Practice
Name and I or name and me: which is correct?
Maya and I planned the event. The manager thanked Maya and me after it ended. The name stays the same, but the pronoun changes because the pair has a different job in each sentence.
Choose a name and I when the pair does the action, and choose a name and me when the pair receives the action or follows a preposition.
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
Maya and I /ˈmaɪə ən aɪ/
The short answer
Choose name and I when the pair performs the action: Omar and I arrived early. Choose name and me when the pair receives the action or follows a preposition: The host greeted Omar and me. Try the sentence with only the pronoun to check the choice.
Lena and I will meet you at the station.
Why it works: Lena and I are the subject of will meet, so I is the correct pronoun.
5 more examples
-
Priya and I took the early train.
The pair performs the action took, so it is the subject.
Not this:The conductor spoke to
Priya and me. What changes: The pair comes after the preposition to, so me is needed. -
Carlos and I prepared the presentation.
Carlos and I do the preparing. The phrase is the subject of prepared.
Not this:The director asked
Carlos and mefor a copy. What changes: The director asks the pair for something, so the pair is the object. -
Nora and I have known each other for years.
The pair is the subject of have known.
Not this:The invitation was sent to
Nora and me. What changes: To introduces the people who received the invitation. -
Amir and I can finish the report tomorrow.
The pair can finish the report, so it comes before the verb phrase.
Not this:Please save a seat for
Amir and me. What changes: For is a preposition, and the pair is its object. -
Sofia and I checked the address twice.
The pair did the checking, which makes it the subject.
Not this:The photographer took a picture of
Sofia and me. What changes: Of introduces the people in the picture, so me is the correct object form.
Read the full guide
Find the verb first. Ask who is doing that action. If the answer includes the name and the pronoun, use I. If someone does something to the pair, or the pair follows words such as with, for, or between, use me.
Find who does the action
A subject performs the action. When a name and a pronoun form the subject together, use I. Look for the main verb and ask who does it.
Maya and I organized the workshop.
Maya and I are the people who organized it, so the phrase is the subject.
Complete the sentence: Jordan and ___ will call the client.
Use I: Jordan and I will call the client.
Use me for the object
Use me when another person does something to the pair. The pair may answer the question whom or who did someone contact, thank, invite, or see?
The receptionist called Jordan and me.
The receptionist called us. Jordan and me receive the action, so the object form is correct.
Complete the sentence: Our neighbors invited Jordan and ___.
Use me: Our neighbors invited Jordan and me.
Check words after prepositions
After words such as to, for, with, from, and between, use the object form me. The preposition controls the choice even when the phrase is near the beginning or end of a sentence.
The note was written for Jordan and me.
For is a preposition. You would say written for me, not written for I.
Choose the pronoun: Please keep this between you and ___.
Use me: Please keep this between you and me.
Use the one-person test
Remove the name and read the shorter sentence aloud. This test avoids guessing by politeness or by what sounds formal. If the shorter sentence needs I, the longer phrase needs name and I. If it needs me, use name and me.
Leila and I stayed late. I stayed late.
The supervisor thanked Leila and me. The supervisor thanked me.
Test the phrase: The guide waited for Hana and ___.
The shorter sentence is The guide waited for me, so use Hana and me.
Keep the name first
English speakers usually put the other person's name before I or me. This is a politeness convention, not a different grammar rule. Choose the pronoun by its job first, then put the name before it.
Aisha and I will send the update.
The grammar is the same in I and Aisha will send the update, but the first order is more natural.
Put the phrase in common order: The update surprised me and Aisha.
Write The update surprised Aisha and me. The phrase is the object, so me stays correct.
Before you go
Remember this
Use a name and I for the people who do the action. Use a name and me for the people who receive the action or follow a preposition. Remove the name for a quick check: if I fits alone, use I; if me fits alone, use me.
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 "Name and I or name and me: which is correct?"
How do I choose between I and me with a name?
Find the verb or preposition first. Use a name and I when the pair does the action. Use a name and me when the pair receives the action or follows a preposition. Removing the name gives you a short sentence that often makes the choice clear.
Priya and I took the early train.
Is it correct to say between you and I?
In standard English, use between you and me. Between is a preposition, and a preposition is followed by an object pronoun. The same rule applies in phrases such as with Maya and me, for Maya and me, and from Maya and me.
The conductor spoke to Priya and me.
Why do people sometimes use I after a preposition?
Some speakers have heard that I can sound more formal and apply that idea too widely. Formality does not change the grammar after a preposition. Use the same form you would use alone: The message was for me, so it was for Hana and me.
Carlos and I prepared the presentation.
Should the other person's name come before I or me?
Usually, yes. English speakers commonly say Maya and I or Maya and me rather than I and Maya or me and Maya. This order is a matter of courtesy and convention. The grammar choice still depends on whether the pair is a subject or an object.
The director asked Carlos and me for a copy.
Does the short pronoun test always help?
It helps in most everyday sentences. Remove the name and keep the rest of the sentence unchanged. If you would say I, use the subject form in the pair. If you would say me, use the object form. Check the full sentence again after you choose.
Nora and I have known each other for years.