he and I`.
Remember the 'Mirror Rule': if you can swap the words (`He is it`), use the subject form.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Soy yo / Es él
Spanish is always 'formal' by English standards in this rule.
C'est moi / C'est lui
French never uses the subject pronoun (je, il) in this position.
Ich bin es / Er ist es
The word order is often reversed (I am it).
Watashi desu / Kare desu
No distinction between subjective and objective pronouns.
Ana / Huwa
The 'linking' happens without a verb.
Shì wǒ / Shì tā
There is no case distinction to worry about.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
관련 동영상
Related Grammar Rules
방언 대 언어: 차이점은 무엇인가요?
### Overview 우리가 영어를 배울 때 흔히 마주치는 질문 중 하나가 바로 "이건 사투리인가요, 아니면 다른 언어인가요?"라는...
Nowadays vs. Now-a-days: 차이점은 무엇인가요?
### Overview 언어는 살아있는 생명체와 같아서 시간이 흐르면서 그 형태와 쓰임새가 끊임없이 변하곤 합니다. 오늘 우리가 함...
Let them vs. Let they: 차이점이 무엇인가요?
### Overview 영어 학습을 하다 보면 `let them`과 `let they` 중 어떤 것이 맞는지 헷갈릴 때가 있습니다. 결론부터 말씀드리...
Quite vs. Quiet: 차이점이 무엇인가요?
### Overview 영어 학습의 여정에서 우리 한국인 학습자들을 가장 당혹스럽게 만드는 것 중 하나는 바로 '비슷하게 생겼지만 완...
Said vs. Told: 차이점이 무엇인가요?
### Overview 영어를 배우는 한국인 학습자들에게 `say`와 `tell`은 마치 '숙명적인 라이벌'과 같습니다. 우리말로는 둘 다 단...
