Sign inI vs. Me
'I' and 'me' are both words that mean the same thing, but each one must be used in a different circumstance. To know more about this, start here.
What are their main differences?
The main difference between 'I' and 'me' is the difference between subject and object pronouns:
- 'I' is a subject pronoun,
- 'me' is an object pronoun.
Subject Pronoun
What about a Coordinated Subject?
Now, imagine we have a coordinated subject, which means a subject consisting of more than one person joined together with the coordinating conjunction 'and'. No matter how many subjects we have, we should always use 'I' in the position of subjects.
me are friends'.)
Object Pronoun
'Me' as the object pronoun is mainly used in different ways:
- As the Direct Object of a verb
Do you love
Excuse
- As the Indirect Object of a verb
He gave
Here, 'me' is the indirect object of a verb. It shows who is receiving the goal of the direct object.
- As the Object of a Preposition
You bought this for
It's between
Here, you cannot say 'between Edward and I', because after the preposition 'between', we need an object pronoun.
- After the Verb 'Be' as the Predicative
'Who is it?' 'It's
It wasn't
Tip!
Technically, in formal English, we should use a subject pronoun after the verb 'be'. The subject pronoun is called predicative nominative. But in modern English, it has become more common to use 'me' after the verb 'be'. But do not be surprised to hear sentences like the examples below especially in British English:
'Who was the culprit?' 'It was
Warning
You can use 'I' instead of 'me' in the sentences 'it is me' or 'you're smarter than me', but it may sound too formal and not accepted in modern English. However, they are technically correct, especially in British English.
- As the Implied Object of an Incomplete Sentence
'Sam invited
'Me' is correct here. Because it is the implied object of the incomplete sentence 'Sam invited me to the party, too!' You'd never say 'Sam invited I too.'
How to Decide between I and Me?
We might have two or more people as a subject or object, including us. They can be coordinated by the word 'and'. If you want to know whether to say, for example, 'my brother and I' or 'me and my brother', you can omit the other persons and then recreate the sentence. If it makes sense and sounds right, it is correct. Look at the examples:
If you omit the other persons, we have 'I played football', which is correct. You cannot say 'me played football.'
Our mom called
If you omit the other persons, we have 'our mom called me', which is correct. You cannot say 'our mom called I'.
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