I always tell my students to pretend the other person isn’t in the sentence. I wouldn’t say, “She took a picture of I.” So, why would I say, “She took a picture of Corinne and I.” … Linking verbs make this more complicated (e.g. “It is I”).
‘The traditional grammar rule states when a pronoun follows a linking verb, such as “is,” the pronoun should be in the subject case. It’s also called the “nominative.” That means it is correct to say, “It is I,” and “It was he who dropped the phone in shock when Jodie answered, ‘This is she,’” because “he” is the same type of pronoun as “I.”…Linking verbs are words like “is,” “was,” “were,” “appear,” and “seem,” which don’t describe an action so much as describe a state of being. When pronouns follow these non-action verbs, you use the subject pronouns such as “I,” “she,” “he,” “they,” and “we.”… The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage says that it’s a style choice, and that “It is I” is a formal style and “It is me” is a more casual style. In fact, most people who write about language agree that unless you’re answering the phone for the English department at the University of Chicago or responding to a Supreme Court judge, “That’s me” is an acceptable answer.’
— John James Bowlen Edwards, via Grammarly.com Facebook Page
How do you remember the proper use of ‘I’ and ‘me’?
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On our “I vs. Me” Facebook post:
I always tell my students to pretend the other person isn’t in the sentence. I wouldn’t say, “She took a picture of I.” So, why would I say, “She took a picture of Corinne and I.” … Linking verbs make this more complicated (e.g. “It is I”).
From http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-linking-verbs.aspx:
‘The traditional grammar rule states when a pronoun follows a linking verb, such as “is,” the pronoun should be in the subject case. It’s also called the “nominative.” That means it is correct to say, “It is I,” and “It was he who dropped the phone in shock when Jodie answered, ‘This is she,’” because “he” is the same type of pronoun as “I.”…Linking verbs are words like “is,” “was,” “were,” “appear,” and “seem,” which don’t describe an action so much as describe a state of being. When pronouns follow these non-action verbs, you use the subject pronouns such as “I,” “she,” “he,” “they,” and “we.”… The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage says that it’s a style choice, and that “It is I” is a formal style and “It is me” is a more casual style. In fact, most people who write about language agree that unless you’re answering the phone for the English department at the University of Chicago or responding to a Supreme Court judge, “That’s me” is an acceptable answer.’
— John James Bowlen Edwards, via Grammarly.com Facebook Page
How do you remember the proper use of ‘I’ and ‘me’?
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