Many of us can remember being told that you should never say “you and me” – not only is it grammatically incorrect, but it’s impolite! – instead, you should always use “you and I”. However, savvy grammarians know that this isn’t always the case, and that there is a time and a place to use “me” instead of “I”. How do they tell the difference between me or I?
Both and are pronouns used to describe oneself, and can be used when there are other individuals in the sentence. is used when you’re the subject of the sentence. is used when you’re the object of the sentence. To figure out if you’re the subject or the object, you can use a simple verbal trick: drop out the other individuals and see if the sentence still makes sense.
Here’s out it works:
- Start with your sentence: Mom wanted John and I to take out the trash.
- Take out the other subject (in this case, John): Mom wanted I to take out the trash.
- Does the sentence make sense? In this case, no, you would say Mom wanted me to take out the trash! So would be the correct word to use.
Here’s the trick again:
- Start with your sentence: Cheryl and me were awarded the blue ribbons.
- Take out the other subject: Me was awarded blue ribbons.
- Does the sentence make sense? No! So would be the correct word to use.
With this grammar trick up your sleeve, you’ll never get confused Is it me or I again!
What was your biggest takeaway from this “Is It Me or I? How to Tell the Difference”? Do you have any questions for Alexis Avila?
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