We're great together, you and I. For it is only I that accompanies you. But alas there come times you and I must part and you should instead be together with me. It's not always easy to see, but sometimes you really should be with me.
No one appreciates you and I. They only appreciate you and me. It matters not if they use your name. For I gets left out just the same.
You and I are a compound subject. But when you are with me, we make a compound object, see? For with or without you, I am the subject, but the object is always me.
Our English teachers spent years beating "You and I" into our heads because "you" should always precede "I" when used as compound subjects in our sentences. They should have also beat into our noggins that "you" precedes "me" in our compound objects as well.Just remember that whether we're alone or not, it is I that does things and that things are always done to me.
Grammar Girl does a good job explaining this in her
Between You and Me post. Other references can also be found by performing an internet search using grammar, compound object, and You and I as keywords.
Come August 4th, Myra and I will have been married for twenty-eight years! (I am now bowing to your awesome applause.) But twenty-eight years ago, wedding gifts were given to Myra and me.
No, I am not an authority on grammar. I do, however, try to abide by the rules of the language when I know them. I break them intentionally at times. I break them without intending to sometimes as well. As is the case with most of us, I am still learning and will continue to learn. Let us improve together.
Happy anniversary early! Almost to thirty. That's quite a milestone.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alex! It's been the best twenty-eight years of my life!
DeleteGreat post! So clever! I think grammar confounds us all sometimes--probably us writers most of all, just because we care! Happy anniversary next week! :D
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliment and the happy anniversary wishes! I married a top notch woman, no doubt about it.
DeleteIt's taken me a while to get those rules drummed into my head, but I did finally learn them. Now I just break the rules knowingly instead of being merely ignorant. Don't know which is worse...
ReplyDeleteIt's best breaking them knowingly. That way when you're called on it you can (honestly) say, "I know that." :-)
DeleteThis is a really cute post, and very informative. Congrats on your wedding anniversary! Very romantic.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I tried to find a way to present this post without coming off haughty because my intent was anything but. Besides, I don't want people thinking me don't never make no mistakes. ;-)
DeleteGrammar gives most of us fits.
ReplyDeleteThat it does, Richard. And I find that the older I get the more I'm inclined to rephrase rather than wrestle with the stack of grammar books on my shelf. (Did I just admit to being lazy?)
DeleteHappy Anniversary!
ReplyDeleteMy mother used to hassle my brother and I about saying "Me and so-and-so", and now I get all worked up about it myself. It only gets worse when people who have had the rule of "'blank' and I" drilled into their heads so much that they use it incorrectly. (My boss will say "Email the details to Mr. Blah and I." That drives me crazy.)
I was fortunate in that my mother didn't hassle my brother and me too much about our grammar providing we kept our grades up to an acceptable level. Of course, my brother, the one of us who never reads, always had a much better handle on things like good grades and grammar than I did. Such is life, I suppose.
DeleteAnd thanks for the happy anniversary wishes! (Anniversary presents are difficult for me after 28 years. I've always tried to be unique and it's getting rather difficult now--especially when you factor in birthdays, Christmas, Valentines, etc.)
This is a very useful lesson and you made it easy to learn. Thanks, Jeff. And of course, Happy Anniversary!
ReplyDeleteI do try, but it's actually been a while since I taught any classes so I'm a little rusty. (And those classes were NOT on English grammar, but computer syntax.)
DeleteAnd thanks for the happy anniversary wishes. I married an awesome woman!
If you don't teach me the rules, how will I know when and how to break them? Thanks, Jeff! :)
ReplyDelete28 years is great!
Lauren
Lauren-ritz.blogspot.com
You're welcome, Lauren.
DeleteAnd no, 28 years isn't great -- it's AWESOME! (Gotta stay with the theme here. LOL)
this post makes me all smiley. but gosh.... grammar... grammar.... gives me anxiety!
ReplyDeleteI do like to try and bring smiles to people's faces. Makes me feel good. But yeah, grammar can be such a prickly beast.
DeleteI'm glad you stopped by!