What word is the correct one and why?
When Samuel P. Langley built a steam-powered airplane, both the pilot and (he, him) were sure to fly.
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him
The correct word to use in this sentence is "he." The sentence should read: "When Samuel P. Langley built a steam-powered airplane, both the pilot and he were sure to fly."
To determine the correct word, you need to understand the difference between subjective pronouns and objective pronouns. In this case, we are trying to determine whether to use "he" (a subjective pronoun) or "him" (an objective pronoun) to refer to the pilot.
To figure out which pronoun to use, isolate the part in question and test it in a simple sentence. For example, let's remove "the pilot and" from the original sentence: "Both (he, him) were sure to fly." Now, try the sentence with each pronoun:
1. "Both he were sure to fly." This sounds incorrect because "he" is a subjective pronoun and should appear before a verb (as a subject).
2. "Both him were sure to fly." This also sounds incorrect because "him" is an objective pronoun and should appear after a verb (as an object).
By testing both pronouns in the simplified sentence, we can conclude that "he" is the correct pronoun to use in this case. Therefore, the correct sentence is "When Samuel P. Langley built a steam-powered airplane, both the pilot and he were sure to fly."