“And me” or “and I”?

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)

****

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!

2 Responses to ““And me” or “and I”?”

  1. Jill Says:

    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!

  2. graphoniac Says:

    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. :)

Leave a Reply