In my language we can change the referring to a pronoun from 1st to 3rd simply by putting a relative pronouns, for example:
"I am the man who was there"?
- (I= 1st person. was=3rd person)
"I am the man who takes it every day"
- (I= 1st person. takes=3rd person)
"I am the man who writes here answers"
- (I= 1st person. writes=3rd person)
"I am a man who likes to travel"
Are these type of sentences the same and correct in English?
If they are, then what is the name for that kind of sentence structure?
Best Answer
They are correct.
But they carry a lot of emotional and dramatic weight because of the "I am the man who" structure.
Scenario 1: I'm in an elevator, the power goes out for 5 minutes, I use the emergency phone to talk to the building manager, and then everything is ok. When someone mentions it the next week, if I say "I am the man who was in the elevator", I would sound pompous and ridiculous. The more normal expression would be "That was me."
Scenario 2: I'm an assistant on a dig in the Great Pyramid, and am the first person to see a relic that eventually proves something momentous about the ancient Egyptians. 30 years later, I overhear someone disputing that fact. I respond by saying "I am the man who first uncovered the whatsis of Ramses: you, sir, are wrong!" In that case, "I am the man" would be appropriate.
EDIT
Your added example of "I am a man who..." is less dramatic, although still not idiomatic. People are more likely to say "I like to travel" or "I'm the kind of person who likes to travel".