We get more questions about pronoun usage, particularly I vs. me, than any other topic. So, here is a review that should help you feel more secure about your choices. For more on the topic, click here.
Should we say, “She and I went to the store”? Or is it correct to say, “She and me went to the store”?
Is it, “He put suntan lotion on heand I”? Or would you say, “He put suntan lotion on himself and me”?
Many of us were taught to be suspicious of and me, with the idea that its use would make us sound uneducated. But the question of whether to use I or me comes down to whether you are using the word as a subject or as an object in the sentence. Both words are pronouns, but I is a subject pronoun while me is an object pronoun.
So, in the sentence, “She and I went to the store,” the correct word to use would be I rather than me. Why? Because I is the subject of the sentence. (Who is going to the store? She and I are going to the store.)
One good way to test this rule is to see how it sounds when you use each pronoun individually: It sounds right to say, “She went to the store.” You would also say, “I went to the store.”
“He put suntan lotion on himself and me” would be correct because himself and me are objects. Specifically, they are objects of the preposition on. “He put suntan lotion on himself” is obviously correct as opposed to “on he.” You would also say, “He put suntan lotion on me,” not “on I.”
Pop Quiz
Select the correct sentence.
1A. Arlene asked he and I to complete the job.
1B. Arlene asked him and me to complete the job.
2A. He and I completed the job for Arlene.
2B. Him and me completed the job for Arlene.
Answers to Pop Quiz
1B. Arlene asked him and me to complete the job.
2A. He and I completed the job for Arlene.
Are you ready for the quiz?
I vs Me 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.
129 responses to “I vs. Me (Review)”
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Rolan Ramos says:
March 6, 2014, at 5:09 pm
Here’s one that drives me nuts: Its between she and I.
–Of course, that’s completely wrong.
It’s between me and her.
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Lea Thomas says:
April 16, 2015, at 11:02 am
Seeing this thread made me smile.
I was raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and in a small community a two-hour drive north of it, and as an adult spent time in Hamilton Ontario (medium-sized city not far from Toronto) and in Toronto. It was only upon coming to Peterborough, Ontario about 20 years ago that I came across this use of “anymore,” which I must admit drives me crazy! I thought it was specific to this geographic area–was surprised to learn it’s more widespread!
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Christine Miller says:
February 25, 2020, at 4:25 pm
Actually I believe it would be this: It’s between her and me. You should always put yourself last.
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GrammarBook.com says:
March 2, 2020, at 8:45 pm
The usual convention is to place ourselves last.
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Ann M. says:
November 5, 2014, at 11:09 pm
While I was watching “Death Comes to Pemberley” on PBS the past couple of nights, I noticed several instances of “poor grammar” coming out of the mouths of the early 19th century English gentry. They repeatedly used “I” in place of “me” as a direct or indirect object, e.g., “He brought John and I home.” or “He gave Lydia and I a book.” There were a couple of other oddities, as well, which I cannot recall at the moment. Is this, as I fear, the result of poorly educated 21st century actors & directors, who are attempting to sound “proper” ? Or, is it possible that 19th century Brits actually spoke in that affected manner? I could Google it, but I thought I might see if you have any information about “old fashioned” grammar.
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GrammarBook.com says:
November 5, 2014, at 11:10 pm
We suspect, as you do, that inadequate 21st century language skills are to blame for the pronoun faults and so on that you heard. It’s sad to know that PBS is not above these gaffes.
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Deane M. says:
March 16, 2015, at 6:50 pm
Can’t seem to find this question addressed on your website nor can I find a Blog for it.
Can you settle a bet? Which is correct :
“She is older than I.”…….as In “Older than I am old.”
or
“She is older than me.”
I’m going with “Me.”
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GrammarBook.com says:
March 16, 2015, at 6:52 pm
Sorry, Deane, but you’re going to lose that bet. You can find the answer in Rule 7 of Pronouns. As you guessed at first, you must mentally complete the sentence: “She is older than I [am].”
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Deane M. says:
March 17, 2015, at 11:25 am
Dang.
This was my reasoning :
“Than” is a preposition (right?) and as such takes the objective case, i.e., Me, You, He, Her, Us, Them—which is why we say “Between you and me” rather than “Between you and I”.
What am I doing wrong? I defer to you guys!
Thanks for your answer.-
GrammarBook.com says:
March 17, 2015, at 11:27 am
We need to separate formal English grammar from informal spoken English. Yes, between is a preposition, but than is formally considered to be a conjunction. You may commonly hear “She is older than me” in speech, but that would be considered incorrect by most critics and editors in written form.
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Adam says:
January 22, 2019, at 12:55 pm
Your explanations make sense, but I think “She is older than me.” works because “she” is the subject and “me” is the object. “She is older than I am.” seems clunky, but I can see how it logically makes sense, but as we know, language doesn’t always work logically, especially when it comes to pronouns.
I’m going with “me.”
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GrammarBook.com says:
February 2, 2019, at 7:40 am
Please see our responses to to Deane M. of March 16 and 17, 2015, above.
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Peter Elkas says:
November 6, 2020, at 7:26 am
“Than“ is both a conjunction and a preposition.
To this day, my 82 year old mother will correct me when I say something like “he’s older than me” to say “he’s older than I.”
This drives me bananas because “He’s older than me” is a complete sentence, correctly using “than” as a preposition. Where “He’s older than I” makes “than” a conjunction and becomes an incomplete sentence, begging the question “older than I am what?
While possibly sounding coarse, “Than me” is concise and correct. “Than I” is a grammatical overcorrection and is incomplete and wrong. I say this in good humour and appreciate this dialogue!-
GrammarBook.com says:
November 11, 2020, at 8:56 pm
Than is generally considered a conjunction in comparative sentences. Our post Picking Proper Pronouns: Part I says, “In comparisons introduced by words such as than or as, the case of a pronoun following the comparative word is determined by whether the pronoun completes an omitted, understood clause.” Therefore, we prefer “He’s older than I,” which includes the omitted “am old”: “He’s older than I (am old).”
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sorowar kamal says:
September 29, 2015, at 7:53 am
I & my wife are going to Spain.2,My wife & I are going to Spain.3.My wife & I am going to Spain . Which one is correct? Please mention the rules about order of person & auxillary verb.Thanks
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GrammarBook.com says:
October 3, 2015, at 5:52 am
My wife and I are going to Spain is the best choice. Use the plural “are going” with two subjects connected by and. Listing yourself second is generally preferred in formal prose. We do not recommend the use of the ampersand (&) in formal prose.
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Ann F says:
December 26, 2015, at 3:39 pm
Thank you for the posting. I will have to read what else you have linked.
What bothers me at times is when people say “I had went” (mostly in the south do I hear this). I sometimes feel like correcting by saying, “It’s I WENT, or had GONE”. But because I know I’m not perfect, I hold my tongue.
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GrammarBook.com says:
January 7, 2016, at 12:53 pm
Good for you. It can be a challenge at times for grammar sticklers to hold their tongues. You may find our first post of 2016, Resolutions for Word Nerds, of interest.
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Linea says:
January 7, 2016, at 2:02 am
I’ve heard many people, including those in screenplays use the phrase, “Me & Roger went to town.” I was taught that the pronoun “I” is to be used with the other person’s name or pronoun first, as in, “Roger & I went to town.” Has this usage changed? Or is it just popular usage now? My friend who does this consistently told me when I asked her that she was told by a therapist to always put herself first. Your thoughts?
Thank you.-
GrammarBook.com says:
January 14, 2016, at 6:22 am
Our post I vs. Me says, “Use one of the subject pronouns when it is the subject of the sentence.” Therefore, the pronoun I is correct in your sentence. Regarding which name to put first, it is grammatical courtesy for the writer to place his or her name last unless there is a good reason to do otherwise.
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Carlos says:
March 1, 2016, at 4:36 pm
I tried to convey that ‘we (my girlfriend and I), along with another person (she), are going to the mall.’ I said, “She and we are going to the mall,” and then, after being ridiculed, cited this pronoun trick for me and I. My sentence sounded weird, but was it grammatically incorrect? Thank you!
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GrammarBook.com says:
March 7, 2016, at 10:26 pm
Although she and we are correct as subject pronouns in your example sentence, using them together sounds awkward. We recommend rewriting the sentence. The following are some examples:
The three of us are going to the mall.
We are all going to the mall.
She is going with us to the mall.
We are going with Jennifer to the mall.
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Marc says:
March 2, 2016, at 11:42 am
Thank you for the information. Just for clarification, if the pronoun is the object, as in her/she and i, is it also used with a past tense action? I normally use the sound rule of splitting the pronouns and rereading. However, she were talking and I were talking do not fit this. It is still, “She and I were talking”, correct?
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GrammarBook.com says:
March 7, 2016, at 10:24 pm
She and I are subject pronouns. They are used in both present and past tense. Using them together as the subject of a sentence makes the subject plural, therefore were is used as the verb. Using a singular subject, such as she or I, requires the singular verb was.
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shashank says:
May 17, 2016, at 3:59 am
Please clarify this,the statement is
BETWEEN YOU AND I,I AM CONVINCED THAT SHE IS GOOD PLAYER.
Mam in this after between you and i or me what should come?thanks
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GrammarBook.com says:
May 18, 2016, at 4:41 pm
Between is a preposition. Pronouns following it are objects of the preposition. I is a subject pronoun while me is an object pronoun. Therefore, write “Between you and me, I am convinced that she is a good player.”
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Marlys says:
July 19, 2016, at 9:25 am
The only things missing are me and Sheila or Sheila and I?
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GrammarBook.com says:
July 24, 2016, at 6:10 pm
Our post I vs. Me says, “Use a subject pronoun following state-of-being verbs such as am, are, is, was, were, appeared, seemed, etc.” Therefore, use Sheila and I after the state-of-being verb are.
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Sally says:
November 2, 2016, at 1:15 pm
Even the president said “Thank you, you have been so nice to (name) and I.”
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GrammarBook.com says:
November 8, 2016, at 7:26 pm
That is indeed unfortunate.
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Mac says:
January 4, 2017, at 4:05 pm
What about picture caption, “John and I in the museum.” I would tend to say, John and me, but other friends are adamant that John and I are correct. After reading your comments above, I suppose a subject pronoun, I, would be called for her. Correct?
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GrammarBook.com says:
January 9, 2017, at 9:59 pm
Correct.
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Dale Austin says:
February 27, 2017, at 8:21 am
Here’s the sentence: The newly formed training team (John, Susan, Phyllis, and I) has developed the attached Report Writing Assistance document.
Is it, …Phyllis, and I, or, …Phyllis, and me?
Also, is it has, or have, developed the attached…?
“I have developed” sounds better, but I is included within the parenthetical phrase, so to “sound-test” it, shouldn’t it be read, The newly formed training team has developed…?-
GrammarBook.com says:
March 3, 2017, at 10:44 pm
The subject pronoun I is correct in your sentence.
Our post Subject and Verb Agreement with Collective Nouns addresses the issue of which verb to use with the noun team. The post says that if the noun is acting as a unit, use a singular verb; and if your sentence indicates more individuality, use a plural verb. Since it seems that the team worked together as a unit to develop the document, we favor using the singular verb has.
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Stewart Shane says:
June 8, 2017, at 2:14 pm
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.
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GrammarBook.com says:
June 14, 2017, at 4:30 pm
We agree. That’s why we’ve decided to reissue our full 2006 “I vs. Me” article in our June 21, 2017, e-newsletter.
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Jami says:
October 20, 2017, at 11:01 am
Ok I always see people using I and never me when putting captions on their pictures. I’m just wondering if it’s always right or not. Here’s a few examples: Mike and I are having too much fun. Mike and I were at the park. Mike and I at the Lau party. Should these all be I or me??
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GrammarBook.com says:
November 30, 2017, at 5:11 pm
The word “I” is correct in all your examples because it is in the subjective case (i.e., it is part of the sentence subject). In a sentence such as “This is a picture of Mike and me at the park,” the word “me” would be correct because it is in the objective case (i.e., the object of a prepositional phrase). Our Pronouns page contains more information about subject and object pronouns.
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Pranil says:
January 31, 2020, at 10:34 pm
My confusion is—
“It is me/I who always help you.”
What should I use here?-
GrammarBook.com says:
February 8, 2020, at 6:12 pm
If the sentence construction is a subject, a form of be (e.g., is, was, were), and a subject complement, we use the subjective case. Therefore, write “It is I who always help you.”
Please see our post I Subject Your Honor for more information.
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Lillian Salmon says:
January 13, 2019, at 1:28 pm
Can you tell me if the “I” in this sentence is correct. I believe it’s correct as it is substituting or clarifying the subject of “we.”
We walked back together, all five of us, my father, my mother, my sister, my brother and I, towards the house we’d just left.
Thank you.
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GrammarBook.com says:
January 19, 2019, at 3:20 pm
Yes, the use of “I” is correct.
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Paul says:
June 5, 2019, at 3:39 am
When replying to the question “Who is going to the movies?” would “Fred and I” or “Fred and me” be correct/preferable?
My feeling is that you would complete the sentence and remove ‘Fred’ – “I am going (to the movies)” / “Me am going (to the movies)” and therefore select the former.
Thanks!
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GrammarBook.com says:
June 10, 2019, at 7:38 pm
You are correct. You would say “Fred and I are going to the movies.”
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Violet says:
January 15, 2020, at 7:16 pm
Which one she and I, her and I, or her and me? Which one for this sentence This is a secret between she and I, her and I, or her and me?
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GrammarBook.com says:
January 22, 2020, at 7:14 am
Between is a preposition. Pronouns following it are objects of the preposition. I is a subject pronoun while me is an object pronoun. Therefore, write “between her and me.”
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Eva Trombino says:
January 30, 2020, at 7:40 pm
Is it “Mike, Sally, Harry and me at the golf tournament,” or “Mike, Sally, Harry and I at the golf tournament”?
I would think it’s “me” because I would say, “me at the golf tournament.”-
GrammarBook.com says:
February 5, 2020, at 4:22 pm
Since your example does not contain a verb, we assume you are using it as a caption. Your most likely meaning is “Mike, Sally, Harry, and I are at the golf tournament.” You are using the subjective case “I” because Mike, Sally, Harry, and I are the subjects of the sentence. Therefore, your shorthand way of writing it would be “Mike, Sally, Harry, and I at the golf tournament.” In the event that you intend your caption to mean “This is a photo of Mike, Sally, Harry, and me at the golf tournament,” then the objective case “Mike, Sally, Harry, and me at the golf tournament” is acceptable.
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The Masked Stranger says:
February 6, 2020, at 9:13 pm
When you use I/me as an object of a sentence but the obect refers back to the subject, should you use the subject or object form?
Example: It is me. It is I.
Which one is correct?-
GrammarBook.com says:
February 11, 2020, at 5:51 am
Our Rule 2 of Pronouns says, “Subject pronouns are also used if they rename the subject. They will follow to be verbs, such as is, are, was, were, am, will be, had been, etc.”
Therefore, write “It is I.”
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Robert Edwards says:
March 11, 2020, at 12:01 pm
Should I say
“You’re such a disappointment to your father and I”
Or
“You’re such a disappointment to your father and me”?-
GrammarBook.com says:
March 14, 2020, at 2:05 pm
“You’re such a disappointment to your father and me” is correct because father and me are objects of the preposition to. If you leave out “your father,” you will be able to hear that the correct answer is the object pronoun me. You would not say “You’re such a disappointment to I.”
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samantha says:
March 24, 2020, at 5:46 pm
I have a question. In the sentence “Tamara and (she/her) photographed the northern lights,” is the correct answer “she”? It has to be according to my grammar notes, but it just sounds so weird. I hope you can answer. Thank you.
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GrammarBook.com says:
April 1, 2020, at 3:15 pm
You are right that the subject pronoun she is correct. Perhaps the sentence would sound better if you rewrote it as “She and Tamara photographed the northern lights.”
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Dennis Baker says:
April 6, 2020, at 9:41 pm
“It cheered Grandma and me up.” Is this correct? My granddaughter thinks it should be “and I up.” Please help to solve this. Thank you.
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GrammarBook.com says:
April 13, 2020, at 9:42 pm
If you leave out “Grandma,” you will be able to hear that the correct answer is the object pronoun me. You would not say “It cheered I up.”
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Rose says:
June 16, 2020, at 7:56 pm
It rives me insane when I see posts of photos that say, “This is a photo of Sally and I at the beach.” (Simply remove Sally and to test how it sounds.) I think to some people it sounds more “sophisticated” or at least is the only thing I can think of! But it drives me insane! And no one will listen to me! It’s as if the rules of grammar have changed, and I’m not some kind of grammar police either, it’s just that it’s so common now my own child won’t listen to me anymore on the subject and I have to hear this all the time from my own kid too!
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Bob says:
June 30, 2020, at 4:37 pm
Is the use of I correct in this example?
“The heartfelt thoughts of my colleagues and I remain with the families involved in this absolutely tragic incident.“
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GrammarBook.com says:
July 9, 2020, at 5:25 am
Of is a preposition. Pronouns following it are objects of the preposition. Therefore, use the object pronoun me instead of I.
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Matthew Clarke says:
July 1, 2020, at 2:31 pm
I have an example:
George, like Raphael and I, was a natural sportsman with the ability and cool, mental resolve to have gone further in whatever sport he chose. Is this right or wrong? Thanks.-
GrammarBook.com says:
July 7, 2020, at 2:33 pm
Like is a preposition. Pronouns following it are objects of the preposition. Therefore, use the object pronoun me. Also, there should not be a comma after cool because the order of cool and mental is not interchangeable:
George, like Raphael and me, was a natural sportsman with the ability and cool mental resolve to have gone further in whatever sport he chose.
See AlsoMe or I: When to Use Each
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Catherine says:
July 28, 2020, at 8:53 pm
I put my American 6 year old in 1st grade in Spain where he had to learn some Spanish. Now that we are back in the US, he continues to use some of the Spanish grammar, which seems to translate to “overly” formal spoken English. If I ask him, “who won the game?” he replies, “I.” Every bone in my body wants to “correct” him and tell him the response should be “me,” but when I think it through, I think “I” is technically correct as it would be “yo” in Spanish. Right? But what kid going into 2nd grade talks like that? grammar parenting dilemma here!
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GrammarBook.com says:
August 3, 2020, at 1:25 pm
The complete reply would be “I won the game,” or “I did”; therefore, grammatically the subject pronoun I is correct. However, in spoken English, object pronouns are often used as a quick answer to a question. Many native speakers would answer, “Me,” which has become acceptable. You could just encourage your son to “finish his sentence” and say, “I did,” or, if it was a team sport, “We did.”
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Peter says:
January 12, 2021, at 6:41 am
The complete reply could also be “It was me.” That would justify replying “me.”
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GrammarBook.com says:
January 18, 2021, at 4:33 pm
Our post I Subject, Your Honor says, “A conversational sentence like It’s me is technically wrong, because me is the object form of I, when what we need is a subject complement. Therefore, It’s I would be proper English (it = I). Remember, if It is I, then I am it. Since no one says, “Me am it,” It’s me can’t be correct.” The same is true of “Me was it”; therefore, “It was I” is correct.
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Darius says:
August 11, 2020, at 3:52 pm
Is this appropriate use of I vs. me?
“Food and dining have always been important to Matthew and I.”
What’s the best alternative if not?
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GrammarBook.com says:
August 14, 2020, at 2:28 pm
If you leave out “Matthew,” you will be able to hear that the correct answer is the object pronoun me. You would not say “Food and dining have always been important to I.”
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Akinola Oluwaseun says:
November 24, 2020, at 8:40 am
Can you help me check if the “I” used in the sentence below is correct?
“Although we were only four, my brother, my parents and I , some relatives took refuge with us.”
Thank you.
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GrammarBook.com says:
December 1, 2020, at 5:55 pm
Your use of I is correct.
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Helena says:
December 26, 2020, at 4:00 pm
Which is correct;
1. Did you leave a present for me and Lorraine?
Or
2. Did you leave a present for Lorraine and I?-
GrammarBook.com says:
January 4, 2021, at 9:13 pm
If you leave out “Lorraine,” you will be able to hear that the correct answer is the object pronoun me. You would not say “Did you leave a present for I?” Regarding which name to put first, it is grammatical courtesy for the writer to place his or her name last unless there is a good reason to do otherwise. Did you leave a present for Lorraine and me?
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Hari Niranjan says:
January 19, 2021, at 2:10 pm
1) Is “The other attendees are John and me” the correct form, or is “The other attendees are John and I” the right one?
I tried splitting the coordinated pronouns as you mentioned and “The other attendee is me” sounded fine, but then again given there’s a rule associated with the “to be” form, do I have to forcibly denote it as “I” in the above example?
2) Is “She like I is intelligent” wrong, because when I try rephrasing the same as “She like I am is intelligent,” it feels like a valid sentence. I have read your other post as well regarding the case of “like,” where it always requires to be followed by an objective case. I have read that if a subjective case has to follow, it’s better to replace “like” with “such as” or other similar words. Does this rule apply to words other than “like” or is it a solo case of its own, if so why is it that way?
Your blog has been a huge help for someone like me (a non native speaker) to clear tons of doubts in English grammar.-
GrammarBook.com says:
January 21, 2021, at 2:12 pm
Our Rule 2 of Pronouns says, “Subject pronouns are also used if they rename the subject. They will follow to be verbs, such as is, are, was, were, am, will be, had been, etc.” Therefore, write “John and I.”
Like is a preposition in the context you identify. Pronouns following it are objects of the preposition. Therefore, use the object pronoun me. “She, like me, is intelligent.” Concerning the use of the preposition like, please see our Rules 2a and 2b of Prepositions for more information and examples.
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KS says:
February 2, 2021, at 1:00 am
Could you help me with this confusing example?
“There is me and you.”
Is the use of me here correct?
Thank you.-
GrammarBook.com says:
February 6, 2021, at 12:31 pm
In formal writing we recommend “There are you and I.”
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Eric N. says:
February 3, 2021, at 3:03 pm
I was thinking about the lyrics and correct usage of “I” (Subject pronoun) and “me” (object pronoun) in listening to this Bob Marley song:
“Old pirates, yes, they rob I
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit”
-Bob Marley, Redemption SongMarley’s use is denotatively incorrect but connotatively correct. The “I” over “me” asserts the humanity of the author and refusal to be a slave (an object belonging to others).
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Lara Valader says:
February 5, 2021, at 9:09 pm
What would be proper to use? Is it “Me being an ardent fan of Lu, can’t disagree with you,” or “I being an ardent fan of Lu, can’t disagree with you”?
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GrammarBook.com says:
February 9, 2021, at 5:25 pm
You would say, “I can’t disagree with you,” not “Me can’t disagree with you.” In addition, the entire phrase following the pronoun should be surrounded by commas.
“I, being an ardent fan of Lu, can’t disagree with you.”
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Chris says:
February 21, 2021, at 10:02 am
I know you are blasted with individual examples, but I’ve struggled with this one many times over the years (52):
“I go back and read this long texting thread between Eydie and me and…”Eydie and I?
Me and Eydie?-
GrammarBook.com says:
February 24, 2021, at 10:56 am
The proper grammar would be “Eydie and me.” The pronoun “me” is the object of the preposition “between,” and polite formal grammar typically places a reference to oneself last.
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Bogtrotter says:
April 14, 2021, at 8:38 pm
How about this sentence?
Somewhere I have a picture of my son and (me or I) smoking those cigars.-
GrammarBook.com says:
April 16, 2021, at 3:57 pm
If you remove “my son” from the sentence, you will see that the correct choice is “I have a picture of me….”
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Major L. Simpson says:
April 28, 2021, at 8:01 am
How about this sentence: The CFT will provide periodic reports and recommendations to Mr. Davis and me on measures needed to expedite their initiatives.
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GrammarBook.com says:
April 29, 2021, at 9:45 am
The sentence is grammatically correct.
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Ekene George says:
May 19, 2021, at 8:41 am
When someone (or a group of people) knock(s) at the door, and someone inquires “Who could that be?” which pronoun can best be used as a response to that question? Me or I, We or us?
Thanks.-
GrammarBook.com says:
May 21, 2021, at 8:58 pm
As our post I Subject, Your Honor indicates, the complete reply would be “It is I,” or “It is we.” However, in spoken English, object pronouns are often used as a quick answer to a question. Many native speakers would answer, “Me” or “Us,” which has become acceptable.
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Grover says:
May 21, 2021, at 8:16 am
Which is grammatically correct? “Please let me know when it is time for Jim and me to review.” or “Please let me know when it is time for Jim and I to review.” Thanks.
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GrammarBook.com says:
May 21, 2021, at 8:54 pm
If you remove “Jim” from the sentence, you will see that the correct choice is “…time for me to review.”
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Abigail johnson says:
June 24, 2021, at 5:58 pm
I deeply appreciate your explanation.
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Randy Davidson says:
July 30, 2021, at 5:53 am
If a caption reads “me and Rob,” should it read “Rob and I” or “Rob and Me”?
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GrammarBook.com says:
August 2, 2021, at 1:22 pm
Please see our reply of November 30, 2017, to Jami.
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Eve says:
September 8, 2021, at 10:53 am
Is it “me” or “I”?
“There are 7 members in my family. They are my grandma, parents, brothers, sisters, my grandpa and me.”
I’m trying to best explain when me/I is best used. My understanding is if there is a subject, then “me” can be used as it is an object . But since this is a two-part sentence (created by a ESL student), the second sentence alone could actually be “I.”
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GrammarBook.com says:
September 9, 2021, at 12:44 pm
As our post I Subject, Your Honor indicates, if the sentence construction is a subject, a form of be (e.g., is, was, were), and a subject complement, we use the subjective case. Therefore, write “and I.”
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Ann Wood says:
September 8, 2021, at 5:27 pm
Which is correct: “The wall is taller than me” or “The wall is taller than I” (with an implied but unstated “am” after the “I”)?
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GrammarBook.com says:
September 9, 2021, at 12:40 pm
As we indicated in our March 16, 2015, reply to Deane M., I is correct.
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IBRAHIM SAMIL AMIN says:
October 13, 2021, at 5:14 am
The wall is taller than me.” Wall is a “subject” while me is the “object.” That’s my own understanding. Am I correct?
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GrammarBook.com says:
October 19, 2021, at 2:12 pm
Yes; however, adherents of proper, formal American English would probably still prefer “taller than I” – which is grammatically accurate – but “taller than me” has gained greater acceptance within the vernacular, particularly within casual or informal communication.
In other words, we prefer the formality of “taller than I,” but we also acknowledge that American English now accepts “taller than me.” It’s a gray enough area for the writer to make the choice of style and preference.
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CodyD says:
October 21, 2021, at 4:41 am
You said in a comment -“In comparisons introduced by words such as than or as, the case of a pronoun following the comparative word is determined by whether the pronoun completes an omitted, understood clause.” Therefore, we prefer “He’s older than I,” which includes the omitted “am old”: “He’s older than I (am old).”- I am going to have to push back on that thought. What you describe as an “understood clause” is an assumption. According to every teacher and professor I’ve had as well as several professionals I’ve worked with it is wrong to assume anything. To better demonstrate my point of how an “understood clause” is a failure in proper communication, let me share a cultural point. Where I live it is common to say: “I am going to the store, do you want to go with?” It is a complete thought and logical question based on the “understood clause” of “to the store.” I just told you where I was going and so when I ask if you want to accompany me it’s clear logic I mean to where I just told you I was going. Where I live we understand if I tell someone I am going to the story my question attached to that isn’t going to be do you want to go with me to China. My brother went out of state for college and had engineering classmates that almost failed their composition class lecture him about how that sentence is grammatically incorrect. Classmates of my brother after spending time with him started saying “do you want to go with” in conversations. My brother’s classmates didn’t forget their grammar lessons, but reached a point where there was a (and here is the key word) mutually understood clause that was left out. “Would you like to go with” is no more grammatically correct or educated than it was before but was now accepted by them because it was understood by them. If there is not a mutual understanding there is confusion. I have studied English Spanish and German which is what partly leads to the question I want to ask you. If someone is not a native English speaker, a foreign diplomat or businessman perhaps, someone who learned English as a second language but only uses it occasionally which statement would be easier for them to understand: “He is older than me” which is a complete thought or “He is older than I” which is incomplete but you’re assuming there is an “understood clause” there that the person you are speaking to might not understand that there is a clause to that sentence that was left out?
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GrammarBook.com says:
October 25, 2021, at 10:57 am
In the construction “He is older than me,” the word “than” is functioning as a preposition rather than as a conjunction. It therefore takes the objective pronoun “me” instead of the subjective pronoun “I.”
As a preposition, “than” means “in relation to; by or in comparison with.” “He is older than me” would therefore convey “He is older in relation to [or in comparison with] me.” We feel that “He is older (than I am old)” is a better construction for precise formal writing, but we also acknowledge that either format can communicate the idea, particularly as it may be received and understood by a particular audience.
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Sue says:
January 6, 2022, at 8:26 am
“I need someone who is different than I,” or “I need someone who is different than me”?
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GrammarBook.com says:
January 10, 2022, at 3:06 pm
The correct usage would depend on your intended meaning. If you mean you need a person other than you, you would write “I need someone who is different from me.” If you mean someone who has different characteristics, you would write “I need someone who is different than I [am different].”
For more information on the distinction, you can review our article Diving Back Into Different From and Different Than.
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Danny says:
January 6, 2022, at 11:44 am
I came across this sentence recently; is it correct?
“The therapist considered the relationship between my grandmother and I.”
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GrammarBook.com says:
January 10, 2022, at 2:59 pm
The pronoun “I” is not correct. Please see our February 24, 2021, reply to Chris for an explanation.
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Bonnie says:
January 25, 2022, at 9:35 am
These two sentences are in a thank you note I received from my doctor; are they correct?
“I wanted to send you a sincere thank you for a couple of reasons. One, for trusting my team and I with your medical care, and two that you trust us enough to refer your very own friends and family.”-
GrammarBook.com says:
January 31, 2022, at 1:00 pm
The phrase “thank-you” is being used as a descriptor in the first sentence; therefore, a hyphen is necessary. See our Confusing Words and hom*onyms.
In addition, our post I vs. Me says, “Use one of the object pronouns when the pronoun is not a subject and it doesn’t follow a state-of-being verb.” Writing “…for trusting me… ” is correct rather than “for trusting I.” Therefore, we recommend writing “…for trusting me and my team with your medical care…”
Our suggestion for precision for the text would be as follows:
“I wanted to send you a sincere thank-you note for a couple of reasons: one, for trusting me and my team with your medical care, and two, that you trust us enough to refer your very own friends and family.”
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Maxine Jones says:
March 30, 2022, at 9:49 pm
Which is correct? From Adam and Eve to you and I (or me), is it grace that keeps us? I say “me.”
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GrammarBook.com says:
April 4, 2022, at 12:15 pm
“To you and me” is a prepositional phrase. “Me” is the object of the preposition “to.” As we state in our post I vs. Me, “me” is an object pronoun. Therefore, “me” is correct.
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smith says:
April 12, 2022, at 10:51 am
Please help me with this sentence:
Rachael’s sister is more beautiful than she/her.
Which among the two is correct, she or her?-
GrammarBook.com says:
April 13, 2022, at 5:08 pm
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 “Rachael’s sister is more beautiful than she is.” Therefore, “she” is the correct answer.
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Bark Dawson says:
April 13, 2022, at 1:19 am
I have a question about this rule in a piece of informal dialog:
“We’re going to visit there eventually.”
“You and who? Your parents?”
“No, my wife and me.”I believe “my wife and me” is correct…but because it’s split up and with the question in the middle, I’m losing track of the subject/object relationship. Would “No, my wife and I” actually be correct in this instance?
Thank you!
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GrammarBook.com says:
April 13, 2022, at 5:06 pm
The phrase “my wife and I” refers to the subject “we” in the first sentence. It sounds right to say, “I am going to visit there eventually” instead of “Me am going to visit there eventually.” Therefore, the subject pronoun I is correct.
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Gillian says:
June 15, 2022, at 7:32 am
Which is correct please?
“Jack, Jill, and I from the football team …”
“Jack, Jill, and me from the football team …”
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GrammarBook.com says:
June 17, 2022, at 2:01 pm
It sounds right to say, “I from the football team” instead of “Me from the football team.” Therefore, the subject pronoun I is correct.
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Doris says:
August 8, 2022, at 8:37 pm
Is it correct to say, “Let Jimmy and I discuss the situation”?
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GrammarBook.com says:
August 9, 2022, at 4:20 pm
It sounds right to say, “Let me discuss the situation” instead of “Let I discuss the situation.” Therefore, the object pronoun me is correct.
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Benson_Tye says:
August 10, 2022, at 10:54 pm
Is it correct to use the personal pronoun “I” in this case? “My brother walked up to the driver seat and I towards the passenger.”
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GrammarBook.com says:
August 15, 2022, at 12:21 pm
Yes, the subject pronoun “I” is correct. The sentence includes a shared verb with a particle (“walked up”) that can be omitted and understood in the second clause: “My brother walked up to the driver seat and I (walked up) towards the passenger.”
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David says:
August 16, 2022, at 4:04 am
Is the following sentence containing both ”it was I” and ”it was me” grammatically correct: ”It was I who blamed the goalkeeper for conceding the goal, but it was me whom the coach blamed.”?
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GrammarBook.com says:
August 23, 2022, at 8:42 pm
The second clause includes a subject, a verb, and a subject complement: “It was I.” The dependent relative clause “whom the coach blamed” modifies the independent clause. While we would write “the coach blamed me,” the way it is currently written includes “it was I” and “whom the coach blamed” as separate grammatical units.
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Vero says:
August 23, 2022, at 1:06 am
This is an interesting and endless discussion. Here is a slightly different use of the emphatic pronoun, on which I’d like your opinion. Which example is right, 1 or 2?
Ex.1 – I, I think that grammar should be taught more at school. What does he think?
– He, he shares your opinion. What about them?
– They? They agree with you.
My English speaking friends think that ? am wrong and that I should say:
Ex.2 – Me, I think that grammar should be taught more at school. What does he think?
– Him, he shares your opinion. What about them?
– Them? They agree with you.-
GrammarBook.com says:
August 26, 2022, at 11:55 am
We do not recommend using emphatic pronouns in this manner. It is redundant. If you are unsure about someone’s question, it may be acceptable to ask as follows:
Examples:
Me? (Are you speaking to me?) I think that grammar should be taught more at school.
Him? (Are you speaking about him?) He shares your opinion.
Them? (Are you speaking about them?) They agree with you.
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Susan says:
February 2, 2023, at 6:02 pm
What is correct in this sentence?
I love thinking about you and I/me reading the same words each day.-
GrammarBook.com says:
February 6, 2023, at 12:07 pm
As the post states, “One good way to test this rule is to see how it sounds when you use each pronoun individually.” It sounds right to say, “I love thinking about me” instead of “I love thinking about I.” Therefore, the object pronoun me is correct.
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Flavio says:
March 28, 2023, at 7:12 am
I always struggle with this depending on the order. “me and John” sounds better than “I and John”. But “John and I” sounds as good as “John and me”.
Is there any difference when it comes to the order? Besides “politeness”…From the options:
1- Me and John are working on a common project.
2- I and John are working on a common project.
3- John and I are working on a common project.
4- John and me are working on a common project.I would definitely select 1 or 3, purely because of the sound. 2 and 4 sound awkward.
From what I read on this page it seems 1 or 4 would be wrong. 2 and 3 would be correct. And the order is completely irrelevant, although it changes the sound (at least for me).
Is my new understanding correct?
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GrammarBook.com says:
March 29, 2023, at 3:49 pm
Numbers 1 and 4 are not grammatically correct. Our post I vs. Me says, “Use one of the subject pronouns when it is the subject of the sentence.” “Me” is not a subject pronoun; it is an object pronoun. The correct pronoun in your sentences is “I.” If you remove “John” from the sentence, you will see that the correct choice is “I am working on a common project,” not “Me is working on a common project.” See Subject Pronouns for more information. Regarding which name to put first, it is grammatical courtesy for the writer to place his or her name last unless there is a good reason to do otherwise. Therefore, 3 is the optimal choice.
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David says:
July 9, 2023, at 1:49 am
You seem to have two different answers to the question of whether a photo caption should say “My Dad and I,” or “My Dad and me.” You said it on whether the writer intends the caption to convey “My Dad and I are at the zoo,” or “This is my Dad and me at the zoo.”
If some just posts a photo, without any narrative, isn’t the default assumption that the caption means “This is my Dad and me.” Whether the photo is of two people at the zoo or standing in front of a white wall? Therefore, the caption should be “My Dad and me.”
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GrammarBook.com says:
July 12, 2023, at 8:24 am
Since a caption is not a complete sentence, there is no rule to apply here.
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I. Lee McKlenshaw says:
October 23, 2023, at 10:25 pm
I’m reading a novel set in London in which the writer always uses “me” and a proper noun as the subject of many sentences. He’s clearly educated because he uses “I” as the subject when referring only to himself. Is this incorrect grammar commonly used in London?
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GrammarBook.com says:
October 26, 2023, at 11:05 am
We are not familiar with “me” used as a subject being grammatically correct in any location Perhaps it is the writer’s choice of style.
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