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When it comes to the grammatical correctness of “John and me” vs. “John and I,” there is actually a bit of debate.
Some people argue that both phrases are technically correct, while others believe that only “John and I” is acceptable. Here’s a closer look at the issue:
The main argument in favor of “John and I” is that it sounds more formal than “John and me.” However, this is an incorrect assumption! “John and I” is not always the grammatically correct answer.
Let’s explore the differences between the expressions “John and I” and “John and me” and how we can apply them correctly in sentences.
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John and I Vs. John and Me
Let’s take a look at the following sentences:
- John and I went to the store.
- He gave the present to John and me.
In these two sentences, “John and I” and “John and me” are used correctly. In the first sentence, “I” is the subject pronoun, and in the second sentence, “me” is the object pronoun.
In the sentence “John and I went to the store,” “I” is correct because we can say “I went to the store. Whereas, “He gave the present to John and me” is correct because we can say “he gave it to me,” not “he gave it to I.”
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John and I
As we have explained already, “John and I” is the correct choice when using these pronouns as the subject of a sentence or clause.
The subject of the sentence is the person or thing that is doing the verb, for example:
- I am going to the store.
- John is going to the store.
- John and I are going to the store.
In each of these sentences, “I,” “John,” and “John and I” are all subjects. Notice that a subject can be just one person or thing (singular) or two or more people or things (plural).
Examples of Sentences with “John and I”
Here are some more examples of sentences with “John and I”:
- John and I went to the store.
- John and I had a great time!
- John and I are getting married.
- I hope John and I can go to the movies together.
- John and I went shopping together.
- John and I don’t like the color of these curtains.
- What time should John and I come over?
- John and I are tired after the long drive.
- This time last year, John and I went on vacation to Israel.
- John and I completed the work project under the careful supervision of our boss.
John and Me
“John and me” is the correct choice when you are using these pronouns as the object of a sentence or clause.
The object of the sentence is the person or thing that is affected by the verb, for example:
- He gave the present to John.
- He gave the present to me.
- He gave the present to John and me.
In each of these sentences, “me,” “John,” and “John and me” are all objects. Notice that an object can be just one person or thing (singular) or two or more people or things (plural).
Examples of Sentences with “John and Me”
Here are some more examples of sentences with “John and me”:
- He gave the present to John and me.
- They are going to help John and me.
- I hope you will include John and me in your plans.
- Thank you for inviting John and me to the ceremony.
- Can you please give the remote control to John and me?
- The teacher is going to help John and me with our math homework.
- Do you want to join John and me for dinner?
- I am grateful for all he has done for John and me.
- The singer called John and me to the stage.
- Cathy thanked John and me for all we did for her.
- There wasn’t enough food for John and me, so we ordered some more.
When Should You Use “John and I” or “John and Me”?
To sum up, you should use “John and I” as the subject of a sentence or clause and “John and me” as the object of a sentence or clause.
Here is a helpful tip: If you are unsure whether to use “John and I” or “John and me,” try this trick. Remove the other person from the sentence and see if it still makes sense.
For example, let’s look at the sentence “He gave the present to John and me.” If we remove “John” from this sentence, it becomes “He gave the present to me.” This sounds correct, so we know that the correct choice is “John and me.”
Now let’s look at the sentence, “Luke called John and I on a Skype call.” If we remove “John” from this sentence, it becomes “Luke called I on a Skype call.” This doesn’t sound quite right, so we know that the correct choice is “John and me.”
Remembering these simple rules will help you correctly use “John and I” and “John and me” in English communication.
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In Conclusion
We hope we have helped clear up any confusion you may have had about using “John and I” and “John and me.”
Just remember that “John and I” is always the subject of a sentence or clause, and “John and me” is always the object.
If you can master these simple rules, you’ll be using these pronouns correctly in no time!
Can you make sentences with “John and me” and “John and I”? Let me know in the comments below! And if you enjoyed this post, don’t forget to share it with your friends!
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I'm an Irish tutor and founder of TPR Teaching. I started teaching in 2016 and have since taught in the UK, Spain, and online.
I love learning new things about the English language and how to teach it better. I'm always trying to improve my knowledge, so I can better meet the needs of others!
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