I, Revolution II
03/15/04

It is not often that we do follow-up articles. However, we really hate the abomination that the "me vs. I" debate has become. In case you didn't read the original article, I, Revolution, the gist of it is that people are starting to use the word "I" in improper ways because they think they are using proper English. For example, someone may say, "he wanted to talk to John and I". This is wrong - completely wrong. It should be, "he wanted to talk to John and me". The rule is that you take out the other person and then use whichever word sounds more correct in the singular form, either me or I. For example, "the instructor gave the book to John and me", "both John and I wanted another book", "the book was too complex for John and me", "John and I both hate proper English".

As you can see, there are cases where you use I, but there are also cases where you use "me". The problem lies in the fact that nowadays people think the word "me" is taboo. They are so afraid of being corrected into saying "I" that they use it all the time. They think that the rule is to use "I" whenever you're talking about yourself and another person, no matter how stupid it sounds. They will even go so far as to "correct" another person who uses the word "me" properly. This is utter horseshit. Please, read the following sources and tell all your friends to stop anally raping the English language.

Writing between you and I is now widely regarded as a sign of ignorance, even though the phrase occurs quite often in speech. So don’t feel bad if you catch yourself saying it. Just remember: if you want to avoid trouble, stick to between you and me in formal speech and writing.
Source: http://www.bartleby.com/64/C001/052.html

Question: I have a minor question regarding the correctness of the following sentence: "Pictures of my wife and I"
As a title/heading, is this entirely incorrect? I would appreciate a directive response.
Answer: You need to use the pronoun's objective case — something you would hear and see immediately if you used just the pronoun alone: "pictures of me." So, it should be "pictures of my wife and me."
Source: http://www.protrainco.com/info/essays/pronouns.htm

Question: Could you please clarify which is correct:
A: "If you would like to leave a message for Tom or myself, please do so at the tone." or
B: "If you would like to leave a message for Tom or me, please do so at the tone."
C: "If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact Jim or myself." or
D: "If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact Jim or me."
Thank you so much for your help. I choose B and D, but my co-workers disagree with me. I love your Web-site. Thanks again.
Answer: You are correct: The pronouns me, us, you, him, her, them, and whom are in the objective case. All of the "self" pronouns are reflexive or intensive pronouns: "He did it to himself"; "she herself would never drive there." It is a common mistake to use the reflexive pronoun instead of the objective — but it is a mistake.
Source: http://www.protrainco.com/info/essays/pronouns.htm

Question: As an English major, I am always trying to improve the way I speak. I also pay special attention to the way that others speak.
However, there is one common error I hear even from some of my English professors. They usually say it when they are referring to something that they did with a group of people. For example, " Ms. Jones, Mr. Conley, and myself are all going to be a part of the program. "
If I am not mistaken, it's supposed to be "Ms. Jones, Mr. Conley, and I are all going to be a part of the program." It should be I instead of myself because we would not say: "Myself is going to be a part of the program." Please tell me what you think.
Answer: You are correct. In the nominative (or subjective), the phrase should be "Ms. Jones, Mr. Conley, and I." In the objective, the phrase should be "Ms. Jones, Mr. Conley, and me" (as in "The group includes Ms. Jones, Mr. Conley, and me").
Reserve the "self" pronouns for use as reflexives (he drove himself home) and intensifiers (she herself would never read that magazine). If you use the reflexive, also use the nominative: he/himself, she/herself.
Source: http://www.protrainco.com/info/essays/pronouns.htm

Everyone is so afraid of being corrected, which is to say being embarrassed, that we find absurdities caused by this preposition "rule" not only in writing but in speech--especially in the speech of news reporters and media pundits. The next time you find yourself pronouncing or writing a bizarre, ugly sentence just to avoid that final preposition, consider using the language more naturally.
Source: http://www.bobbrooke.com/WritersCorner/tinablue.htm

One of the teachers who gave the results always finished with a long list of items that he announced had to be handed in to "your coach or myself." You could hear the collective gnashing of teeth from all the English teachers scattered throughout the Hall every time he said it. "Me," we muttered, "hand them in to the coach or ME, you Dingbat!"
Source: http://www.write101.com/W.Tips114.htm

Words we call PREPOSITIONS (goodness knows what their fathers call them when they get home late ...) are ALWAYS followed by objective pronouns. Prepositions are, basically, words which "show position" (more about them later ... I know, I know, you can hardly wait, but you must learn patience).
to, from, with, about, under, beyond etc.
So, the correct expression is:
Jim is going to the film with you and ME. (NOT "... with you and I.")
Source: http://www.write101.com/pronouns.htm

When a personal pronoun is connected by a conjunction to another noun or pronoun, its case does not change. We would write "I am taking a course in Asian history"; if Talitha is also taking that course, we would write "Talitha and I are taking a course in Asian history." (Notice that Talitha gets listed before "I" does. This is one of the few ways in which English is a "polite" language.) The same is true when the object form is called for: "Professor Vendetti gave all her books to me"; if Talitha also received some books, we'd write "Professor Vendetti gave all her books to Talitha and me."
Source: http://ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/pronouns1.htm

For some writers and speakers, the case of a pronoun becomes especially troublesome when that pronoun is compounded with something or someone else. When the pronoun is being used as a subject, there is usually no problem:
Jayden and I are playing tennis this afternoon.
Jayden and she are playing tennis this afternoon.
We learn this lesson so well — getting cuffed on the ears and being forced to stand in the corner when we say "Jayden and me are playing tennis. . . " — that when the object form of the pronoun is truly called for, we're apt to come up with the subject form instead, as in "Grandma left Jayden and I her rocking chair," which is bad form, indeed. There is a simple rule here that seems to work very well, at least in writing. Ask yourself what pronoun form you would use without adding the other person — "Grandma left me her rocking chair" (coming up with the correct form for the indirect object) — and then, when you add the other person, don't change the form of the pronoun: "Grandma left Jayden and me her rocking chair."
This rule works whether the pronoun is being used as an indirect object, as above, as a direct object — "The policeman stopped Jayden and me" — or as the object of a preposition — "Grandma gave her rocking chair to Jayden and me." Some writers and speakers will mistakenly say "This is just between Jayden and I," not realizing that the preposition "between" calls for the object form of both pronouns, including "me." The rule also pertains to sentences in which a pronoun is compounded with yet another pronoun: "Grandma gave her rocking chair to him and me, but that's just between you and me."
Notice that when "I" is compounded with another subject, the "other person" or people get first billing: "Jayden and I are playing," not "I and Jayden." This is one of the very few polite forms in English.
Source: http://ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cases.htm#cases

If you don't believe any of these references, turn to Bill Gates. Open up Microsoft Word and type "she wanted to talk to John and I" and hit return a few times. The word "I" will become underlined with a green line. Right click on "I" and you will see the drop down list of corrections suggesting "me". You can also click on the "Grammar" or "About this sentence" choices to find out more.


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