は vs が in 私は言うように書いてください。


I have the following sentence in my anki app:

> Please write it down as I tell you.  
>  私 **は** 言うように書いてください。

However my instincts tell me this should not be は but が. Am I correct?




**You are correct**.

In the sentence:

> 「私{わたし}（ ）言{い}うように書{か}いてください。」

The only particle that can be placed in the parentheses above is 「 **が** 」.
「は」 is not an option at all. Use a 「は」 there and you will sound weirder than
you ever want to sound. It is _that_ important.

Why? That is because the only possible subject-marking particle in
**subordinate clauses and relative clauses** (and any phrases that play
subordinate roles in sentences) is 「が」.

In the sentence above, the main part is 「書いてください」 because the sentence as a
whole is an imperative. The imperative part of an imperative sentence must be
the main part.

In comparison, 「私が言うように」 functions subordinately in the sentence as it only
describes how the listener should write.

Had the sentence been " ** _Smith wrote as I told him to_**.", the Japanese
counterpart would have been:

> 「私( **が** )言うようにスミスさん( **は** )書いた。」

That way, one could have seen both 「が」 and 「は」 used correctly in a very short
sentence.




**You are correct**.

In the sentence:

> 「私{わたし}（ ）言{い}うように書{か}いてください。」

The only particle that can be placed in the parentheses above is 「 **が** 」.
「は」 is not an option at all. Use a 「は」 there and you will sound weirder than
you ever want to sound. It is _that_ important.

Why? That is because the only possible subject-marking particle in
**subordinate clauses and relative clauses** (and any phrases that play
subordinate roles in sentences) is 「が」.

In the sentence above, the main part is 「書いてください」 because the sentence as a
whole is an imperative. The imperative part of an imperative sentence must be
the main part.

In comparison, 「私が言うように」 functions subordinately in the sentence as it only
describes how the listener should write.

Had the sentence been " ** _Smith wrote as I told him to_**.", the Japanese
counterpart would have been:

> 「私( **が** )言うようにスミスさん( **は** )書いた。」

That way, one could have seen both 「が」 and 「は」 used correctly in a very short
sentence.

