My C-Ray of Life: Bobbie and I vs. Bobbie and me

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Bobbie and I vs. Bobbie and me

I general I tend to be ones of those people who is anxious about not knowing all the proper grammar rules and worried that one of those "grammar police" will catch me in a great grammar faux pas and rap my knuckles.
But there are certain - maybe it's the more common - grammar mistakes that just catch my attention. This particular grammar issue tends to catch my attention mostly because I don't feel as though it is the persons fault for not knowing - they aren't ignorant people who "need to learn basic grammar rules" - on the contrary this mistake is made by diligent people who think they have it right. So why is is so common - and why do they think they have it right.

Well my theory on the subject is this: When you are growing up you are constantly corrected by the adults in your life when you would say, "Me and Bobbie are going down the street." A very good-natured and well intending adult would correct you and say, "Bobbie and I!" This is of course the proper correction to your childish sentence. But what you didn't ever hear is when it is proper to say, "Bobbie and me..." So we have a bunch of adults in the world who think they should ALWAYS say "Bobbie and I".
So here it is - this is for free ;) An easy way to remember when it is okay and indeed proper to say, "me".

You use I and me in a sentence when you would use I or me when there is not another individual involved.

So for example you would say, "I am going to the store." if you were going with Bobbie you would say, "Bobbie and I are going to the store." but if you were told to go to the store you would say, "Aunt Louise told me to go to the store." and if you and Bobbie were told to go to the store you would day, "Aunt Louise told Bobbie and me to go to the store." You would not say, "~~Aunt Louise told Bobbie and I to go to the store.~~" because you would never say, "Aunt Louise told I to go to the store."

Furthermore, if you are labeling a picture keep this is mind. You would not point to a picture and say, "~~This is I at the Dallas Zoo.~~" no you would say "This is me at the Dallas Zoo." So again you would say, "Bobbie and me at the Dallas Zoo."

Now if you feel more comfortable always using Bobbie and I for fear of getting your knuckles rapped then you can always reword the sentence. "Bobbie and I would like to thank you for your support, it means the world to us." is a good way to reword "Thank you for all your support, it means the world to Bobbie and me." but don't say "~~Thank you for all your support, it means the world to Bobbie and I.~~" .... why again? cause you would NOT say, "~~Thank you for all your support, it means the world to I.~~" no you would never say that; you would use me.

So let us try to become more comfortable with "me".