Practice
You and me or you and I?
You and I can carry the boxes. The driver can help you and me. The word you does not change, but I changes to me because the pair has a different job in each sentence.
Choose you and I when the pair does the action, and choose you and 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
You and I will wait. /ju ən aɪ wɪl weɪt/
The short answer
Use you and I as the subject before the verb. Use you and me as an object after a verb or after a preposition.
You and I start work at nine.
Why it works: The pair starts work, so it is the subject and uses I.
5 more examples
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You and I can clean the kitchen after dinner.
The pair can clean the kitchen, so the phrase is the subject.
Not this:Our neighbor thanked
you and meafter dinner. What changes: Our neighbor did the thanking. The pair receives the action. -
You and I will meet the manager at noon.
The pair will meet the manager, so I is the subject form.
Not this:The manager will meet
with you and meat noon. What changes: With is a preposition, so the phrase after it uses me. -
You and I have the same bus stop.
The pair is named before have, so the phrase is the subject.
Not this:The bus stops
near you and meevery morning. What changes: Near is a preposition, and me is the object form after it. -
You and I should bring our ID cards.
The pair should bring the cards. It performs the action.
Not this:The receptionist gave
you and metwo visitor cards. What changes: The receptionist did the giving. You and me receive the cards. -
You and I are ready to leave now.
The pair comes before are and is the subject of the sentence.
Not this:Please keep this plan
between you and me. What changes: Between is a preposition, so use the object form me.
Read the full guide
Start with the action. Ask who does it. If the answer is you and the speaker, choose I. If another person calls, sees, thanks, or speaks to the pair, choose me.
Find who does the action
The subject does the action. When you and the speaker do something together, use you and I before the verb.
You and I will open the shop.
The pair will open the shop, so it is the subject.
Choose the phrase for two people who will make dinner: you and I or you and me?
Use you and I: You and I will make dinner.
Use me when the pair receives an action
Use you and me when another person does something to the pair. The pair can receive a call, an invitation, a message, or help.
The coach invited you and me to practice.
The coach did the inviting. You and me receive the invitation.
Complete the sentence: The waiter brought water for you and ___.
Use me: The waiter brought water for you and me.
Look for a preposition
Words such as to, for, with, near, and between are prepositions. A pronoun after a preposition uses the object form.
The seats are beside you and me.
Beside is a preposition, so it is followed by you and me.
The message is from you and me.
From also needs an object phrase after it.
Try the short sentence
Remove you for a moment, but keep the other words. If I fits in the short sentence, use you and I. If me fits, use you and me.
I will call later. You and I will call later.
I works before will call, so it stays I in the full phrase.
Test this sentence: The librarian spoke to you and ___. Which word works alone?
Use me alone, then write The librarian spoke to you and me.
Choose the form by its job
The words you and I form a subject phrase. The words you and me form an object phrase. Choose the phrase by its role in the whole sentence.
You and I checked the map.
The pair checked the map, so use the subject phrase.
Choose the phrase after for: for you and I or for you and me?
Use for you and me because for is a preposition.
Before you go
Remember this
Use you and I for the pair that does the action. Use you and me for the pair that receives the action or follows a preposition. Remove you and test I or me in the same sentence if you need to check.
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 "You and me or you and I?"
When do I use you and I?
Use you and I when the pair is the subject and does the action. In You and I need more chairs, the pair needs the chairs, so I is the correct subject form. The phrase usually comes before the verb.
You and I can clean the kitchen after dinner.
When do I use you and me?
Use you and me when another person does something to the pair. In The host greeted you and me, the host does the greeting and the pair receives it. That is why the phrase uses the object form me.
Our neighbor thanked you and me after dinner.
Do I use you and me after a preposition?
Yes. Use you and me after prepositions such as to, for, with, from, and between. These words are followed by an object phrase, so the first-person pronoun in the pair is me, not I.
You and I will meet the manager at noon.
How can I check you and I or you and me?
Remove you and keep the rest of the sentence. If I fits, use you and I. If me fits, use you and me. For example, I can help is correct, while the manager called me is correct.
The manager will meet with you and me at noon.
Does you always need to change in these phrases?
No. You has the same form when it is a subject or an object. The choice in these pairs is I or me. Compare You and I will go with They invited you and me.
You and I have the same bus stop.