I or Me

Another Guest   Wed Jan 07, 2009 5:55 am GMT
I find it somewhat odd that people would argue about the correct form that a sentence fragment should take. "Me" would be more natural, but "I" wouldn't exactly be wrong.
Zak   Wed Jan 07, 2009 11:29 am GMT
>>Not true.
Zack and me are leaving is common.
That belongs to Zack and I is common too, it's an ultracorrection, but I like it. Both forms have existed since Shakespeare's time. <<

Fair enough. Then you and me is gonna be down with that commonness and all even though I isn't liking its cringe factor but as for Shakespeare, maybe he are going to be proud, aigh.
Johnny   Wed Jan 07, 2009 1:02 pm GMT
<<Zack and me are leaving is common>>

I would like to know in which varieties that structure is common. As far as I know, only putting "me" first is common in most varieties:

Me and Zack are leaving tomorrow.

Otherwise you could use "Zak and I" (but not "I and Zak").
Kate   Thu Jan 08, 2009 12:55 am GMT
Jane and me went to the store. is very frequent, at least here.
Jago   Thu Jan 08, 2009 1:53 am GMT
I think, again, that this may be an AE/BE difference.
We see a lot more "I" versions being used on the British side of the pond.
António   Thu Jan 08, 2009 2:48 am GMT
-We see a lot more "I" versions being used on the British side of the pond. -


Me thinks that's not true.
Me loves it tho' ;)
Waldo   Thu Jan 08, 2009 2:55 am GMT
Weird English
Sojourner   Thu Jan 08, 2009 4:19 am GMT
Here in Australia it would be quite common to hear "Jane and me" as the answer to "Who went to the store?".

On the other hand, you can often hear something like "They gave it to Jane and I" - perhaps because we've been told, as youngsters, that to say "Jane and me are going" is bad English, it should be "Jane and I". So "Jane and I" might be seen as the safe option in all cases.
Conrad   Thu Jan 15, 2009 5:55 am GMT
It is I
???   Thu Jan 15, 2009 1:13 pm GMT
'They gave it to Jane and I'

This one really grates on me. Take the 'Jane' out and you're left with

'He gave it to I'
Jago   Thu Jan 15, 2009 1:51 pm GMT
<-We see a lot more "I" versions being used on the British side of the pond. -
Me thinks that's not true.
Me loves it tho' ;) >

Well it is true António! =)
Caspian   Thu Jan 15, 2009 5:03 pm GMT
<< Zack and me are leaving is common.
That belongs to Zack and I is common too, it's an ultracorrection, but I like it. Both forms have existed since Shakespeare's time. >>

Both examples you have listed are purely incorrect. 'That belongs to Zack and I' is not an ultracorrection - you seem to think that saying 'I' is always correct, and saying 'me' is slang. You're wrong. Think of it like German - I is the nominative, me is the accusative.
Sputnik   Thu Jan 15, 2009 5:19 pm GMT
^Yes. I = Nominative. Me = Accusative.
Kelly Key   Thu Jan 15, 2009 11:23 pm GMT
Me thinks...

me = Nominative.


It's me.
me = Nominative.
Caspian   Fri Jan 16, 2009 4:49 pm GMT
Why pointlessly argue against what you surely know is right?

<< Me thinks... >>
This is gramatically incorrect. It may be used, but it's still wrong - and I've never heard it used much, if at all in the UK, apart from in a mocking kind of way.

<< It's me. >>
Again, it would be more gramatically correct to say 'It is I', despite the fact the incorrect version seems to be more in common usage in this case. It still doesn't change the fact that 'I' is the nominative and 'me' is the accusative.