Practice
Me and John or John and I: which is correct?
John and I are meeting after work. The manager invited John and me. The name pair stays the same, but the pronoun changes because its job changes.
Choose I or me with another person's name by checking whether the pair does the action or receives it.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
John and I /dʒɑn ən aɪ/
The short answer
Write John and I when the pair does the action. Write John and me when the pair receives the action or follows a preposition. To check, remove John: I arrived, but the coach called me.
John and I arrived early for the workshop.
Why it works: The pair is the subject of arrived, so use I.
5 more examples
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John and I will present the plan on Friday.
John and I do the presenting, so the pair is the subject.
Not this:The director
asked John and meto present the plan on Friday. What changes: The director acts on the pair, so John and me is the object. -
John and I took the train to the conference.
The pair took the train, so use the subject pronoun I.
Not this:The receptionist
gave John and metwo train schedules. What changes: John and me receive the schedules, so use me. -
John and I are responsible for the first report.
The pair is the subject before the verb are.
Not this:The first report is assigned
to John and me. What changes: The pair follows the preposition to, so use me. -
John and I agreed to check the figures again.
The pair agreed, so it is the subject of the sentence.
Not this:The supervisor spoke
with John and meafter lunch. What changes: The pair follows with, so the object pronoun me is needed. -
John and I can answer the customer's question.
The pair can answer the question, so use I.
Not this:The customer
thanked John and mefor the clear answer. What changes: The customer thanked the pair, so use me as the object.
Read the full guide
Do not choose I or me by asking which version sounds more formal. First find the job of the whole pair in the sentence. Then test the pronoun by saying the sentence without the other person's name.
Find the subject
The subject does the action or is the person described by the verb. When a pair is the subject, use I after the other person's name.
John and I start work at nine.
The pair starts work, so it is the subject.
Choose the pronoun: John and ___ are ready.
Use I: John and I are ready.
Find the object
Use me when another person or thing acts on the pair. The pair may receive an invitation, a message, help, or thanks.
The coordinator emailed John and me yesterday.
The coordinator did the emailing. John and me received the email.
Choose the pronoun: Please call John and ___.
Use me: Please call John and me.
Check after a preposition
Words such as with, for, to, and between are prepositions. When the name pair follows one of these words, use the object pronoun me.
The decision is between John and me.
John and me follows between, so me is the correct form.
Complete the sentence: The tickets are for John and ___.
Use me: The tickets are for John and me.
Use the one-name check
Remove the other person's name and listen to the remaining sentence. This reveals whether you need I or me. Do not remove the whole pair, because the pronoun is the part you are checking.
John and I reviewed the invoice. I reviewed the invoice.
I reviewed the invoice is correct, so John and I is correct in the full sentence.
Test the sentence: The trainer praised John and ___.
The trainer praised me is correct, so write John and me.
Put the other name first
In standard polite style, name the other person before yourself. Write John and I or John and me. This order does not decide the grammar. The sentence role still decides whether the pronoun is I or me.
John and I will meet the client at noon.
The pair does the action, so I is correct. John comes first as a style choice.
Choose the standard form: The client will meet John and I, or John and me?
Use John and me because the client will meet the pair.
Before you go
Remember this
Find the job of the pair. If John and the pronoun do the action, use John and I. If someone acts on them, or they come after a preposition, use John and me. Remove John to check the pronoun.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Me and John or John and I: which is correct?"
Should I write John and I or John and me?
Choose by the pair's job in the sentence. Use John and I when the pair does the action: John and I left early. Use John and me when the pair receives an action or follows a preposition: The host greeted John and me.
John and I will present the plan on Friday.
Is me and John correct in formal writing?
Me and John is common in some informal speech, especially at the beginning of a sentence. In formal or edited writing, use John and I for a subject and John and me for an object. The sentence role decides the pronoun.
The director asked John and me to present the plan on Friday.
Why does the remove-the-name check work?
The check leaves the pronoun in the same grammatical role. If I will attend sounds right after you remove John, write John and I will attend. If the manager called me sounds right, write the manager called John and me.
John and I took the train to the conference.
Do I use I or me after with or between?
Use me after a preposition such as with, for, to, or between. Write with John and me or between John and me. The preposition makes the following pair its object, so the object pronoun me is needed.
The receptionist gave John and me two train schedules.
Does putting John first make the sentence grammatical?
Putting the other person's name first is a common polite style, but it does not choose I or me by itself. Check the sentence role. John and I are waiting is a subject pattern, while the guide spoke to John and me is a preposition pattern.
John and I are responsible for the first report.