--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is never any confusion among…" description: "\"“There is never any confusion among competent speakers of English over whether who is subject or object. For example, consider the following questions:..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7be/mark-david-ledbetter-34449_dog-bite_there-is-never-any-confusion-among-compe_2935661.jpg" --- # There is never any confusion among competent speakers of… ![“There is never any confusion among competent speakers of English over whether who is subject or object. For example, consider the following questions: Who bit the dog? Who did the dog bite? Understanding is instantaneous and perfect whether you use whom or not. So, if whom is not natural and not…” quote by Mark David Ledbetter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7be/mark-david-ledbetter-34449_dog-bite_there-is-never-any-confusion-among-compe_2935661.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7be/mark-david-ledbetter-34449_dog-bite_there-is-never-any-confusion-among-compe_2935661.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7be/mark-david-ledbetter-34449_dog-bite_there-is-never-any-confusion-among-compe_2935661.jpg) > ““There is never any confusion among competent speakers of English over whether who is subject or object. For example, consider the following questions: Who bit the dog? Who did the dog bite? Understanding is instantaneous and perfect whether you use whom or not. So, if whom is not natural and not needed, why do prescriptive grammarians insist we have to use it? Their reasoning is, in essence: we have to use it because we have to use it. They actually have no other reason.”” [Mark David Ledbetter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-david-ledbetter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prescriptive grammar rules like “whom” persist without logical justification, highlighting tradition over necessity. **In simple terms:** Grammar rules can be outdated and unnecessary. Key Takeaway Question and simplify language rules. Themes language grammar prescriptivism logic communication Mood critical inquisitive Type analytical educational When to use this quote - writing - teaching - editing - language learning Key Concepts linguistic tradition critical thinking education Questions to Reflect On - Why do we cling to unnecessary rules? - How can language evolve naturally? A Different Perspective Changing entrenched habits can meet resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dog bite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog-bite/) [English Subject](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english-subject-219096/) [Subject](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subject/) [Subject Object](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subject-object-750134/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) [Use Reasoning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-reasoning-4350083/) ## Related quotes > [English, as a subject, never really got over its upstart nature. It tries to bulk itself up with hopeless jargon and specious complexity, tries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/english-as-a-subject-never-really-got-over-its-upstart-nature-it/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [Between the subject and the object lies the value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-pirsig/between-the-subject-and-the-object-lies-the-value/) [Robert M. Pirsig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-pirsig/) > [What an English King has no right to demand, an English subject has a right to refuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hampden/what-an-english-king-has-no-right-to-demand-an-english-subject-has-a/) [John Hampden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hampden/) > [I do not find that I feel myself to be any different as an English subject than as an American. I have not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-whitall-smith/i-do-not-find-that-i-feel-myself-to-be-any-different-as-an-english/) [Hannah Whitall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-whitall-smith/) > [“If I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/if-i-am-to-understand-that-you-are-enquiring-whether-i-am-of-jewish/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [“Four months later, in May 1533, a court led by Thomas Cranmer declared the Henry-Catherine marriage null and void just five days before declaring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/four-months-later-in-may-1533-a-court-led-by-thomas-cranmer-declared/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [“Protestantism's evolution away from hierarchy and authority has enormous consequences for America and the world. On the one hand, the democratization of religion runs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/protestantism-s-evolution-away-from-hierarchy-and-authority-has/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [Freedom which in no other land will thrive, Freedom an English subject's sole prerogative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/freedom-which-in-no-other-land-will-thrive-freedom-an-english-subject/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [The world is given to me only once, not one existing and one perceived. Subject and object are only one. The barrier between them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/the-world-is-given-to-me-only-once-not-one-existing-and-one-perceived/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [In creativity the way will be found for subject to pass into object, the identity of subject with object will be restored. All the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-berdyaev/in-creativity-the-way-will-be-found-for-subject-to-pass-into-object/) [Nikolai Berdyaev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-berdyaev/) > [“The aesthetic moment constitutes this deep rapport between subject and object”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollas/the-aesthetic-moment-constitutes-this-deep-rapport-between-subject/) [Christopher Bollas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollas/) > [The world is given to me only once, not one existing and one perceived. Subject and object are only one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-schrodinger/the-world-is-given-to-me-only-once-not-one-existing-and-one-perceived-2/) [Erwin Schrodinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-schrodinger/) > [“Subject and object are not as distinct as most people think. If the boundary separating the two isn't clear-cut to begin with, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/subject-and-object-are-not-as-distinct-as-most-people-think-if-the/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Theology is a subject without an object](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/theology-is-a-subject-without-an-object/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [“recognition that most of what is generally considered the truth is entirely relative. Subject and object are not as distinct as most people think.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/recognition-that-most-of-what-is-generally-considered-the-truth-is/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## More by Mark David Ledbetter > [“Interpreters, when challenged on their manipulations, tell us the Constitution was written for a different and simpler time. Actually, the genius of the Constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-david-ledbetter/interpreters-when-challenged-on-their-manipulations-tell-us-the/) [Mark David Ledbetter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-david-ledbetter/) > [“The Panic of 1819 sounded a wakeup call to some that the founders had been right after all in separating State and Commerce. Having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-david-ledbetter/the-panic-of-1819-sounded-a-wakeup-call-to-some-that-the-founders-had/) [Mark David Ledbetter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-david-ledbetter/) > [“Six thousand years ago, there were no fully developed writing systems at all though there were, maybe, twenty thousand fully developed languages. (Yes, there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-david-ledbetter/six-thousand-years-ago-there-were-no-fully-developed-writing-systems/) [Mark David Ledbetter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-david-ledbetter/) > [“However, after several false starts and with the lessons of history fading, America, too, would finally create a permanent central bank, in 1914. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-david-ledbetter/however-after-several-false-starts-and-with-the-lessons-of-history/) [Mark David Ledbetter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-david-ledbetter/) > [“There are some 170 languages in the Philippines, almost all part of the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian family. I would assume most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-david-ledbetter/there-are-some-170-languages-in-the-philippines-almost-all-part-of/) [Mark David Ledbetter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-david-ledbetter/) > [“Every major war in American history, except the Mexican and Spanish-American, has either led to central banking or resulted from it. Central banking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-david-ledbetter/every-major-war-in-american-history-except-the-mexican-and-spanish/) [Mark David Ledbetter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-david-ledbetter/) > [“Just like money, we take writing for granted. Everybody reads and writes. No big deal. Actually, though, only a few hundred of the six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-david-ledbetter/just-like-money-we-take-writing-for-granted-everybody-reads-and/) [Mark David Ledbetter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-david-ledbetter/) > [“And of all those English words, the most dominant, the most powerful, the most amazing has to be... Okay. As a language person, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-david-ledbetter/and-of-all-those-english-words-the-most-dominant-the-most-powerful/) [Mark David Ledbetter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-david-ledbetter/) > [“Japanese verbs, for example, are agglutinative. The word ikasetakunakatta can fairly easily be divided into the five pieces – go-cause-want-not-past – that determine its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-david-ledbetter/japanese-verbs-for-example-are-agglutinative-the-word/) [Mark David Ledbetter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-david-ledbetter/) > [“In the 20th century, it became more and more the norm for judges to incorrectly instruct juries that they must consider only the facts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-david-ledbetter/in-the-20th-century-it-became-more-and-more-the-norm-for-judges-to/) [Mark David Ledbetter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-david-ledbetter/) > [“Beyond a limited use of good ole vocab and grammar texts to give the students a base, textbooks of any kind just don’t have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-david-ledbetter/beyond-a-limited-use-of-good-ole-vocab-and-grammar-texts-to-give-the/) [Mark David Ledbetter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-david-ledbetter/) > [“So exalted was the idea of hegemony over self that every gentleman fell short. But the ideal itself was pursued for many generations. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-david-ledbetter/so-exalted-was-the-idea-of-hegemony-over-self-that-every-gentleman/) [Mark David Ledbetter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-david-ledbetter/) > [“O say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light, What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-david-ledbetter/o-say-can-you-see-by-the-dawn-s-early-light-what-so-proudly-we-hail-d/) [Mark David Ledbetter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-david-ledbetter/) [Explore all 14 Mark David Ledbetter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-david-ledbetter/) ## More Dog bite quotes > [You can tell your dog to bite my leg.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-ray-cyrus/you-can-tell-your-dog-to-bite-my-leg/) [Billy Ray Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-ray-cyrus/) > [Other dogs bite only their enemies, whereas I bite also my friends in order to save them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diogenes/other-dogs-bite-only-their-enemies-whereas-i-bite-also-my-friends-in/) [Diogenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diogenes/) > [Little dogs bite more than big dogs but they get away with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/little-dogs-bite-more-than-big-dogs-but-they-get-away-with-it/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [Bite us once, shame on the dog; bite us repeatedly, shame on us for allowing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-schlafly/bite-us-once-shame-on-the-dog-bite-us-repeatedly-shame-on-us-for/) [Phyllis Schlafly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-schlafly/) > [I, a Laconian dog, can bite again: Yes, I can make the Daunian tiger flee, Much more a bragging, foul-mouth'd whelp like thee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-kirke-white/i-a-laconian-dog-can-bite-again-yes-i-can-make-the-daunian-tiger-flee/) [Henry Kirke White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-kirke-white/) > [The remedy for thirst? It is the opposite of the one for a dog bite: run always after a dog, he'll never bite you;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/the-remedy-for-thirst-it-is-the-opposite-of-the-one-for-a-dog-bite/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [“Once bitten twice shy? Sure, but... why not get a bigger dog and bite them back?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-bell/once-bitten-twice-shy-sure-but-why-not-get-a-bigger-dog-and-bite-them/) [A.A. Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-bell/) > [I've never hear a dog bite and bark at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xzibit/i-ve-never-hear-a-dog-bite-and-bark-at-the-same-time/) [Xzibit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xzibit/) > [When a dog bites a man that is not news, but when a man bites a dog that is news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-a-dana/when-a-dog-bites-a-man-that-is-not-news-but-when-a-man-bites-a-dog/) [Charles A. Dana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-a-dana/) > [“Humnnn,” he grunted, then laughed. “A dog bite can’t hurt a nigger.” “It’s swelling and it hurts,” I said. “If it bothers you, let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-wright/humnnn-he-grunted-then-laughed-a-dog-bite-can-t-hurt-a-nigger-it-s/) [Richard Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-wright/) > [Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/dogs-love-their-friends-and-bite-their-enemies-quite-unlike-people/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-hammerstein-ii/when-the-dog-bites-when-the-bee-stings-when-i-m-feeling-sad-i-simply/) [Oscar Hammerstein II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-hammerstein-ii/) > [“You said yourself they didn’t hurt your girl.” Waiting, Davy asked, “How many times does a dog have to bite before you put him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leif-enger/you-said-yourself-they-didn-t-hurt-your-girl-waiting-davy-asked-how/) [Leif Enger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leif-enger/) > [Journalists say that when a dog bites a man, that is not news, but when a man bites a dog, that is news ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/journalists-say-that-when-a-dog-bites-a-man-that-is-not-news-but-when/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [“If a man fears dogs, he may beat one with a stick when he sees it. As is the nature of all creatures, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-mather/if-a-man-fears-dogs-he-may-beat-one-with-a-stick-when-he-sees-it-as/) [Adriana Mather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-mather/) [Browse all 27 Dog bite quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog-bite/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There is never any confusion among competent speakers of English over whether who is subject or object. For example, consider the following questions: Who bit the dog? Who did the dog bite? Understanding is instantaneous and perfect whether you use whom or not. So, if whom is not natural and not needed, why do prescriptive grammarians insist we have to use it? Their reasoning is, in essence: we have to use it because we have to use it. 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