The "I-Me" Mix Up

The words "I" and "me" have specific functions, but are often confused in conversational English (and so in writing as well). This confusion can cause us to sound uneducated, especially if we write as if we are having a conversation!

"I" is the subject form of the first person personal pronoun. When a word is a "subject form" it is used in the subject of a sentence.

E.g., I am going to see Blade Runner at the Ridge Theatre tonight.  My friend John and I are going to see Little Shop of Horrors at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday. (Not the often heard "Him and me are going . . .")

"Me" is the object form of the first personal pronoun. It receives the action or is the object of a preposition.

E.g., John invited me to the movies. John invited Fred and me to the movies. (both direct objects) Give me a free ticket to the movies. (indirect object). The conversation we had at the movies was between him and me. (object of the preposition "between")

In writing, make sure to avoid the expression "between him and I," even though you will often hear it on TV and radio.

Also, my pet peeve: He came to see him and myself. Ouch! It seems to me the fear of not knowing the difference between "I" and "me" has lead to the weird "myself" usage. Learn the above and you will never have to make this mistake again.

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