I vs. Me
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
I vs. Me
You don’t need to learn how to diagram a sentence to be able to learn the rules of grammar and punctuation. Let me help you use pronouns correctly without any unnecessary jargon.
First, let’s define a pronoun: a pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. We can divide pronouns into three categories:
Subject pronouns
I, you, he, she, it, we, theyObject pronouns
me, you, him, her, it, us, themPossessive pronouns
mine, my, yours, his, hers, her, its, ours, theirs
The following rule not only makes sense but is simple.
Rule: Use one of the subject pronouns when it is the subject of the sentence.
Example: I hit the ball.
Who hit the ball? I did. So “I” is the subject.
Usually, these subject pronouns sound right to most of us.
Example: He and I will meet at the gym.
Who will meet at the gym? He will meet at the gym. I will meet at the gym. So “he” and “I” are both the subjects.
Sometimes we want to say, “Him and me will . . .” or “Him and I will . . . .” You can remember the correct pronouns by saying each pronoun alone in the sentence. It probably won’t sound right to you to say, “Him will . . .” or “Me will . . . .”
Now, this next rule is difficult because it doesn’t sound right to most of us.
Rule: Use a subject pronoun following state-of-being verbs such as am, are, is, was, were, appeared, seemed, etc.
Example: It is she.
Example: It was we who won the election.
Because we don’t speak this way, we can’t use our ear to help us with this rule. This is a good time to discuss the difference between spoken language and written language, particularly when it comes to tests and formal papers. We speak informally but must write more formally. Frankly, if I knock on someone’s door and am asked, “Who is it?” I am not going to say, “It is I” for fear that the person on the other side of the door will think I’m weird and never open up. However, if I am taking an exam or writing a report, I will try to spot these state-of-being verbs and check my pronoun usage.
The next rule does sound right to most of us.
Rule: Use one of the object pronouns when the pronoun is not a subject and it doesn’t follow a state-of-being verb.
Example: Nancy gave the gift to her.
Example: Please remind him or me.
(Remember, leave out one of the pronouns and you will be able to hear the correct answer.) Many of us have been brainwashed to believe that “I” is somehow more correct than “me.” Not so. “I” and “me” follow the same rules as all other pronouns. Would you say, “Please give it to I”? Of course not.
Example: Between you and me, I think Sandy cheated.
Again, me is not the subject nor does it follow one of those state-of-being verbs. So we must use the object case. (For those of you with some grammar background, you and me in that sentence are both objects of the preposition between.)
Pop Quiz
Select the correct sentence.
1A. Arlene asked he and I to complete the job.
1B. Arlene asked he and me to complete the job.
1C. Arlene asked him and I to complete the job.
1D. Arlene asked him and me to complete the job.
2A. He and I completed the job for Arlene.
2B. He and me completed the job for Arlene.
2C. Him and I completed the job for Arlene.
2D. Him and me completed the job for Arlene.
Pop Quiz Answers
1D. Arlene asked him and me to complete the job.
2A. He and I completed the job for Arlene.
Are you ready for the quiz?
If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.
I’m so glad to see the comment that the degradation of grammar is at least partly due to poorly written newspapers articles and websites. I’m wondering how long to keep “fighting” this — especially the common failure to use the predicate nominative (“it was she”). I have a college age daughter whose English prof says that sometimes incorrect grammar becomes “correct” through usage. “The language changes, Mom,” I am told. But NOT the written word, I say!
Barb, it’s true that usage does change the language or we’d all sound as though we’re reading Shakespeare. However, laziness isn’t a great excuse, is it?
Actually, correct grammar takes into account the full range of meaning, including things like tone, emphasis and euphony. English grammarians apply rules for individual words, such as pronouns, mechanically, with no regard for phrasing. Just as the French change final “je” to “moi,” for euphony, many final uses of “me” as the subject are perfectly correct in English, because the usage conveys qualities of speech not captured by word-rules disconnected from phrasing. Thus, “that’s her at the door now” is correct grammar, because “her” conveys the desired phrasing, which includes emphasis and tone. Even in writing, it would look and sound bizarre to write “that’s she at the door now,” even though the pronoun stands in a subject relationship with “that.” On the other hand, one cannot say “there’s her at the door now,” and no native speaker would say that. Everyone says “there she is now. Initial “there” and initial “that’s” lead to different phrasing. Correct grammar is important, but grammarians have fallen into the error of treating words like numbers, with fixed values in all situations. Language is not mathematics.
We agree that conscientious writers remain aware of and open to sound and phrasing as much as they do grammatical accuracy. At the same time, we believe your observation has greater relevance and application to spoken English, which is more swift and expedient in adapting to what is audibly pleasing. The “mathematical” component of written grammar gives us the time, tools, and economy to revise “That’s she/her at the door now” to “She is at the door now.”
“between you and I” has been in use since the 1600s.
Maybe so but “between you and I” is inconsistent with the rule as “I” is the object of the preposition here.
Regarding “between you and I/me”, I was taught to consider “between” as a literal place, rather than a figurative place. It should be treated like “beside” or “in front of”. If the answer to, “where is the table,” is, “beside me,”, then “between you and me,” is correct. As always, take the other person out of the sentence, and the correct usage should appear.
Correct George lakins, I concur with your comment on omitting a word in order to derive a correct answer. My question is, is it correct to say; John is taller than I. Or is it; John is taller than me.
If you mentally complete the sentence you would say “John is taller than I am.” Therefore, write “John is taller than I.”
Whether language changes through laziness or conscious choice is irrelevant. I’m sure we all stopped speaking like Shakespeare because it was just too much effort “laziness” improved the language in that sense. Rare are the times when language is consciously altered.
It is interesting to hear the reasons for not speaking grammatically correct that people write in to different sites I’ve visited. I personally think it is because for decades now, it has not been taught fully in schools and thus not handed down through the generations. Poor grammar is rampant in the media and you even see it in the books with which we teach our children to read. When teachers and parents alike are not speaking proper language, it can be a losing battle. People get so used to speaking slang that it becomes the new language. You mentioned that we should keep it alive in formal language, but why not in informal speech as well? Or is it too late for that? I think that if we teach the proper forms, that perhaps we can arrest the dwindling spiral of proper speech to some degree. “At least the “Me and Joe are going…” and the “I can’t see very good” type slang. It may be too late for the It is I. It is he etc. as it’s been lost for several generations now, at least in every day language(from my observations).
Do you recall all adults correcting grammar mistakes when growing up? It certainly was that way for me. At the time I did not appreciate it but now I am grateful. In the public schools in the state I live in, dissecting sentences is not taught. The whole language phenomenon, as a teaching method, is a total misstep. No phonics, no spelling tests, the idea being as long as the student comprehends what he/she is reading or writing learning is accomplished. That is half the goal and our college’s and universities do not know what to do with these kid’s. Just my opinion. Feel free to correct my mistakes!
Thank you for your comments. Good grammar and writing are not easy to master. Since you gave us permission to correct your mistakes, here is your paragraph with the errors corrected:
Do you recall all adults correcting grammar mistakes when you were growing up? It certainly was that way for me. At the time I did not appreciate it, but now I am grateful. In the public schools in the state I live in, dissecting sentences is not taught. The whole language phenomenon, as a teaching method, is a total misstep. It has no phonics or spelling tests, the idea being that as long as the student comprehends what he or she is reading or writing, learning is accomplished. That is half the goal, and our colleges and universities do not know what to do with these kids. That is just my opinion. Feel free to correct my mistakes!
“Both of my parents were not well educated”… wouldn’t it be better to say, “Neither of my parents was well educated”?
Yes, your suggestion is an improvement.
Thank you for clearing up a grammar thorn-in-my-side. I remember being taught (in the early 70’s) that we are not to end a sentence with a preposition, yet I have often found it impossibly awkward to follow this rule in some cases. I’m just wondering if I was taught incorrectly or if I just misunderstood the rule. Do you know if this was taught at one time?
You were likely to have been taught incorrectly, and in some places others are probably still being taught incorrectly. Please see our post Don’t End a Sentence with a Preposition—Where Did This Myth Come From?
Is is not correct to say grammatically correctly. Instead of grammatically correct?
“Speaking grammatically correctly,” while proper formal English, is awkward. It would be sufficient to simply say or write “speaking correctly.”
I’m always hesitant to correct people’s speaking habits, but I agree that if we all heard the language being spoken properly, we would be more likely to write it the same way.
Is there a rule for determining the order of objects, ie Jim sent the notice to me and Bob, or Jim sent the notice to Bob and me. I believe there is a rule on subects that person must be given preference, ie Bob and I versus I and Bob.
Yes, the preferred order is to put the other person’s name first, then I/me.
The rule for choosing the case of your pronoun with “as well as” is actually simple. Just mentally complete the sentence: You know that as well as I know that OR You know that as well as I do.
Therefore, you would say or write, “You know that as well as I.”
there is a sentence which is bugging me
what should i use here
You know that as well as ME/I.
is there any rule for as well as
Thanks
“That is between Maxene and I.” What is wrong with this sentence?
The word “between” is a preposition requiring an object of the preposition (objective case) following it. “Me” is the objective case pronoun, not “I.”
My family and I are
My family and I am
which do it be?
“My family and I are…”
Use the plural verb because “and” makes the subject plural.
How about this….”Bread and butter IS/ARE sweet”
Since you have two subjects, use the verb are and use a period at the end of the sentence.
I get that there are two subjects but how do you know if they are together or separate? Doesn’t the is/are convey that information?
Peanut butter and jelly are delicious.
Peanut butter and jelly is delicious.
Our Rule 4 of Subject-Verb Agreement states “As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.” There are exceptions to this rule when the subjects or nouns in the sentence form a single entity or unit, collective idea, or oneness of idea. In these cases, the interpretation of “oneness of idea” is essentially up to the author of the sentence.
When you say, “my family and I are,” do you also say, “my father and my friend are”? I think the two subjects represent a single idea and should use a singular verb. Right?
Our Rule 4 of Subject-Verb Agreement says, “As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.” Compound nouns such as bed and breakfast are exceptions. “My father and my friend” is not a compound noun. Therefore, the plural verb are is correct.
I’ve been reading a book and this sentence just troubled me so much,
“No one was more amazed than she.”
Is “she” correct? Because I think “her” would sound more familiar.
Thanks,
Yes, the sentence should read, “No one was more amazed than she.” If you mentally complete the sentence, you would say, “No one was more amazed than she was.”
Some people who post pictures online write “John Doe and I” as the caption as if to say, “John Doe and I are in this picture,” or “This is John Doe and I.” I would prefer to write “John Doe and me” as if to say, “This is a picture of John Doe and me”? Would it be more correct to use the former with the idea that a person looking at the picture would be more likely to ask, “Who is this?” rather than, “Who is this a picture of?”
Both ways are correct for the reasons you state. Good job!
You wouldn’t say, “This is John Doe and I,” so saying, “John Doe and I” about a picture is INcorrect. You’d say, “This is John Doe and ME,” so you label pictures, “John Doe and Me.” You and John aren’t DOING anything, so “I” is wrong. If the picture were John Doe and you swimming, and you labeled/captioned the picture, “John and I went swimming,” or, “John and I were swimming in this photo,” then sure. In my opinion, a photo should NEVER be labeled, “_____ and I,” because if you took the other person out, you wouldn’t label the picture, “I”!
We have a more liberal view regarding I vs. Me when labeling pictures. We take the approach that interpreting captions beneath photographs is a matter of getting inside the mind of the creator of the album. In forming a caption, the album creator is anticipating the question and memorializing the response to “What is this a photograph of?” John and me may be shorthand for “This is a photo of John and me swimming in Lake Tahoe.” Or, John and I may be shorthand for “In this photo, John and I are swimming in Lake Tahoe.”
Is this sentence correct:
It was in the same room as me.
Should that me be changed to I?
Change “me” to “I” because you are really saying, “It was in the same room as I was.” With “as” and “than,” mentally complete the sentence.
Please punctuate the following: between July 1 2010 and August 30 2010 the heat index will soar
Many thanks for settling an argument at work.
I thought you should never end a sentence with “I”. Like, Sally went to the zoo with john and “I”. Shouldn’t it end with “me”?
In your example sentence, the object pronoun me is correct. There are sentences that end with I.
Example: It is I.
In reference to the time frame in the previous question, why is there a comma between the dates ~ “Between July 1, 2010, and August 30, 2010, …” One doesn’t place a comma in the phrase “between you and me.” Are these phrases not similar?
With dates, use commas. See Rule 5a, https://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/commas.asp
In reference to the time frame in the previous question, why is there a comma between the dates “Between July 1, 2010, and August 30, 2010, …” ? One doesn’t place a comma in the phrase “between you and me.” Are these phrases not similar?
As I stated below, with dates we use commas. It’s a style preference.
The money came from him and me.
The money came from he and I.
The money came from Taryn and me/I.
Which is correct?
The money came from him. The money came from me. Therefore, the money came from him and me.
You have no idea how much this is going to help me.
Great! Thank you for letting me know.
Is it proper to say “graduated high school”? I thought that one graduates FROM high school.
You are correct; “graduate from high school,” is the preferred wording.
Are “am,” “are,” “is,” “was,” and “were” the only “state of being” verbs, or are there others?
There are other state-of-being verbs in other tenses, including, for example, “has, had, will have been, and will be.
Seems, appear, and similar verbs can be verbs of being. “He seems calm” is grammatically equivalent to “He is calm.” I believe “become” and the rather rare “waxed” can also be state-of-being verbs. “She became sorrowful”; “He is becoming a man.”
He followed the boys and I. Or he followed the boys and me?
The answer is “me.” You would say, “He followed me,” not “He followed I.”
Is it “there is no point in he and I to talk” or “there is no point in him and me to talk”? Also, is it “there is no point in me reviewing the documents” or “there is no point in my reviewing the documents”?
Use object pronouns rather than subject pronouns. “There is no point in him and me talking.” (Just as you would say “There is no point in us talking” rather than “There is no point in we talking.”) In the second example, use “my” since “reviewing” is a gerund, also known as a verbal noun (see What Is a Gerund and Why Care?).
Yes, the word reviewing is a gerund; therefore, use the possessive pronoun my.
Caption for under a picture. Which one is correct?
My mommy and I?
or
My mommy and me?
My mommy and me. (You would not say that it is a picture of I.)
This post is so clarifying and important, thank you! If eg I post a picture of my daughter and I, would it be incorrect to write ‘She and I’? So the correct version would be ”She and me’? I’m confused because I thought I should use the subject pronoun. Thank you!
“She and I” is correct if your meaning is “This is my daughter and I.” If you intend your caption to mean “This is a photo of my daughter and me,” then you could write “Her and me.”
This rule does exist in another authoritative source. According to The Chicago Manual of Style, Section 6.33, Commas with coordinate adjectives, “As a general rule, when a noun is preceded by two or more adjectives that could, without affecting the meaning, be joined by and, the adjectives are normally separated by commas. Such adjectives, which are called coordinate adjectives, can also usually be reversed in order and still make sense.” In your example, “Felix was a lonely, young boy” makes the same sense as “Felix was a young, lonely boy.” Regarding the pause in the sentence, not every comma implies a long pause. A slight pause between the two adjectives sounds natural, in my opinion.
Thanks Jane, This is definitely going to help. I have to take my GMAT soon. Can you suggest some good references for overall improvement in grammar for competitive exams like GMAT/GRE ?
You will find plenty of good resources on the “Helpful Links” page of the Grammarbook website. Good luck!
https://www.grammarbook.com/links.asp
Interesting. I was taught, “there is no point in our talking” (actually, “speaking”) rather than “in us talking”. However, I was raised by a British English speaker. So, is this way incorrect or simply a difference in the two versions of English? Do you know?
We don’t know for sure. In both Jane’s book and website, we are emphasizing proper American English usage.
With reference to the query from Jen, 25th March 2011, whether the phrase “there is no point in our speaking” is correct, or whether it should read “there is no point in us speaking”, please permit me to point out that both constructions are correct. In the former, speaking following ‘our’ is a gerund, whereas in the latter speaking after ‘us’ is the present participle.
Thank you for your comment.
And, ooops! I put my period outside my quotation mark! I just can’t get my fingers to learn to do it this way! :(
Nobody is perfect!
In the sentence “She was behaving like him,” should the last pronoun, him, be changed to the subjective case (he), or remain in the objective case?
You could argue that ‘like’ is functioning as a preposition in this sentence, and so, because the pronoun is the object of that preposition, it should be in the objective case: he. However, you could also argue the opposite by reasoning that the more verbose version of the sentence would read: “Ann was behaving like he behaves,” in which case, the subjective case would be more suitable.
According to Rule 5 in the “Problems with Prepositions” section of Grammarbook.com, “The word like may be used as a preposition and in informal writing, as a conjunction. In formal writing, use as, as if, or as though rather than like as the conjunction.”
Depending on whether the writing was informal or formal, you could either write “She was behaving like him,” or “Ann was behaving as he behaves.” The other sentence, “Ann was behaving like he behaves” would only be acceptable in informal writing.
There’s an error in my previous comment; the last word of the first sentence in the second paragraph, after the colon, should be “him,” not “he.”
Also, I’m now realizing how clunky the contrived sentence “Ann was behaving like he behaves” is, so I’m leaning towards the objective case being correct.
Yes, you are correct.
It was I you saw.
It was me you saw.
It was I who you saw.
It was me whom you saw.
Which is/are correct?
Alan, this one is extremely tricky! The sentence should be, “It was I whom you saw.” We use the subject pronoun I because it follows the state-of-being verb was (as discussed in an earlier blog, “Pronoun Tips”). However, use the objective form whom, because it answers the question, “You saw whom?” Also, there is nothing wrong with the simpler, “It was I you saw.”
Jane, would it be correct to say “it wasn’t I” instead of “it wasn’t me”?
Our Rule 2 of Pronouns says, “Subject pronouns are also used if they rename the subject. They follow to be verbs such as is, are, was, were, am, and will be.” Therefore, it is grammatically correct to write “It wasn’t I.” In informal English, most people tend to follow to be verbs with object pronouns. Many English scholars tolerate this distinction between formal and casual English.
I do not agree with “It was I you saw.” Because you do not say “You saw I.”, you say “You saw me.” So, “It was me you saw.”
Your logic is incorrect because the focus needs to be on the first part of the sentence: “It was I.” Turning it around, we would write “I was it,” not “Me was it.” Please see our post I Subject, Your Honor for more information.
How would you say:
Rachel’s and my party
or Rachel and my party
or Me and Rachel’s party
or Mine and Rachel’s party
or what?
The correct wording would be “Rachel’s and my party.”
Is this correct to use, and if so, why? It certainly does not sound correct.
Rachel and I’s wedding anniversary is tomorrow.
The correct wording is “Rachel’s and my wedding anniversary is tomorrow.” My is used as a possessive adjective.
I am questioning my own sense of grmmatical usage when it comes to the usage of “me.” So many references on TV now seem to put the pronoun “me” before the other pronoun or noun. For example:
“Me and Sue are going to the game.” This form of usage has really caught on with young people. Why is this usage acceptable or is it?
The reference seem impolite and grammatically incorrect. Is it?
In your example, the correct usage is, “Sue and I are going to the game.” “Me and Sue are going to the game” does seem impolite and most certainly is grammatically incorrect.
I was cured of “me and” at an early age when talking to my dad one day. I started saying something about “me and Donna” (my sister) and he interrupted me. “Mean Donna?”
So now whenever I hear someone say “me and” I get a flashback to “mean.”
What a great way to remember a grammar rule!
I’m trying to help a friend who has written a book. It’s very poorly written, with multiple grammar and punctuation errors. The thing driving me nuts is her habit of changing pronouns within a paragraph — sometimes in the same sentence! (Ex: “When the Holy Spirit tells US to move, YOU move.”) What is the rule for this? She flings around, “we”, “you”, “I”, “me”, “us”, etc. until I have no idea what she’s saying.
The Chicago Manual of Style, rule 5.40 says, “A personal pronoun agrees with the noun for which it stands in both gender and number {John writes, and he will soon write well} {Sheila was there, but she couldn’t hear what was said}.”
Pronoun consistency in a sentence is important to the reader’s comprehension of the written piece. Quite often the word “you” gets overused and causes the kind of reader distraction you describe. From your description, unless your friend is willing to take classes and is open to regular feedback from a teacher on grammar, punctuation, and effective writing, he or she will need a good editor and proofreader.
I’m still confused about what to write as a title under a photo (and the “why” behind it).
Meli and I at the restaurant.
Meli and me at the restaurant.
When you are placing a title under a photo, your most likely meaning is “Meli and I are at the restaurant.” You are using the subjective case “I” because Meli and I are the subjects of the sentence. Therefore, your shorthand way of writing it would be “Meli and I at the restaurant.” In the unlikely event that you intend your caption to mean “This is a picture of Meli and me at the restaurant,” then you would use the objective case “Meli and me at the restaurant.”
Why, oh why ,do we have to put the quotation marks outside the punctuation points unless the punctuation is actually included in the quotation? It makes absolutely no logical sense to me!!
The fact that “Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks” has simply become a rule that is easy for people to follow and does not always follow logic. With other punctuation marks, question marks for instance, their placement does follow logic. This is the English language–not always logical!
which is correct??
The Executive team and I look forward to serving you lunch.
or
I and my Executive team look forward to serving you lunch.
Since it is grammatical courtesy for the writer to place his or her name last, “The Executive team and I look forward to serving you lunch,” is recommended.
Is this correct, “I wish I could be somewhere where all of my loved ones and I were in one place.”? Thanks a lot!
While the sentence is grammatically correct, it sounds awkward because the language used is rather vague. Rule 1 in our “Effective Writing” section of GrammarBook.com says, “Use concrete rather than vague language.” We recommend “I wish my loved ones and I could all be together in one place.”
How do I express mutual possesion by a person and myself. For example, is “Hers and my car” correct? I know I can easily say “Our car…” but I would like to know the longer phrasing.
We indirectly address this situation in Rule 8 of Apostrophes, “Use the apostrophe and s after the second name only if two people possess the same item.” However, The Chicago Manual of Style addresses this issue directly by stating, “Closely linked nouns are considered a single unit in forming the possessive when the thing being “possessed” is the same for both; only the second element takes the possessive form.” Therefore, the correct phrasing would be “Her and my car.”
Can this not be “her car and mine”?
Which would be the most appropriate amongst all of the above?
If we want to convey that both people own one car together, the most direct expression would be “our car.” The longer form would be “her and my car.” Although more stilted, an expression such as “her car and mine” would be clearest if preceded by a singular identifier (e.g., “It is her car and mine”). Without that identifier, we might not clearly indicate whether we are referring to one car or two.
Another grammar trend I’ve noticed is the use of “myself” in place of I or me. It hurts my ears to hear the language butchered like this. For instance, I heard on the radio; “For more information, call myself, Joe Smith at…”. Or you hear a lot of people say “John and myself did this or that”. The proper word to use in those examples is clear when you apply the usage rules above. When is myself the proper word choice?
Don
You are correct. Rule 7 in the “Pronouns” section of our website says, “Reflexive pronouns – myself, himself, herself, itself, themselves, ourselves, yourself, yourselves– should be used only when they refer back to another word in the sentence.
Correct:
I worked myself to the bone.
Incorrect:
My brother and myself did it.
The word myself does not refer back to another word.
Correct:
My brother and I did it.
Incorrect:
Please give it to John or myself.
Correct:
Please give it to John or me.
can you please help me with this..
Are jones miles and cheska blame an official couple?
i think it sounds very weird.i would rather ask this way…
Are THEY an official couple?
but i still want to know if my grammar is correct.
or should i just say…
Is Jones Miles in a relationship with Cheska Blame?
We agree that saying, “Are Jones Miles and Cheska Blame an official couple?” does sound awkward. We prefer “Are Jones Miles and Cheska Blame in a relationship?’ or “Is Jones Miles in a relationship with Cheska Blame?”
Hi I am curious why in my English book the following sentence is correct.
Him and me have been seeing more and more of each other.
I thought it would be he and I.
Thanks!
Are you sure your English book is not using this sentence as an incorrect example? If not, it seems that you found an error in your English book. Him and me are not subject pronouns and you are correct that the sentence should read “He and I have been seeing more of each other.”
GrammarBook.com is the greatest and most useful website.
“dude stop creeping on steffi’s and my conversation.”. please correct me if i am wrong :).thanks!
Your sentence’s wording is correct (although other areas need work).
Dude, stop creeping on Steffi’s and my conversation.
I have a colleague who writes “Am” instead of “I’m” – is tha correct? For example she will reply in email correspondence by saying “Am working on an answer to…” – is that correct?
We do not recommend leaving out the word I before am. It appears that some people are allowing a few of the abbreviated forms they use in text messages to carry over to their emails.
Is it possible to address the matter – They vs Them.
Consider the sentence: The man boasted to his friends that he was a better singer than ___. (they OR them).
Mentally complete the sentence. “The man boasted to his friends that he was a better singer than they were.” Therefore, your sentence should be:
The man boasted to his friends that he was a better singer than they.
When mentally completing a sentence to determine which pronoun is correct, is it acceptable to mentally insert words before the final pronoun? For example,
“This helps you as much as I/me.”
It could be…..
This helps you as much as (it helps) me. (Note that here I am mentally inserting the words it helps before the pronoun me.)
OR
This helps you as much as I (help you). (Here I am literally mentally completing the sentence without inserting any words.)
Are both I and me correct depending upon context, or is only I correct because I had to insert words before me to make that sentence make sense?
Mentally completing the sentence will sometimes mean inserting words and sometimes adding words depending on the sentence. Your example, “This helps you as much as I/me,” would be understood by almost everyone to mean “This helps you as much as it helps I/me.” By inserting the words it helps, you’ve made it easier to select the correct pronoun me. The sentence “This helps you as much as I” may be a grammatically correct shortening of “This helps you as much as I help you,” but it is an extremely awkward sentence and is likely to lead to confusion.
In our Rule 5 of Pronouns, we give examples of completing sentences by adding words, such as Tranh is as smart as she/her. If we mentally complete the sentence, we would say, “Tranh is as smart as she is.” Therefore, she is the correct answer.
I am writing an autobiography.
In one paragraph, I am talking about my mother.
How many times is it okay to say her first name in the same paragraph. Also, for the words, her, she etc.
There is no specific grammar rule covering repetition of words in a paragraph. How does it sound to your own ear when you read it silently and out loud? If it doesn’t sound right, rewrite. There are many helpful websites with tips for writers. You might search on “how to avoid excessive repetition of names and pronouns” or something of that sort.
Can you please tell me which sentence is correct?
Thank you for taking the time to speak with Joann and me this morning.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with Joann and I this morning.
The rule in our I vs. Me blog says, “Use one of the object pronouns when the pronoun is not a subject and it doesn’t follow a state of being verb.” The object pronoun is me.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with Joann and me this morning.
Here is a little trick I learned many years ago.
John and I own the car.
I own the car.
The car belongs to John and me. (not I)
The car belongs to me.
Yes, when I or me is paired with another name, it can be helpful to mentally drop the other name and then you can hear which one is correct. We also mention this “trick” in the Grammar Blogs “I vs. Me” and “I vs. Me (Review).”
with names would it be:
Richard and he must have been…
or
He and richard must have been….
Either “Richard and he” or “He and Richard” is grammatically correct. We think that “He and Richard” sounds better.
Can someone tell me which sentence is correct, please?
‘ He and I like to play computer games.’
‘ He and I likes to play computer games.’
Thank You.
Since you have two subjects, he and I, use the plural verb like.
He and I like to play computer games.
“Things were never the same between him and I, after I went into the priesthood.”
I am struggling with the “between him and I”. Is it him and I or him and me?
Between is a preposition so are the pronouns objects of the preposition and therefore be him and me? Also, should pronouns be both subjective or both objective?
Thank you.
Pronouns can be either subjective (I, she, he, we, they, who, whoever) or objective (me, her, him, us, them, whom, whomever). The pronouns in your example sentence should be objective pronouns—both are the object of “between.” Therefore, write “him and me.”
Thank you Jane! I appreciate the response.
You’re welcome.
let’s keep this between you and i. is this sentence correct?
In your example, between is a preposition, which takes the object pronoun me. Also, your sentence should begin with a capital letter.
My husband was at a yard sale recently and found a children’s book entitled “My brother and I” He was calling the author out for improper grammar. I thought the title was fine. What is your call on this title? It really is not a sentence. Thanks, Marge
You are correct that the title is not a sentence. “My Brother and I” could refer to a sentence such as “My brother and I are best friends,” or it could refer to “This is a book about my brother me,” in which case the title is not grammatically correct.
I generally follow these rules very closely. One issue that came up in a bet today was the correct response to “Who did that?” Is the correct response “Me” or “I”? Similarly, the proper ending to the sentence “You are better than me/I” is being debated. Your assistance in settling this would be greatly appreciated!
The complete answer to “Who did that?” is “I did that.” Therefore, use the subjective I. If you mentally complete your second example sentence, you could write “You are better than I am.” Therefore, the word I is correct.
I was wondering if you could help me with a pronoun question. When asked a question why do we always reply with object pronouns rather than subject pronouns. For example
“Who is this in the photo” The one word reply would be “me” which makes sense as you are the subject of the sentence as in “It(photo/subject) is me(object). However, when asked the question “who wants a piece of cake?” we also respond with “me”. This does not seem to make sense as surely I would be the subject of this answer were it converted into a full sentence as in “I want a piece of cake”. Thanks for your time.
Informal spoken responses often wrongly use object pronouns instead of subject pronouns. In your first example sentence, saying “Me” as a response could be correct as the shortened form of the sentence “That is a photo of me.” Answering with “Me” as a response to “Who wants a piece of cake?” is grammatically incorrect.
Me and my buddy went swimming.
or,
I and my buddy went swimming?
(Granted the it is preferred that the other party comes first — My buddy and I went swimming — but that is not an invariable rule, or is it?)
Use the subject pronoun I, since it is one of the subjects in your sentence. Since it is grammatical courtesy for the writer to place his or her name last, “My buddy and I” is recommended.
please, would you like to put a long test of many questions about this subject? it could be useful to check if we understood or not. thank you
We do have a “Pronouns” quiz on the website consisting of eleven questions. The quiz covers many different pronouns, not just I and me. We also have eight more quizzes (eighty more questions) on pronouns on the website for quiz subscribers.
Which is correct for an invite?
Please join her family and I for this wonderful occasion or Please join her family and me for this wonderful occasion?
“Please join her family and me for this wonderful occasion” because “her family and me” are the objects of “join.”
I am baffled by the confusion over subjective and objective personal pronouns. On the one hand people follow the grammatical rules almost perfectly as long as only one person is referenced in the phrase. And yet the moment a second pronoun is added it seems that all the rules are summarily tossed out the window. What’s with the inconsistency? I can appreciate that languages change and evolve and that the reasons can be complex. And yet it would seem that in most cases a change would serve to simplify or abbreviate sentence structure. But this trend appears to do neither. It actually complicates things because while there are very clear rules that are followed when only one personal pronoun is use, the introduction of a second pronoun in the phrase seemingly renders the grammatical guideline irrelevant and usage becomes random. How complicated is that? My personal hunch is that this trend stems from laziness and a decreasing ability among large segments of the population to think and speak with clarity and accuracy. But if I ever say such a thing I get nailed with all sorts of criticism. People talk about my inability to accept the fluidity of language and suggest that I’m some sort of Luddite dinosaur from a previous age… Ho hum.
At least we “dinosaurs” are not extinct yet!
Even though we went to bed exhausted , sleep for Jeremy and I was impossible.
Is this sentence correct?
Some explanation would be much appreciated.
The word for is a preposition so pronouns following it are objects of the preposition. Therefore, use the object pronoun me. Also, there should not be a space before your comma.
Even though we went to bed exhausted, sleep for Jeremy and me was impossible.
Most helpful indeed, thank you for taking the time to respond.
I need someone’s help. I’m an English teacher but not a native one. I have always been taught that we should say ‘me and my family’ or ‘my family and I’. But recently I heard someone saying ‘I and my family’. It sounded really strange and I’m wondering if it’s correct as I would never use such structure. Could you explain me if it’s proper to use such phrase and if there is any difference in usage of those two?
Thank you in advance
The phrase “I and my family” is awkward. Assuming the phrase is the subject of a sentence, it is better written “my family and I.”
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
“Proper nutrition is essential to me and my family’s healthful lifestyle.”
“Proper nutrition is essential to the healthful lifestyle of my family and I.”
“Proper nutrition is essential to the healthful lifestyle of me and my family.”
The last sentence is grammatically correct.
Which one is correct?
You and your loved ones
Your loved ones and you
Both are grammatically correct.
For the sentence, “A day in the life of ‘Name’ and ….”. Would the … be I or me?
So, ‘A day in the life of Suzie and I’ or ‘A day in the life of Suzie and me’
The preposition “of” takes an object. You would not say “A day in the life of I,” so “me” is the clear choice.
Is this sentence correct
Here’s a picture of me and my wife.
Yes, it is correct.
I don’t think this question belongs in this section, but I couldn’t figure out where to ask. I am sure “Mike’s and my” in the following sentence is correct. However, it sounds strange to me. I cannot think of a better construction. I cannot write “our” because we have not been mentioned in a prior sentence. However, the birthday was mentioned previously. Are “Mike’s and my” and “our” just adjectives? I am probably making this way too complicated. Could you please help me? Thank you.
I can never forget your birthday because today was also Mike’s and my anniversary.
or
Today was also Mike’s and my anniversary, so I can ever forget your birthday.
The correct wording would be “Mike’s and my.” They are used as possessive adjectives. Your sentences are both correct, however you misspelled never in the second sentence.
such rules do not apply to you and I…Please correct
Use the object pronoun me when the pronoun is not a subject and it doesn’t follow a state-of-being verb. Also, use a capital letter to begin a sentence.
Such rules do not apply to you and me.
For the title of an essay, which would be correct? My Brother and I or Me and My Brother or My Brother and Me?
There’s no one correct answer. Either the subject or the object pronoun could be correct. If your essay is formal or serious it may be better to use “I” than “me.”
is “me and Steve weren’t at the school ” or is ” Steve and I weren’t at the school “
Use the subject pronoun I when it is the subject of the sentence.
Please settle a difference of opinion in our office. Can you also give us the rule which applies?
Should the following sentence end in me or I?
No one knows the Smiths better than my wife and I/me.
Our Rule 7 of Pronouns says, “To decide whether to use the subject or object pronoun after the words than or as, mentally complete the sentence.” Your completed sentence would read “No one knows the Smiths better than my wife and I know them.” Therefore, the pronoun I is correct.
Why are we Brainwashed?
I know its wrong, as I have been corrected…
“This Photo is of Jay and I.”
We were taught in grade school (I am not highly educated) to only refer to yourself as ME when you are the only “person” like “Bring it to me”
Are todays schools setting up students for failure?
The rule that you should “only refer to yourself as me when you are the only person” is incorrect. For example, in the sentence “I am planning on going to a movie tomorrow,” there is no other person mentioned, and the word I is used because I refers to a subject pronoun. In your other sentence, “This is a photo of Jay and me,” the object pronoun me is used because it’s the object of the preposition of.
so would I say “John and I”,”John and me”, “Me and John”, or “I and John” “were best friends in school”? I think I and John but I want to make sure.
Use the subject pronoun I, since it is one of the subjects in your sentence. Since it is grammatical courtesy for the writer to place his or her name last, “John and I” is recommended.
Which one is correct if I use “or” instead of “and”:
1. Jane or I;
2. Jane or myself;
3. Jane or me;
The answer depends on how the phrase is used in a sentence. Whether you use “and” or “or” does not matter. See our blog “Reflexive Pronouns” for an explanation of the proper use of pronouns such as “myself.”
in gramma what is right ? my sister hanna always help me or my sister hanna always helps me
Since this question is more appropriate for our blog When to Add s to a Verb, we provide our response there.
Ranny was with sally and me/I.
it will b me ya I.
If you leave out “Sally,” you will be able to hear that the correct answer is me.
please help:
My mother saw my brother and (I,me) fighting for sweets.
If you leave out “my brother and” you will be able to hear that the correct answer is the object pronoun me.
I hope you can help me with this sentence:
“It was me to whom the gift was given.”
Is it correct? It seems correct because “me” here refers to the object of the gift, and “to whom” hints calls for an objective pronoun. It also answers the question: to whom was the gift given? (It was given to me.)
The problem is, it goes against the rule you provided in your article. I hope you can clear it up for me. Thank you very much.
Our blog I Subject, Your Honor offers more information on this subject. In the phrase It was I, the word I is a subject complement: it = I. The word I is a kind of secondary subject. Therefore, write “It was I to whom the gift was given.”
I corrected my daughter recently, only to be corrected myself by a friend of mine and I wonder where the truth lies, really. The sentence was: “Me, Julia, Sarah, Lilly and Natalie went to the movies.” I told my daughter to always place herself at the end of enumerating people. Then she said: “Julia, Sarah, Lilly, Natalie and me…” I corrected her to say “…and I.” My friend objected and said it was “…and me.” Who is right? Another friend later suggested that if it were only one person before “and I,” I would have been correct, but since there are multiple persons, the correct pronoun is “me.” Thank you in advance for your time.
Choosing the correct pronoun has nothing to do with how many people are included, it has to do with whether the people are part of the subject or the object of a sentence. If you leave out “Julia, Sarah, Lilly, and Natalie” you will be able to hear that the correct answer is the subject pronoun I. You would not say “Me went to the movies.”
I took a photo and captioned it “me and the boys” is this wrong?
Your caption’s most likely meaning is “This is (or Here are) the boys and I.” In that case, your caption would be “the boys and I.” In the less likely event that you intended your caption to mean “This is a photo of the boys and me,” then you may write “the boys and me” or “me and the boys.”
Which is correct?
They did not object to me helping them. Or
They did not object to my helping them.
Our blog What is a Gerund and Why Care states, “It is helpful to recognize gerunds because if a noun or pronoun precedes a gerund, it is usually best to use the possessive form of that noun or pronoun.” Therefore, we recommend using the possessive pronoun my before the gerund helping.
Which is correct and why?
Kevin is as strong as I?
or:
Kevin is as strong as me?
If you mentally complete the sentence you would say “Kevin is as strong as I am.” Therefore, use the pronoun I.
When referring to a table or picture that is located below the text, which is the correct grammar?
In the below table
or
In the table below
Although both are grammatical, most writers’ preference would be “in the table below.”
Am I correct in saying “Mark remained involved in the activities of my sisters and me”
Yes.
What’s wrong with this sentence?
I give him a piece of cake.
Thanks!
From the information you provided, we find nothing technically wrong with your sentence, but it is unusual.
I just want to know correct to use and please explain. thank you!
Miss Samantha and i is/are in a relationship.
Use the plural verb are with the plural subject “Miss Samantha and I.”
Can use Me and my family or it is not right?
The phrase is only correct if it is used as the object of the sentence. If used as the subject, write “my family and I.”
Examples:
Nadia cooked a wonderful meal for me and my family.
My family and I cooked a wonderful meal for Nadia.
Which is correct:
The trip will be more fun with Brook and I.
or
The trip will be more fun with Brook and me.
The object pronoun me is correct because “Brook and me” are both objects of the preposition “with.”
What’s the error?
The man with his four children are going to the zoo.
The phrase “with his four children” is misplaced in the sentence. Also, the verb “are” is incorrect. We recommend rewriting the sentence to read “The man is going to the zoo with his four children.”
“The listeners need to be smart like I.” Or, “the listeners need to be smart like me.”
The word like is a preposition in your sentence. Prepositions take objects. So “like me” is the choice, since me is the object form of I.
Traditionalists frown on using like as a conjunction in formal writing. This means that “like I am” would not be a good idea. If you want “am” in the sentence, “like I am” should be replaced by “as I am” or “the way I am.”
How to write a sentence like…..
I, Mahbubur Rahman is (or am ?) live in Bangladesh and a Bangladeshi by birth.
=> I need to know if it is correct to writ in the form “I,Name……….”. An is there any other mistakes ?
There are several ways you may write such a sentence. For instance:
“My name is Mahbubur Rahman. I was born in Bangladesh and still live there.”
“My name is Mahbubur Rahman. I live in Bangladesh and am a Bangladeshi by birth.”
“I, Mahbubur Rahman, live in Bangladesh and am a Bangladeshi by birth.”
Which is proper grammar:
1. Thank you for hosting me and my family.
2. Thank you for hosting my family and me.
Both are grammatically correct, however, it is grammatical courtesy for the writer to place his or her name last unless there is a good reason to do otherwise.
Would it be Luis and he agreed to borrow a boat.
Also,
The boy in the speedboat was he.
I feel it shouldn’t be but would like to check. Thanks. very interesting website.
Your sentences are grammatically correct (but not exactly typical of how Americans speak).
I would want to be corrected if it were I making the error.
I would want to be corrected if it were me making the error.
Which is correct and why? Thank you.
If it were I is correct. For a thorough explanation, please look at the posts I Subject, Your Honor and Shape-shifting Troublemakers.
Who all are planning come to school on 26 January
We assume you are asking whether the sentence is correct. We recommend writing “Who is planning to come to school on January 26?”
He is no different than you or I/me?
We recommend writing “He is no different from you or me.” Please see our post Different From vs. Different Than.
1. They are my father, my mother, my brother and I. or
They are my father, my mother, my brother and me.
2. They are father, mother, brother and I.
They are father, mother, brother and me.
I would like to know which is correct, thanks
You need to use the subject complement I in your sentences. More information can be found in our post I Subject, Your Honor.
They are my father, my mother, my brother, and I.
They are Father, Mother, Brother, and I.
Your explanations of a simple question is so lame. We are not ALL geniuses! We do not all have a degree in English grammar. Many of us do not have a degree at all. Can’t you just give an answer in layman terms?
I guess “ME just doesn’t understand!”
Give me a break!
I simply wanted to know which is correct, “Him and I feel the same about each other,” OR
“Him and me feel the same about each other.”
I would never use “Him and me.” However, I am watching a television program where a person is saying “Him and me” over and over which sounds absolutely ridiculous to me.
Can’t you just tell me which is correct without all the other unnecessary information?
It sounds like you came to our site looking for an easy answer. We prefer to help our readers understand the reasons why certain words are used, so they can use them properly in the future. Like it or not, the way a person speaks and writes makes an impression on others.
Of course, television shows do not always represent good grammar. To answer your question without “unnecessary information”: neither sentence is correct.
Thank God that the written word changes. “Myne hart is hevy” is not how I want to read English. Tell your daughter that the language hasn’t changed yet, and until it does, that poor pronoun use is wrong. If the standard does change some day, she can feel good about it then, but not just yet.
My biggest pet peeve among “professional” writing errors is poor parallelism. It drives me nuts. I hope it doesn’t ever become standard.
What I have difficulty understanding is, how would you use two possessive pronouns in one sentence instead of saying ‘our?’ “Hers and my soccer ball” doesn’t sound right.
The phrase her and my soccer ball is grammatically correct. Compound possessives are often clunky as well as confusing, therefore we recommend care in using them.
Is this correct?
“I would like to book accommodation for my family and I from the 11th of March until the 15th.”
(From IELTS writing general Test by Mike Wattie.)
Thank you
No, there are several errors in the sentence. The plural noun accommodations should be used. Also, the object pronoun me is correct. Me is not the subject; it is the direct object of the verb book, so we must use the object case.
“I would like to book accommodations for my family and me from the 11th of March until the 15th.”
I was at a wedding today. The minister asked who was giving the daughter away. The father said, “Her mother and me.” Is this correct? I would think it should be, “Her mother and I.” An English teacher who was at the wedding said that the father said it correctly.
The father and the English teacher were in error. The correct response to the question is “Her mother and I.”
I wrote this photo caption, which I believe to be correct: “Theo and I last November…” Someone is telling me it should be “Theo and me last November…” but I don’t believe this is correct – am I wrong?
Please see our August 8, 2011, reply to Jennifer.
This one please. “It must be me an English teacher.” “It must be I an English teacher.”
The subject pronoun I is correct. Please see our post I Subject, Your Honor for more information on this topic. There should be a comma before the nonessential phrase an English teacher. See our post Commas with Appositives for more information.
It must be I, an English teacher.
Is this sentence; I, John am a high school graduate grammatically correct?
You are missing one comma after the word John. Our post Commas with Appositives explains that an appositive is a word or word group that defines or further identifies the noun or noun phrase preceding it. When the noun preceding the appositive provides sufficient identification on its own, use commas around the appositive. In your sentence. the word I is a precise identifier, therefore, the appositive John is surrounded by commas. You also need a period at the end of the sentence.
I, John, am a high school graduate.
What is a better way of saying this sentence:
“I want to let you know that my sister and I will be paying.”
“I want to let you know that my sister and me will be paying.”
“My sister and I” sounds better by the ear, but I’ve always been confused about using “I” twice in a sentence if that sentence starts with “I”. Do I remain the subject throughout the sentence?
Thank you.
The subject pronoun I is correct in your sentence. You would say “I will be paying,” not “Me will be paying.”
Am I correct grammatically with the following sentence? It’s very confusing as it isn’t how I would speak, but with the rules I have been taught, this should be correct in writing.
“Thank you for the courtesy extended to Andrew Berg and me during our recent visit to your facility.”
Was taught always put others before you, hence the name first. Then taught when you have 2 pronouns, you should be able to remove one of them and the “and” and the sentence should still read correctly.
Input would be appreciated.
Your sentence and your reasoning are both correct.
On the subject of subject-object, does anyone know whether “you” in “thank you” is the subject or the object? This is the only personal pronoun in Standard English Language where the subject and the object forms are identical. Hence, I would like to know.
I read somewhere that the phrase originates from a person saying that the other person thought of them.
If we treat “thank” as archaic nonstandard past tense of “think”, it would be “you thank” (you thought [of me]), and hence “you” would be the subject.
If we treat “thank you” as abbreviation of “I thank you”, “you” would be the object.
Thank you in advance for you replies.
As used today, the phrase thank you has an implied subject, either I or we. You is the object.
I have a question that is there any subject in the Sentence that my name is David???
In the sentence “My name is David,” the subject is name.
Wondering if anyone could weigh in on which use of I versus me is correct? The sentences are exactly the same but for the 2nd to last word.
Thanks!
Tuscan buildings with tile roofs out the window and a glass of Prosecco in our hands, makes Jane and I smile.
OR
Tuscan buildings with tile roofs out the window and a glass of Prosecco in our hands, makes Jane and me smile.
The subjects of your sentence are the nouns buildings and glass. Therefore, you need to use the plural verb make. More information can be found in our post When to Add s to a Verb.
The object pronoun me is correct in your sentence. If you leave out Jane, you would say, “make me smile,” not “make I smile.”
GrammarBook said:
Example: Between you and me, I think Sandy cheated.
Again, me is not the subject nor does it follow one of those state-of-being verbs. So we must use the object case.
What about this example: It is something between you and I?
Which rule does apply here? We have the state-of-being verb “is” here, hence we should use “I”. But then this example contradicts the GrammarBook example.
The state-of-being verb is contained in the clause “It is something.” The pronouns are objects of the preposition “between.” Therefore, use “me.”
I find it helpful when considering these “between” problems to replace the word “between” with “within” and making it just about me. So in this case, it would obviously be “It is within me”, not “It is within I”. I hope that that helps!
I so often hear “I vs me” errors in movies and on TV. Why? Do professional writers not know the simple rules regarding nominative and objective pronouns? Or do script writers dumb down their dialogue because they think their audience is stupid or afraid to hear correctly spoken English? Or what? I am so sick of terrible grammar being foisted upon movie goers and TV watchers. I find such grammar errors akin to (or worse than) scratching on a chalkboard.
I need help to determine the correct usage. Which is correct, “After that it was only you and I” or “After that it was only you and me”?
If I read it so it sounds correct I would use “It was only you and me.” (It was only me). However, my grammar checker indicates “I” is correct.
What is the rule in this case?
We understand that “It was only you and me” sounds correct in everyday, informal speech. However, you need to use the subject complement I to be technically correct. For a full explanation see our post I Subject, Your Honor.
Which one should I use in this sentence: I had other plans for my daughter and I, I had other plans for my daughter and me, or I had other plans for me and my daughter?
As the post states, use one of the object pronouns when the pronoun is not a subject and it doesn’t follow a state-of-being verb. Thus, use me in your sentence. The usual convention is to place ourselves last, therefore we recommend I had other plans for my daughter and me.
I’m stunned daily by the incorrect use of the simple “he and I” or “him and me” constructs. Even journalists and newscasters frequently say stuff like “him and I”…. blows me away. And I’m only going on what I learned last century in 7th Grade.
I’m writing a story and have written a sentence something a long the lines of “Should a great man, such as I, be condescended to, like a child?”
Microsoft word is telling me that I is wrong and it should be me, but the way I understand it the full sentence would be, “such as I am.” Is it correct?
Yes, the pronoun I is correct for the reason you cited. Spelling and grammar check programs are not always reliable.
I’ve just followed this long-running thread with interest, as I have a similar question concerning the use of I and me.
It’s this: In some dialogue I’ve written, a character says:
“I’m sure there are many people who are more influential than I.”
Should that be:
“I’m sure there are many people who are more influential than I am.”?
Or even:
“I’m sure there are many people who are more influential than me.”?
Because completing the sentence, i.e., I’m sure there are many people who are more influential than I am is correct, then I’m sure there are many people who are more influential than I also is correct.
A. You and I are to pay the fine.
Or
B. He and I are to pay the fine.
Please which is correct out of A and B or are both correct ?
Both are correct.
Is it ever correct to say, “Me and my sons went to ……”?
No, as the post states, “Use one of the subject pronouns when it is the subject of the sentence.” The correct subjects of your sentence are “My sons and I.”
My Canadian friends, one an author, claim they learned in school to use I even as an object pronoun, such as “Henry invited Jane and I to the movies.”
Is this possible?
While our focus is on American English (not Canadian or British), we would guess they were taught incorrectly. We are not aware of “I” ever being used as an object pronoun.
I found your comment on using the pronouns separately to choose the correct one to be very helpful.
I passed this information to my college educated grandchildren, and they finally got the idea!! Thank you.
I completely agree. I’m glad to see that I am not the only one bothered by this. I have actually heard an English teacher start a sentence with “Her and I…” and have heard other college graduates utter the words “Me and her…,” “Him and me…,” and “…with her and I,” among other gaffs. They should teach English like they teach a foreign language, where you have to conjugate verbs, like the verb “to be”: “I am,” “you (sing.) are,” “he/she is,” “we are,” “you (pl.) are,” and “they are.” I hear and read so many grammar mistakes these days; it makes me wonder if anyone is even teaching children proper English grammar anymore.
Thanks for allowing Joe and me to hunt your land.
Or
Thanks for allowing Joe and I to hunt your land.
As the post states, “Use one of the object pronouns when the pronoun is not a subject and it doesn’t follow a state-of-being verb.” Therefore, the pronoun me is correct.
Using the simplified method, remove Joe from your sentence in order to know whether to use I or me: Thanks for allowing me to hunt on your land.
In regard to Jim Giles’s comment of February 25, 2007, I wonder whether part of your sentence should be phrased as “poorly written,” instead of “badly written”?
That’s a reasonable question. One is not necessarily superior to the other. It is the writer’s choice.
Please help me to choose the correct sentence:
1) “No one can help you but me”
or
2) “No one can help you but I”
I can try to mentally complete sentence 2 according to the rule suggested by you on the blog by rephrasing it as “No one can help you but i can help,” but will that not be valid and hence wrong?
And if “me” is the correct choice, will the sentence be rephrased as “No one can help you, but it can be me”?
Your efforts have been a huge help for non-native speakers like me to appreciate the beauty of the “English language.”
The correct answer in this instance is sentence 1: No one can help you but me. The reason is that the word but is not functioning as a conjunction; rather, it is serving as a preposition meaning “except”: No one can help you (except) me. Another example would be No one but (except) her came to the meeting.
I’m talking and my friend rebuts.
Here our quotes.
Me:
“What you think?”
Him:
“I won’t tell you!”
Are “me” and “him” used properly or not?
We do not recommend using this format in formal writing. The following is preferable:
I asked, “What do you think?”
“I won’t tell you!” he answered.
Which is correct?
-Both Eddie and me are scheduled for an appointment next Tuesday. (me as object; where the subject is implied to be someone else who did the scheduling)
-Both Eddie and I are scheduled for an appointment next Tuesday. (applying the test of breaking them out as separate sentences: I am scheduled for an appointment next Tuesday.)
Eddie and I are the subjects of the sentence. Using the simplified method, remove Eddie from your sentence in order to know whether to use I or me: I am scheduled for an appointment next Tuesday.
So is this correct?
Caleb and I visited the man.
The man was visited by Caleb and me.
Yes.
25 years later, his business card still hangs on my wall and reminds me of all the good he taught me. Is it correct to end a sentence with “me”?
As the post states, “Use one of the object pronouns when the pronoun is not a subject and it doesn’t follow a state-of-being verb.” Therefore, me is correct. However, our Rule 1 of Writing Numbers says, “Spell out all numbers beginning a sentence.” The sentence should begin with “Twenty-five.”
which would you use for these since there is only an adjective in some of them
No one was as happy about the neighborhood garden as ( I me ).
2. My sister wasn’t as eager as ( I me ) about the project.
3. The garden project interested me more than ( she her )
.4. Our neighbors were more experienced than ( we us ) at gardening.
5. More land for plants was given to them than ( we us ).
6. The project organizer was as helpful to us as ( they them ).
7. My sister worked more in the garden than ( I me ).
8. No one was more surprised at the large size of our tomatoes than ( she her ).
9. My neighbors grew more tomatoes than ( we us ).
10. We harvested our tomatoes earlier than ( they them ).
11. They planted their crops later than ( we us ).
12. We harvested more beans than ( they them ).
13. Our neighbors were as surprised at our success as ( we us ).
Please see Rule 7 of Pronouns and our post Picking Proper Pronouns: Part I for assistance with your questions.
“Only Karen and I were invited to the meeting.”
or
“Only Karen and me were invited to the meeting.”
As the post states, “Use one of the subject pronouns when it is the subject of the sentence.” One good way to test this rule is to see how it sounds when you use each pronoun or noun individually: It sounds right to say, “I was invited to the meeting” instead of “Me was invited to the meeting.” Therefore, I is correct.
I wrote a story when I was about 12 titled “The Horse, the Alligator, and I.”
If it were reversed, it seems it would be “Me, the Horse, and the Alligator.”
Are both correct, could the first example be either me or I?
Since your intention could be “The horse, the alligator, and I are the main characters in this story,” or “This is a story about me, the alligator, and the horse,” either one is acceptable.
Is “can” a state-of-being verb? In other words, I am asking if saying something like “you can do better than I” is correct, or must it be “me”?
The word “can” is an auxiliary (helping) verb in your sentence. Our Rule 7 of Pronouns says, “To decide whether to use the subject or object pronoun after the words than or as, mentally complete the sentence.” Mentally completing the sentence, we have “You can do better than I can.” Therefore, “I” is the correct answer. See our post What Are Auxiliary Verbs? (Including Examples and Usage).
John and Jane are teammates playing a game.
Jane is asked the question, “Who is winning?”
What is the correct response, or most correct?
– Me and John
– John and I
– John and me
Explain please.
Since you would say, “John and I are winning,” your second option is correct.
Funny. Hari’s 1/21/21 question, with a compliment that also begs the question … “Your efforts have been a huge help for non-native speakers like me to appreciate the beauty of the “English language.” Here, instead of “but me”, he/she uses “like me”, which we can presume also follows the same thinking you discussed – that “like” here is a preposition (not a conjunction) and takes the object (not subject) pronoun. Yes?
A statement such as “Your efforts have been a huge help for non-native speakers like me…” is common in informal English, but it is not precise for usage in formal writing. The proper, more accurate treatment would be “…non-native speakers such as me…” You also can review this topic further in our post Like.