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  1. It is me who am to blame.
  2. It is I who am to blame.

Which one is correct here?
I am bewildered about these two sentences.

CowperKettle
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I don't know who I am.
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3 Answers3

3

Regarding the first part of the sentence, it's complicated.

...so the choice between "It's me" and "It is I" is one of style. Are you writing formal dialogue or in a formal setting? Then use "It is I". But in everyday use you can use "It's me" with impunity.

Therefore, the correct sentence would be either

It is I who is to blame.

or

It's me who is to blame.

Note: In your sentence, you would say "who is to blame" instead of "who am to blame".

MilkeyMouse
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    What about the forms with "am"? – sumelic Sep 05 '15 at 07:00
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    You wouldn't use 'am' in this context, you would use is. 'I am to blame' would be the closest use. – Jon Story Sep 05 '15 at 11:15
  • Still, I am confused. – I don't know who I am. Sep 05 '15 at 16:02
  • If there is "I before who we will use "am"according to I. – I don't know who I am. Sep 05 '15 at 16:04
  • So the pattern used in "Our father who art in heaven" is completely archaic in Modern English? I'm a native speaker, but this question is actually one I've never been able to figure out. "It is I who am to blame" sounds OK to my ears, maybe a little odd, but "It is I who is to blame" sounds a bit odd as well. – sumelic Sep 06 '15 at 09:37
  • @sumelic "Art" is a different word from "am" or "is," and would therefore carry different usage, I would think. I am pretty uneducated in the field of Middle English and how Modern English is derived from/relates to it, however. I would think it is "am" in Modern English because you're still referring to the subject of the sentence, "I." Again, not very well-versed on this specifically, though. – Crazy Eyes Oct 05 '15 at 18:14
  • If you are really going formal, "It is I who am" is the most correct choice. But I agree that "it's me who is" is much more likely in normal speech. I'd never choose "it is I who is" because it's a weird, unsatisfying compromise between those two. – Casey Dec 03 '21 at 22:10
  • @CrazyEyes "Art" is specifically the form of "to be" that agrees with "thou." I am/thou art/he is – Casey Dec 03 '21 at 22:10
1

"It's I who am to blame" is correct because "I" is the subject.

Nathan Tuggy
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Tan Elaine
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  • This is not a good answer to the question, because it gives little explanation or example, but it's not wrong. Although (as an AmE native speaker) I don't personally know anyone who talks like this, most people would instead say simply, "I'm to blame". – Andrew Oct 30 '16 at 17:18
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You have got to remember one rule:

When who refers to a personal pronoun (I, you, he, she, we, they), it takes the verb that agrees with that pronoun.(See Source)

Examples :

It is I who am sorry.(I am sorry)

It is you who are responsible.(You are responsible)

It is we who are winning the bet.(We are winning the bet)

It is they who have been watching TV since morning.(They have been watching TV since morning)

Considering the above material:

Correct : It is I who am to blame.(I am to blame)

Incorrect : It is I who is to blame. (I is to blame doesn't make sense)

Selena
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