I or Me: Which One Is Correct? | Britannica Dictionary (2024)

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"I" is asubjectpronoun and "me" is anobjectpronoun. To figure out which pronoun you should use, you need to determine if it is the subject of a verb or the object of a verb or preposition.

A subject is the noun, noun phrase, or pronoun that performs the action of a verb in a sentence. An object is a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun that receives the action of a verb or completes the meaning of apreposition.

In the sentence "The meeting was attended by John, Ron and I/me" the noun phrase "John, Ron and I/me" is the object of the preposition "by." This means that "me" is the correct choice.

Sometimes when you have a noun phrase like "John, Ron and I/me" it can be helpful to remove the other nouns and say the sentence with only the pronoun:

The meeting was attended by I. = Incorrect (This will sound incorrect to most people.)

The meeting was attended by me. = Correct (This will sound correct to most people.)

I hope this helps.

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I or Me: Which One Is Correct? | Britannica Dictionary (2024)

FAQs

I or Me: Which One Is Correct? | Britannica Dictionary? ›

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 me or I? ›

"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.

Is it correct to say me and john or john and I? ›

John and me and John and I are both grammatically correct, however, they should not be used interchangeably. To decide which phrase is correct, remove “John and” from the sentence to see if the sentence still makes sense. For example: John and I went to the theme park.

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

Use “Sally and I” if using this as the subject of the sentence (nominative case). For example, “Sally and I are going to the store.” Use “Sally and me” if using this as the object of the sentence (objective case). For example, “The store gave a discount to Sally and me.”

Is it correct to say my sister and I or my sister and me? ›

The correct choice is 'me' because 'Terry and me' is the object of the verb 'told' and 'me' is the object pronoun: My teacher told Terry and me to collect the books. Use 'I' when it is the subject of the verb, as in 'Terry and I told the teacher to collect the books.

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

My Wife and I” is not only grammatically correct, but is also often perceived as more polite and proper than “Me and My Wife.” Nevertheless, understanding the polite precedence of “My Wife and I” over “Me and My Wife” can help you communicate more effectively and tactfully in various interpersonal contexts.

Is it Jane and I or Jane and Me? ›

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.

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

Use "I" when it is the subject of the sentence and use "me" when it is the object of the sentence. The correct statement is "Happy Birthday from Bob and me." The phrase "Bob and me" is the object of the preposition "from" so you should use the object pronoun "me."

Does me go first or last? ›

That's your Quick and Dirty Tip: Always put the pronouns “me,” “my,” and “I” last in a list. For other pronouns, you can put them where they sound right to you, but if I'm mixing nouns and pronouns, I usually think it sounds better to put the pronoun first. Always put the pronouns “me,” “my,” and “I” last in a list.

Should I say my brother and me or my brother and I? ›

It depends on where it falls in the sentence. If it's the subject, you say, “My brother and I.” If it is the object/predicate, you say “my brother and me.” Subject: My brother and I went to the movies.

Is it older than me or older than I? ›

IS HE OLDER THAN `I' OR THAN `ME'? EITHER IS GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT.

Is it older than me or I? ›

For most people, the "than me" version sounds more natural than "than I." However, "than me" is the version that runs the higher risk of being considered wrong. This is almost certainly because the "than I" version has been in use longer and seems more grammatically correct.

Is "me, myself, and I" grammatically correct? ›

Knowing when to use me, myself or I is a source of confusion for native and non-native English speakers alike. To avoid such confusion, remember the following: "Me" always functions as the object; "I" is always the subject. You can only use "myself" when you've referred to yourself earlier in the sentence.

Is it my Mom and me or I? ›

If you are writing/speaking a complete sentence, you should use "It's a picture of Mom and me." The correct pronoun is "me" because it is the object of the preposition "of." You can simplify the sentence to read "It's a picture of me" which may help you choose the correct pronoun.

Is it my aunt and me or I? ›

The first person singular pronoun "I" is used when it is the subject of a verb. The first person singular pronoun "me" is used when it is the object of a verb or preposition. In the sentence above, "my friend and me" is the object of the verb "invited." ("My aunt" is the subject.)

Is it my cousin and me or I? ›

If you and your cousin are the subject of the sentence, then you would use the latter. E.g. “My cousin and I went to the beach”. If you and your cousin are the object of the sentence, then you would use the former. E.g. “He gave the ball to my cousin and me”.

What is the rule for using "I" or "me" 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.

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

The difference between me and I is how they're used in sentences. I is subjective, which means it's used when the speaker is the subject of the sentence or the doer of the action. Me is objective, which means it's used when the speaker is the object of the sentence or the receiver of the action.

Is it Chris and I or Chris and me? ›

In the sentence "Chris and I/me and Chris are on the way to work," the subject is "Chris and I/me and Chris." English teachers will tell you to use "Chris and I" when it is the subject of a sentence because "I" is a subject pronoun, and it is polite to name the other person first.

Do you say my mom and I or my mom and me? ›

As a subject of the sentence, you would use “My mom and I.” Remember that the subject is performing the action expressed by the verb that follows it, and “I” is a subject pronoun. “My mom and I like watching tv together.” “My mom and I had a party.” “My mom and me” functions as the object of the verb.

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