Me, Myself and I
I hate fifth grade English teachers. All of them. They tell us shit and we believe it for the rest of our lives. Language is complex and flexible.
Lately I've noticed an overusage of the personal pronoun "I" where "me" should be used. Too many people were corrected with a stern "I" and now overcompensate by throwing it in where it doesn't belong.
You end up with incorrect, stilted sentences like "I asked him to give tickets to Allison and I." Or "I'm looking forward to having you stay with Allison and I."
The "rule" is actually very simple, of course. Eliminate Allison (no jokes please) and see how it sounds. "I asked him to give the ticket to I?" WRONG. I'm looking forward to having you stay with I?" WRONG.
I has become a seemingly more sophisticated construction, despite it sounding bad and being technically incorrect.
Me not like.
Lately I've noticed an overusage of the personal pronoun "I" where "me" should be used. Too many people were corrected with a stern "I" and now overcompensate by throwing it in where it doesn't belong.
You end up with incorrect, stilted sentences like "I asked him to give tickets to Allison and I." Or "I'm looking forward to having you stay with Allison and I."
The "rule" is actually very simple, of course. Eliminate Allison (no jokes please) and see how it sounds. "I asked him to give the ticket to I?" WRONG. I'm looking forward to having you stay with I?" WRONG.
I has become a seemingly more sophisticated construction, despite it sounding bad and being technically incorrect.
Me not like.
posted by Howard at 12:41 AM
4 Comments:
Finally! I'm not the only one who was thinking this. I was beginning to think I was the only person who remembered the I/Me usage test!
Thank you.
I am sure that people use "I" because it sounds more formal (read "pretentious") therefore it is good.
What about "who" vs. "that". I was taught people = who, things = that. Not "the person that drove by" but rather "the person who drove by". I feel like this rule has been completely abandoned from American communication.
I agree with all of you. In French for example, you can't say You and I, which will translate into: Toi et Je. It doesn't make sense and is "heavy" since there is Moi et Toi, read, Me and You. I was also taught to use "I" instead, but Je résiste.
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