Practice
Me or I with another person: how to choose
Maya and I will call the client. The client will call Maya and me. The name stays the same, but the pronoun changes because the two people have different jobs in the sentence.
Choose I when you and another person are the subject, and choose me when the pair receives an 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
Daniel and I /ˈdænjəl ænd aɪ/
The short answer
Choose I in a subject: Omar and I are ready. Choose me as an object or after a preposition: The coach spoke to Omar and me. The useful check is Omar and I are ready becomes I am ready, while spoke to Omar and me becomes spoke to me.
Nora and I submitted the application.
Why it works: Nora and I are the people who did the submitting, so the phrase is the subject.
5 more examples
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Aisha and I are meeting the supplier at noon.
The pair performs the action are meeting, so I is the subject form.
Not this:The supplier is meeting
Aisha and meat noon. What changes: The supplier performs the action, and the pair receives it, so use me. -
Luis and I checked the schedule.
Remove Luis and the sentence becomes I checked the schedule.
Not this:The manager thanked
Luis and mefor checking the schedule. What changes: Remove Luis and the sentence becomes The manager thanked me. -
Rina and I will bring the documents.
The pair will bring the documents, so the phrase is a subject.
Not this:Please send the documents
to Rina and me. What changes: The phrase follows to, so it needs the object form me. -
There is a disagreement between my neighbor and me.
Between is a preposition, so standard edited English uses me after it.
Not this:
My neighbor and Idisagree about the fence. What changes: Here the pair does the action disagree, so use I. -
Sam and I are the last people in the office.
The pair is described by the verb are, so the phrase is the subject.
Not this:The security guard saw
Sam and meleave the office. What changes: The guard saw the pair, so the phrase is an object.
Read the full guide
First, find the verb and ask who does the action. If the answer is you and another person, use I. If someone does something to you and another person, or if the phrase follows a preposition, use me. The name does not decide the form. The job in the sentence does.
Find who does the action
Use I when you and another person are the subject. The subject is the person or people who do the action or who are described by the verb.
Priya and I start work at nine.
Priya and I are the people who start work, so the sentence needs I.
Choose the pronoun: Ben and ___ will join the call.
Use I: Ben and I will join the call.
Find who receives the action
Use me when another person does something to you and another person. The phrase is the object of the verb.
The receptionist gave Ben and me visitor badges.
The receptionist gave the badges. Ben and me received them.
Complete the sentence: The teacher asked Maya and ___ to stay.
Use me: The teacher asked Maya and me to stay.
Use the short-sentence check
Remove the other name for a quick test. If I fits the shorter subject sentence, use I in the pair. If me fits after the verb, use me in the pair.
Carlos and I need more time.
Without Carlos, the sentence is I need more time, not Me need more time.
Test the phrase: The coordinator emailed Carlos and ___.
Use me because the shorter sentence is The coordinator emailed me.
Watch for prepositions
After with, to, for, between, from, and similar prepositions, use me. A preposition introduces an object phrase, even when that phrase includes another person's name.
The seats are beside Noor and me.
Beside is a preposition, so the phrase uses the object form me.
Choose the form: Please keep this message between you and ___.
Use me: Please keep this message between you and me.
Use everyday English after be
When someone identifies the speaker after be, everyday English commonly uses me. You can say It's me when you answer a phone call or doorbell. The very formal form It is I exists, but it is unusual in daily speech.
Who sent the message? It was me.
The speaker identifies the person after was. In everyday English, me sounds natural here.
Choose the natural everyday reply: Who is calling? It is ___.
Use me: Who is calling? It is me.
Edit the whole phrase
In edited English, write the other person's name before the pronoun: Jordan and I or Jordan and me. Then choose the pronoun by grammar, not by politeness alone. A name-first phrase can still need me when it is an object.
The editor asked Jordan and me for a final copy.
Jordan comes first, but the editor asked the pair, so me is still correct.
Rewrite the subject phrase: Me and Jordan will present the plan.
Write Jordan and I will present the plan.
Before you go
Remember this
Choose I when the pair does the action: Fatima and I arrived early. Choose me when the pair receives an action or follows a preposition: The host welcomed Fatima and me; the seats are for Fatima and me. Remove the other name as a quick check, then read the full sentence once more.
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 or I with another person: how to choose"
Is John and I always correct?
No. Use John and I when the pair is the subject, as in John and I arrived early. Use John and me when the pair is an object, as in The host greeted John and me.
Aisha and I are meeting the supplier at noon.
Does removing the other person's name always help?
It is a useful check for most ordinary sentences. Remove the name and listen to the remaining pronoun: I called or She called me. Then put the name back and check the whole sentence for its meaning.
The supplier is meeting Aisha and me at noon.
Should I write between you and I?
In standard edited English, write between you and me. Between is a preposition, and the pronoun after a preposition is normally an object form.
Luis and I checked the schedule.
Is it me or it is I?
It is me is common and natural in everyday English when you identify yourself. It is I is a very formal traditional form that you may see in formal writing, but it is uncommon in conversation.
The manager thanked Luis and me for checking the schedule.
Can I say me and my friend went?
You may hear this in informal speech, but use My friend and I went in careful or edited English. The pair is the subject of went, so I is the standard subject form.
Rina and I will bring the documents.