Me or I: When to Use Each (2024)

The English language is full of grammar rules. It can be pretty easy to forget some of them. Understanding the difference in how to use personal pronouns is a good place to start if you want to improve the readability of your work.

In this article, we'll look at whether to choose "I" or "me" so all your sentences can be clear.

But let's start with a little ground work.

Contents:

"When Should I Use "I" or "Me"?"
How Do I Use "Me" and "I" in a Sentence?
Is It Jane and Me or Jane and I?
How Do I Remember When To Use "I" and "Me"?
Can I Use "Me" Instead of "I" in Speech?

"When Should I Use "I" or "Me"?"

"I" and "me" are first-person personal pronouns that we use to refer to ourselves.

A personal pronoun is a word used as a substitute for someone's name.

Simply put, this means you should use "I" or "me" in a sentence as a substitute for your name when you are talking about yourself.

Here are some examples:

Correct: I am feeling happy today.
Incorrect: [Your name] am feeling happy today.
Correct: That sounds good to me!
Incorrect: That sounds good to [your name]!

But how do you know whether to use "me" or "I" when you're referring to yourself? It's all to do with your role in the sentence.

What Is a Personal Pronoun?

Before we jump in to "I" vs. "Me", let's take a quick look at what personal pronouns are and what they do in sentences.

Personal pronouns are short words used in place of the name of a person or thing. They include:

I
Me
You
We
Us
He
She
Him
Her
They
Them
It

So instead of this repetitive sentence:

Sarah drove Sarah's car to Sarah's house.

We can write:

Sarah drove her car to her house.

How Do I Use "Me" and "I" in a Sentence?

Every word has a function in a sentence. There are many different functions, but "I" and "me" each only have one.

"I" is always the subject of the sentence: the person or thing doing the action.

e.g. I passed the note to Elena.

You are the one doing the passing (completing the action), so you use "I".

"Me" is always the object of the sentence: the person or thing the action is being done to.

e.g. Elena passed me a note.

You are having something passed to you (the object of the action), so you use "Me".

So, your first step when choosing whether to use "I" or "me" is to work out if you are doing the action or being acted on.

Is It Jane and Me or Jane and I?

The subject/object rules from above still apply, even when you are referring to multiple people.

If you want to refer to yourself and another person (or several other people) as the subject(s) of the sentence—the people completing an action—you should use "I". It gets easier with examples:

Correct: Jane and I went to the store to get more groceries.

Both you and Jane are completing the action here—you are the subjects of the sentence. So, like before, you refer to yourself with "I".

Incorrect: Jane and me went to the store to get more groceries.

But if you want to refer to yourself and another person (or several other people) as the object(s) of the sentence—the people being acted on—you should use "me".

Correct: Claire served the meal to Sophie and me.

Claire is the subject of this sentence (the one completing the action) and you and Sophie are the indirect objects (the ones receiving Claire's action). So you should use "me".

Incorrect: Claire served the meal to Sophie and I.

Is it "John and I" or "I and John"?

The next thing to remember, is that "I" always comes last with multiple subjects. (It's "John and I", not "I and John".)

Correct: John and Iwent to the store.

Incorrect: I and Johnwent to the store.

You should still use "I" (and "I" still always comes last in the sequence), even if there is more than one other subject:

Correct: Jane, John, and I went to the store to get more dog food.
Incorrect: I, Jane, and John went to the store to get more dog food.
Incorrect: Jane, John, and me went to the store to get more dog food.
Incorrect: Me, Jane, and John went to the store to get more dog food.

Is it "John and Me" or "Me and John"?

The same rules apply to sequencing when "me" is the object of a sentence. So, "me" always comes last with multiple objects.

How Do I Remember When To Use "I" and "Me"?

If you are a native English speaker, you can use your ear to help you figure out which is the right pronoun in cases of multiple persons.

When determining the subject, leave out the other people to help you figure out which is correct:

Correct: I went to the store...
Incorrect: Me went to the store...

Likewise, when determining the object, leave out the other people:

Correct: Clarissa cooked dinner for me...
Incorrect: Clarissa cooked dinner for I...

Do I Use "I" After or Before a Verb?

"I" is used before the verb, while"me" is almost always used after the verb.

There are a few instances where "I" comes after the verb. This happens with verbs such as:

am
are
is
was
were
appeared
seemed

Correct: It is I who needs the extra water.

Incorrect: It is me who needs the extra water.

Correct: It seems I am to blame.

Incorrect: It seems me am to blame.

Can I Use "Me" Instead of "I" in Speech?

Common speech can sound right to the ear, even when the grammar is wrong. In certain cases, you may want to save the correct pronoun for writing. The best example is the answer to the question, Who is it?

In common speech, we often hear It's me (It is me) and think nothing of hearing that.

But correct grammar with the state-of-being verb is takes the subject pronoun. In writing with correct grammar, you say, It is I.

Your friends may think your language is a bit stiff if you use correct grammar in everyday speech, but at least you'll be correct.

We know this a lot to take in all at once. And while you can always bookmark this article as a good reference point, that's not the only resource you have.

ProWritingAid has over 20 reports, with the grammar checker being your go to to see if you're using the right pronoun. You'll see a notice with suggestions if your pronoun use needs improvement.

Download our free browser extension to make sure you use the correct pronoun wherever you write.

Is It "Between You and Me" or "Between You and I"?

It's between you and me. That's because "you" and "me" are the objects of the word "between" in this phrase.

Between is a preposition. If you are referring to yourself after a preposition, you should always use me. Here are some common prepositions to help you out:

above
across
against
along
among
around
at
before
behind
below
beneath
beside
between
by
down
from
in
into
near
of
off
on
to
toward
under
upon
with
within

Here are some examples to help you with "me" as the object of a preposition:

Correct: The spelling competition was now between Jim and me.
Incorrect: The spelling competition was now between Jim and I.
Correct: The association letter about the new AED (automated external defibrillator) in the clubhouse was from Marcia and me.
Incorrect: The association letter about the new AED (automated external defibrillator) in the clubhouse was from Marcia and I.
Correct: When the instructor asked answers from the break-out groups, my group with Jerry, Linda, George, and me had the best answers.
Incorrect: When the instructor asked answers from the break-out groups, my group with Jerry, Linda, George, and I had the best answers.

Is It "Taller Than Me" or "Taller Than I"?

One place where "me" and "I" are often confused is in comparisons. That's usually because a verb is left off the end of the sentence.

Here's an example:

Correct: John is taller than I am.

In speech you might say:

John is taller than I.

While the verb am is left out of the sentence, it's still grammatically correct.

Incorrect: John is taller than me.
Correct: I think she is smarter than I am.
Incorrect: I think she is smarter than me.

Master First-Person Personal Pronouns

Remember: The easiest way to remember the difference between "me" and "I" in writing is to work out if you are completing or receiving the action in the sentence.

Use "I" for the sentence subject taking the action.
Use "me" as the object of a sentence (or after a preposition).

That was a lot of grammar rules. Now have some fun with Me, Myself, and I from De La Soul.

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FAQs

Me or I: When to Use Each? ›

Sometimes it can be tricky to determine if you should be using "me" or "I" in a sentence. Use the pronoun "I" when the person speaking is doing the action, either alone or with someone else. Use the pronoun "me" when the person speaking is receiving the action of the verb in some way, either directly or indirectly.

Find Out More ›

What is the rule for using "I" or "me" in a sentence? ›

"I" is the subject of a sentence, while "me" is the object, meaning that you should use "I" if you are the one acting, while "me" is the word to use when an action is done to you. Ex: I ate the fish. Ex: The fish ate me.

Get More Info Here ›

Which is correct, Sally and Me or Sally and I? ›

It's pretty simple, really. 'Sally and I' if that is the subject of the sentence. 'Sally and me' if it is the object of the sentence or a prepositional phrase.

Read On ›

Is it correct to say John and Me or John and I? ›

Both phrases—John and I and John and me—are correct, but it depends on how you use them. The words “I” and “me” are pronouns—but they are different types of pronouns. “I” is a subject pronoun. Some other subject pronouns include “he,” “she,” “you,” "we," “it,” and “they.” "Me" is an object pronoun.

Read The Full Story ›

When can I use each? ›

Each is a determiner—a word that identifies or qualifies a noun. It's used when referring to one individual (person or thing) in a group of two or more. Each season of the show has ten episodes. Each can also function as a pronoun or adverb.

When to use me instead of I? ›

Use the pronoun "I" when the person speaking is doing the action, either alone or with someone else. Use the pronoun "me" when the person speaking is receiving the action of the verb in some way, either directly or indirectly.

Which is grammatically correct, it is I or it is me? ›

It is me (or it's me) is considered an informal style. Today, most native English speakers use It is me instead of It is I. Me is usually an object pronoun. In most cases this means it's on the receiving end of the action in a sentence.

Explore More ›

Is it even me or even I? ›

Both are correct, depending on the context in which they are used. “Even I” is the nominative case – performs an action, e.g. “Even I, with my new hip, was able to complete the race.” “Even me” is the objective case – receives an action, e.g. “My young daughter outran most adults in the race, even me!”

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Is it my husband and I or me? ›

In different situations, either of these expressions may be right, and there is a simple way of deciding which one to choose. It is correct to say "My husband and I are going to a party". It is also correct to say "A neighbour has invited my husband and me to a party".

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Is it sue and me or sue and I? ›

If you are starting a sentence,I mean as a subject,then write Sue and I. e.g. Sue and I were standing there. But if you need to write it as an object of a verb,then write Sue and me. e.g. My mother loves both Sue and me.

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Is "me and my dad" grammatically correct? ›

The question is vexed—English, like Latin, sometimes uses accusative pronouns nominatively: “Me and my shadow.” One might, correctly, say “My dad and I,” but it would be awkward-sounding. “Me and my Dad,” while technically incorrect, is perfectly good, idiomatic English.

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Is it grammatically correct to say "myself" and "someone"? ›

Myself can never be a subject pronoun. You wouldn't say “Myself will do it.” You correctly say, “I will do it.” Even if you're talking about yourself and another person (we), the same rule applies. “Bob and myself made the decision” is wrong in the same way that “Myself made the decision” is wrong.

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What is the pronoun for a dog? ›

An animal is referred to as “it” unless the relationship is personal (like a pet that has a name). Then it's OK to use “he” or “she” when referring to the animal. This also applies to using “who” and “whom”.

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What is the rule for using each? ›

As a pronoun, each is considered singular, so it is traditionally paired with singular verbs. (Grammar Rules for Writers.) For instance, "each of the athletes" may indicate multiple athletes in the phrase, but "each" is a singular occurrence of those athletes.

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How do you use each correctly? ›

When we use each to refer to the subject of the clause, it usually appears in the normal mid position for adverbs, between the subject and the main verb, after the modal verb or first auxiliary verb, or after be as a main verb: We each agreed to help by contributing some money towards the cost.

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When should you use each? ›

We use each to refer to the individual things or persons in a group of two or more:

We spent five days on the coast and each day we swam in the ocean. ( ...
There were four rooms, each with wonderful views of the garden. ( ...
Each weekend, they would work on the house.

More items...

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What is the correct way to say you and I or you and me? ›

Both “You and I” and “You and Me” are grammatically correct, although there are people overusing either of these formulas. You can differentiate them by replacing it with “we” and “us.”

Get More Info ›

What is correct my wife and I or my wife and me? ›

Use “My Wife and I” when you are doing the action, like “My wife and I went to the store.” It acts as the subject of the sentence. On the other hand, use “My Wife and Me” or “Me and My Wife” when something is being done to you, like “He gave my wife and me a gift.” Here, it acts as the object of the sentence.

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Is it James and me or James and I? ›

A good trick for this is to see how you'd write the sentence without "James and." Obviously you'd go with 2, so the correct form is "James and me." It's a simple analogy (it doesn't become "false" just because you don't like it; this isn't mathematics or logic).

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Is it David and me or David and I? ›

Both phrases are correct, but they have different uses. The rule is that “David and me” is correct only when “me” alone would be grammatically correct; that is, when used as a direct or indirect object. Similarly, “David and I” is correct only when “I” alone is correct; that is, when used as the subject.

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