When you’re making a list of people in a sentence, and you want to include yourself, do you say “and I” or “and me”? It depends. Here’s the easy way to figure it out: drop the other people.
Example
Sounds Bad: My husband’s favorite cooks are: Rachael Rae, Chef Ramsay, Paula Dean and I.
Drop the people: My husband’s favorite cooks are: Rachael Rae, Chef Ramsay, Paula Dean and [is:] I.
Sounds Better: My husband’s favorite cooks are: Rachael Rae, Chef Ramsay, Paula Dean and me. (or myself)
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Sounds Bad: Rachael Rae, Chef Ramsay, Paula Dean and me are going out for coffee. (I wish!!)
Drop the people: Rachael Rae, Chef Ramsay, Paula Dean and me [is]are going out for coffee.
Sounds Better: Rachael Rae, Chef Ramsay, Paula Dean and I are going out for coffee.
****
Ps. About my list style note: here’s one time when it’s better to list the single-syllable word last. When you include yourself, list yourself last.
If this article has helped you, or if you have other questions about this topic, please let me know. Thanks!
December 1, 2009 at 4:26 pm
If I understood correcltly when describing my family, I should say:” There are three members in my family, my father, my mother and me. (or I?) Which is the right choice? What should I drop here, to understand it better? Thanks for any reply!
December 2, 2009 at 11:47 am
You’d say “There are three members in my family: my father, my mother and me.” You’d drop “my father, my mother and.” If you’re not comfortable saying “and me”, you could say “and myself,” but that sounds a little more formal. It depends on the context.