Every day I hear someone say “I” when they should be saying “me.” Here’s a refresher on the difference between the two.

“I” is a subject pronoun, which means it is the subject of the sentence. In other words, use “I” when you are DOING something.

For example:

• I absolutely love pecan pie.
• As far as I know, I have always been afraid of snakes. 
• This weekend I am going to the movies.

“Me” is an object pronoun, which means it is the object of the sentence. In other words, use “me” when SOMEONE ELSE is doing something to you, for you or with you.

For example:

• My friend Gloria sent ME the funniest photo.
• David says he sees ME at the grocery store all the time.
• My mom is going with ME to the movies.

Where speakers get tripped up is when there is more than one person in the sentence. Following are examples of the types of errors I hear all the time:

• That is a great photo of Gloria and I. (INCORRECT)
• Dave gave Gloria and I some recommendations for where to eat. (INCORRECT)
• It’s about time you came to the movies with my mom and I. (INCORRECT)

If the above don’t sound wrong to you, try taking out the extra person in each:

• That is a great photo of I. (SOUNDS SUPER WEIRD)
• Dave gave I some recommendations for where to eat. (SOUNDS SUPER WEIRD)
• It’s about time you came to the movies with I. (SOUNDS SUPER WEIRD)

You can also switch the order of the people to see how wrong it sounds:

• That is a great photo of I and Gloria. (SOUNDS SUPER WEIRD)
• Dave gave I and Gloria some recommendations for where to eat. (SOUNDS SUPER WEIRD)
• It’s about time you came to the movies with I and my mom. (SOUNDS SUPER WEIRD)

See how the correct answers jump out this way? The next time you’re confused about whether to use “I” or “me,” remove the extra person or switch the order of the people involved. Your ear will show you the way!

-Maria

Maria Murnane writes bestselling novels about life, love and friendship. Have questions? You can find her at www.mariamurnane.com.