You and me / you and I
couple kissing

Bob Blackmor from the US writes:

Which is correct: you and me or you and I? Some books say you and me is correct and others say it should be you and I.

Waris from Saudi Arabia asks:

Could you please explain to me the use of I and me? If I knock on the door and someone asks: Who is it? should I say It is me or It is I. If someone says: I discovered this website by accident should I say: I too have discovered it by accident or Me too….?

Rosanna from France writes:

Why do we say The King and I and not The King and me? I am told that not even the Queen herself knows the right answer! You do say she and me, don't you and not she and I?
Roger Woodham replies:
    I - me Personal pronouns in English have one form (I, he, she, we, they) when they are used as the subject of a sentence and another form (me, him, her, us, them) when they are used as the object of a verb or follow a preposition (with me, after us, etc). This applies to all personal pronouns, as listed above, except you and it which remain the same in both subject and object forms:
  • We gave them some chocolates and they gave us some wine.
  • I'll lend you my flared skirt if you'll lend me your blue denims.
  • Can you see Paul and Julie? You can't see me, but I'm standing behind him and beside her in the photo.

So whether you say you and I or you and me in co-ordinate phrases depends on whether they function as subjects or objects in the sentence:
  • You and I should go and speak to Trevor about this matter.
  • Trevor has indicated that he wants to interview you and me.
Note that in colloquial informal British English, people often use you and me as subjects, even though it is known to be incorrect. This has led to an assumption that you and me can never be correct and people (even the Queen perhaps) then sometimes use you and I as objects instead of the correct form you and me.But for your own convenience, keep a clear distinction between them as the same rule applies to other personal pronouns, i.e it's she and I when they are the subject of the clause and her and me when they are the object:
  • Do you know Geoffrey? Well, he and I are going to Stamford Bridge to watch Chelsea on Saturday.
  • They wouldn't listen to her or me when I said we couldn't go with them.

  
 

Me too! - It's me!

In very short answers like this, we usually prefer the object form:

  • Who's that behind the sofa? ~ It's me!
  • I want to go to Chris Cornell's concert at the London Astoria next Friday. ~ Me too!

The response Me too is particularly useful if you readily agree with someone about something. Note the difference in tone between the use of also and too in the following sentences where also is used in a longer, more considered response:

  • I might get one of those new mobile phones. ~ Yeah, I'm also thinking of trading up.
  • I might get one of those new mobile phones. ~ Yeah, me too.

object pronouns after as…as / like / but / than

Similarly, we normally use object pronouns after as…as, like, but meaning except and than, although subject + verb is sometimes possible as an alternative. Compare the following:

  • He can't run as fast as me, so he's better off as a defender.
    He can't run as fast as I can, so he's better off as a defender.

  • They say you look exactly like me when I was eighteen
    They say you look exactly as I did when I was eighteen

  • Well, that's Tracy for you! Nobody but her would go to shopping wearing gloves!
  • Everybody, except Tony and me, got back before sundown.
  • I'm taller than her, so I should stand at the back.
    I'm taller than she is, so I should stand at the back.


    If you would like more practice more please visit our in the You, Me and Us part of our website.