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"I" instead of "me"

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by bobdhill 1 view

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The one that totally drives me up the wall is when someone uses "I" when the word "me" is called for. You'd never say "He gave it to I," but it seems like everywhere you turn people are saying "He gave it to him and I." People, you don't change the word that you use just because the object of the sentence involves two people rather than one. "I" subject, "me" object.

67 replies

by ed woychowsky

It's fun to mess with peoples heads!

We also refers to I in the plural.

Sorry, me forgot our coffee today. ;)

by santeewelding

Is the double and triple reading I end up doing -- going through the post line by line, item by item, letter by punctuated letter for the least instance of what the poster complains.

And, I find some.

by ansugisalas

Like, can't split infinitives? Why on earth not?
To boldy split infinitives where no man has split infinitives before.
Except for the Shat.

by boxfiddler Hot topic

Means 'this freaking bubble gum is stuck to the roof of my mouth and I can't get rid of it'.

Or, earwig. B-)

by maecuff

For instance, when I say that everything is about me ME ME..that makes sense. It would be silly to say it's all about I I I.

by jamesrl

"All thru' the day I me mine, I me mine, I me mine.
All thru' the night I me mine, I me mine, I me mine.
Now they're frightened of leaving it
Ev'ryone's weaving it,
Coming on strong all the time,
All thru' the day I me mine.

I-I-me-me mine,
I-I-me-me mine,
I-I-me-me mine,
I-I-me-me mine.

All I can hear I me mine, I me mine, I me mine.
Even those tears I me mine, I me mine, I me mine.
No-one's frightened of playing it
Ev'ryone's saying it,
Flowing more freely than wine,
All thru' Your life, I me mine.

I-I-me-me mine,
I-I-me-me mine,
I-I-me-me mine,
I-I-me-me mine.

All I can hear I me mine, I me mine, I me mine.
Even those tears I me mine, I me mine, I me mine.
No-one's frightened of playing it
Ev'ryone's saying it,
Flowing more freely than wine,
All thru' your life I me mine."

by boxfiddler Hot topic

Palmie started it...

Evil me wanted to post it, but was overcome by mediocre me.

by charliespencer

Credit where it's due, please. That's my earwig, not Boxy's.

Oh, while I'm at it:

You take the good, you take the bad,
You take them both and there you have
The facts of life, the facts of life.

If you heard them from your brother,
Better check them with your mother,
Better get them right, the facts of life

When the world never seems
To be living up to your dreams
And suddenly you're finding out
The facts of life are all about
You
They're all about you!

by nicknielsen

a Nigerian exchange student told me that it means "although" in one dialect of Swahili.

He had a very dry sense of humor, though, so I'm still not sure if he was having me on or not...

by icbhod

I got a call from my Sons' school yesterday reminding me that my younger Son had to be at the school no "later than 6:30AM in the morning".......

by cmiller5400

On the SECOND day in a row, I have it stuck in my head.

I only read the post title, sorry about that :D ]:)

by ansugisalas

Methinks ye be having my mind fer a spin!
"He and I went to the diner"
"They gave the menu to him and me"
That's a backwards problem.
The real problem is having the nonconflated first person plural in a non-topical position:
"him and me" is bad too.
Since it's a non-topic position, you expect "us", since it's already established what "us" entails (the preceding topical "he and I").
If you need to do it the other way around, you need to construct it with the nonconflated plural in a subject position, like "He and I got the breakfast menu from the waiter, but they don't serve breakfast after 11". Or better, introduce your conglomerate subject in a topical, then proceed with we/us as applicable.

You only need "him and me" in a contrasting position, when the two of you are part of a larger group, but contrast with it in some way, and even then you can usually wriggle out of it with creative topicalization and refocusing.

by ansugisalas

The subject is far fetched.
On the other hand, it's perfectly possible, even plausible that there are versions of english out there in which the described is in fact the only way.
Deviation is the rule...

by oz_media

Using the mix of [i]him[/i], an objective pronoun, with a nominative pronoun [i]me[/i] is the same as using present and past tense together or plural and singular together, it doesn't work, but the problem is not the use of [i]I[/i], it is with saying HIM instead of HE.

Saying [i]HE[/i] and [i]I[/i]. is absolutely correct. Him and I is wrong based on the use of the word HIM.

Sounds like someone just set your grammar straight and you got pissy over it.

http://languageandgrammar.com/2008/11/09/is-it-him-and-i-or-him-and-me/

[i] both pronouns must be of the same type; that is, either both must be nominative or both must be objective. Therefore, you can never use him and I together as either a compound subject or object because him is objective and I is nominative. [b]It must be either him and me or he and I. [/b][/i]

by oz_media

just follow the link, it's a very common error though, the problem is not using the word I, as in the example offered by the OP, it is using the word HIM.

by ansugisalas

It might even, as was yours, have been passingly approved by santee, maybe. :p
Linguistic problems are never as easy to corner as you or I might think, which is why Chomsky is so off. And so are we.

by ansugisalas

And derailed the whole field for decades.
Take any language, say, English.
Ngurlmak? Well, in my experience, any language not being english, will snuff it.
Of course, I now fail to know, do you mean to leave him be, or to give him the boot?
He's yet to be laid off.

by ansugisalas

That was the "problem".
Which one of the following do you feel is the least wrong?
They gave it to him and me/him and I/he and I.

by nicknielsen

As you said above, define "us" in an earlier sentence or a subjective clause.

FWIW, the least objectionable of your options is "to him and me." The pronouns match case, but it's still awkward.

by ansugisalas

In standard english(es :p) at least.
The contrasting slant should be possible though, as in : "The german delegation passed around the translated yearly reports, but to him*points* and me they accidentally gave the german-language version".
Isn't it less awkward in that context?
I can't be absolutely certain, as I'm not a native english speaker.

by nicknielsen

In the case you describe, there is no problem. You have the advantage of speaking directly to somebody and them being able to read your body language to help define your meaning.

Don't sweat the use in spoken English. Match pronouns to the sentence case (I/he as subject, Me/him as object) and have fun.

by ansugisalas

When I'm trying to show off and then people think I'm asking for advice :p
No sweat though, I just thought I was being real real clever, and then... craah.
I was trying to prove with the columbo method that people's idea of what can and can't be said are usually too restrictive.

by rfink

"I" is the subjective case whereas "me" is the objective case. That's the easiest way of knowing which one to use when. :) :)

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by wdmilner

You and I have a similar peeve, except mine is where people constantly use "me" when they should use "I". It's not a big peeve, just a little one :)

by jaqui

you didn't show a lack of english skill in an example yourself, like the OP did.
"He gave it to him and me/I" is bad.
try He gave it to us. for a properly written phrase.

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