Anna Kovrova
How to say correctly: “ you and me" or " you and I"? And so and so - it all depends on the situation. To figure out what's what, you'll have to dive into grammar!
“You and me” or “you and I”?
Let's start with the fact that “I” and “me” are the same word, just in different forms.
“I” in the sentence plays the role of the subject (subject, that is, the one who performs the action). Corresponds to the Russian pronoun “I” in the nominative case.
“Me” plays the role of a complement (object, object of action). Corresponds to “I” in all other cases: “me”, “me”, “by me”.
I saw Jane. I saw Jane.
Jane saw me . Jane saw me.
It’s easy to remember this difference: “I” will be placed at the beginning of the sentence (or closer to the beginning), and “me” will be placed closer to the end (of course, if this sentence is simple and not complex).
Now let’s look at the word “you”. Unlike "I", it retains the same form regardless of its role in the sentence. That is, “you” can be translated as “you”, and “thee”, and “to you”, and “by you”.
Now you see that both phrases are correct, but they have different meanings and are used in different situations:
you and I- “you and me” (subject)
you and me- “you and me”, “you and me”, “you and me” (object)
If you are in doubt about what form to put the pronoun in, try removing the word “you” and translating the phrase into Russian. For example, you need to say: You and (I or me?) like sweets.
Examination:
I like sweets. — I I love candy. - a meaningful proposal.
Me like sweets.— To me love candy. - nonsense.
So it will be correct: You and I like sweets.
A little earlier we talked about some of the secrets of English pronouns.
What about other pronouns?
Almost all other personal pronouns also have two forms. The exception (besides "you") is "it", which does not change.
If you are interested in relative pronouns in English, you can refer to one of the previous articles.
Can you remove the words from the song?
Even those who speak English as a native speaker make mistakes! For example, Lady Gaga. Remember her song “Bad romance”, where there is the following line:
But the Scorpions group, despite their German origin, would be given an excellent mark by an English teacher:
Word usage that is not entirely correct, from a grammatical point of view, is extremely common. It is found in books and films - often for the sake of rhyme. For example, the engraving on the watch that Carrie Bradshaw from the movie Sex and the City gave to her lover most likely meant “ You and I“, only then the inscription would not have turned out so memorable (see picture).
With option“You and I” this phrase would not sound so impressive.
In the novel For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway we read:
And in parentheses I would like to note that the opposite phenomenon also occurs, when instead of “you and me” they say “you and I”. This is the so-called hypercorrectness. People hear from teachers: “We must say “you and I”” and begin to use this phrase in all situations indiscriminately - both in the role of subject and in the role of object. Then errors appear again - like the one in the song You and I by the boy band One Direction:
But here it is an object! So it was necessary:
The boys from One Direction look like they should sign up for
If you are studying, you will find this article very useful. Difficulty learning foreign language is that very often you want to literally translate certain figures of speech, while a foreign language has its own rules that differ quite noticeably from Russian ones.
Read about these common mistakes, which Russian-speaking people do in English speech. This useful information will help you become more literate and improve your English.
15 common mistakes in English
- "How" or "What"?
Wrong: “How do you call this in English?”
Right: “What do you call this in English?”
Phrase "How does is called?" translated exactly like this, there is no need to use the literal translation of the word “how” (“how”).
- The word "Normal"
Wrong: "How are you?" - “I’m normal, thanks.”
Right: "How are you?" - “I’m fine, thanks.»
You should not give in to the temptation and answer that your affairs are “normal,” as we are used to doing in Russian speech. After all, in English everything is different - the word “normal” means “average” or “not strange.” That is, answering the question "How are you?" with this word, you communicate that you are normal and not crazy, for example. It is better to use the words “fine” or “good”, even if this is not always true.
- “Scientist”, “scholar”)
Incorrect: Scientists study history so that humanity can learn from the past.
Correct: Scholars study history so that humanity can learn from the past.
“Scientist” is a highly specialized scientist who conducts experiments, an expert in the exact sciences - physics, mathematics, chemistry. While "scholar" is a broader concept, it can be a person who studies the humanities, or simply someone who is well versed in a particular subject.
- "City"
Incorrect: I am from Moscow city.
Correct: I am from Moscow or the city of Moscow.
Most cities use the construction "the city of". You can say the name of a city without using the word "city".
- How to talk about feeling unwell
Incorrect: I feel myself bad.
Correct: I feel bad.
Using the word “myself” in this context implies that you physically touch your body and you kind of feel... Of course, foreigners will understand what you mean, but it sounds a little strange and funny. Therefore, remember English grammar and talk about feelings without the notorious “myself”.
- "Do" or "Make"?
Incorrect: I think I did a mistake.
Correct: I think I made a mistake.
Use "do" for everyday activities or work that does not produce a physical object. For example, do a job, do the shopping. “Make” expresses building and creating something that can be touched - make food, make a cup of tea. Make money, do someone a favor, do business, make a decision, do good, make a plan, make a mistake - exceptions that need to be remembered.
- "Place" or "Room"?
These two words mean "place". But "place" is a place in the sense of "occupied space", and "room" is a free place, a space that can be occupied. Don't confuse them please.
- "Decide" or "Solve"
"Decide" means to make decisions, and "solve" means to solve problems or problems. Depending on the context, you need to choose the right word.
- "I agree" ("I agree")
Incorrect: I am agree.
Correct: I agree.
Don't forget that the word "agree" is a verb. It is incorrect to insert one or another form of the verb “to be” before it.
- "Free"
Incorrect: I want to speak English freely.
Correct: I want to speak English fluently.
If you want to convey the idea that you still speak a foreign language fluently, use the word “fluent”. "Free" means something that is not valuable in a financial sense, something that is worth nothing. When "free" is placed after a noun ("smoke-free", "car-free", "alcohol-free"), it means that the thing or action is prohibited.
- "Last time" or "Recently"
“Last time” means “last time”, and “lately” means “recently”. Avoid literal, word-for-word translations.
- "If" + "will"
These two words are never used together! Remember this. The part of the sentence that contains the condition must not contain “will” (even though the future tense is intended).
For example: “If it rains tomorrow (conditional part), I will stay at home (main part).” (“If it rains tomorrow, I’ll stay home”). - "No problem!"
Incorrect: No problems!
Correct: No problem!
This expression, like several others - thank God, no comment - must be remembered and used exclusively in the singular.
- "Teach" or "learn"
“Teach” is to give knowledge, and “learn” is to receive it. Unfortunately, these two words are often confused.
- "Must" or "have to"
“Must” rather means your own confidence that something is necessary, and “have to” means a need caused by external circumstances. Formulate your thoughts correctly!
Let this article help you improve your English speaking literate. Don't forget to tell your friends about these common mistakes, let them say it correctly!
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Right … Spelling dictionary-reference book
CORRECT, adv. 1. adv. k correct. 2. So it should be, so it should be, so it is (with exclamatory intonation; colloquial). Shouldn't we go to the theater? Right! Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
Right- advertising jarg. correctly / beautifully and incomprehensibly letters Correctly, clearly and effectively (the opposite of the expression: beautifully and incomprehensibly (see) work done, which is usually why it is difficult to hand over to the Customer. So, after reading good reports from beginners... ... Universal additional practical explanatory dictionary by I. Mostitsky
Right- absolutely correct … Dictionary of Russian Idioms
I. adv. to Correct. P. solve the problem. P. to enter. The clock is ticking. P. folded figure. II. particle. Razg. Yes, yes. I thought you came to me. That's right, to you. ◁ More correctly, in the sign. introductory sl. Usage to clarify what was said. It seems like... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Right- 1. adv. k correct Solve the problem correctly. It's the right thing to do. The clock is running correctly. Correctly built figure. 2. particle.; decomposition see also... Dictionary of many expressions
I adv. qualities 1. Without deviating from the rules, norms, established order. Ott. Fitting the rule, without containing deviations from the rule. 2. In accordance with established rules. Ott. trans. True, accurate, unmistakable. 3. As needed; because… … Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova
Wrong wrong... Dictionary of antonyms
Right- that's right, adv... Russian spelling dictionary
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I And me are personal pronouns that are used when you talk about yourself . Personal pronoun ( personal pronoun) used instead of a noun when talking about specific people and objects that belong to them. For example, I, me, mine, you, yours, his, her, hers, we, they, And them, - are all personal pronouns. They can take two case forms: objective pronouns and subjective pronouns.
Scarlett and I went to see a Bruce Springsteen concert. Photo: Tony McDonough/AAP
I
I is subjective form first person personal pronoun. It is used to a person who myself commits action. 'I' doing the verb.
I am watching the Arsenal match. (‘I am watching’-I myself I'm watching.)
When it is raining, I like to visit the cinema. (‘I like to visit’- I myself like to visit.)
Bruce and I are going to a concert tonight.(‘
I are going'- I'm going myself.)
Me
Me is objective form first person personal pronoun. It refers to a person over which action is being done.
Alexis is watching me play football. ('watching me' -I I am object observations)
Paul asked me to buy some popcorn. (‘asked me’-I I am object requests)
Bruce invited Scarlet and me to his concert. (‘invited me’-I I am object invitations)
Heavy Part
The most difficult situation of correct use of pronouns I And me are sentences that use two objects connected by the word 'and'. For example, “Jack and me” or “Jack and I”. Even native speakers make mistakes in sentences like these.
However, the rule we have already discussed applies here. If people themselves perform the action (that is, they are the subjects of the action), then you need to use the pronoun I. If the action is performed on them (they are the objects of the action), the correct form would be the pronoun me.
Nick and I watched Game of Thrones. (‘Nick and I watched’ – NickAnd I themselves
watched)
Peter showed Katniss and me his lunch.(‘
showed Katniss and me’ –
Katnissand they showed me - we were objects show.)
Helpful hint
To test which pronoun to use in a sentence with two people, try saying it without the other person's name. Eg:
The sentences 'I watched Game of Thrones' and 'Peter showed me his lunch' still made sense even after we removed the names Nick and Katniss. However, 'Me watched Game of Thrones' or 'Peter showed I his lunch' don't sound right.
It should be noted that the correct use of the pronouns I and me is very important when writing various texts and during formal conversations.
Exercises
Please enter the correct form I or me. You can check the correctness of your answers in.
1. Woody and __ decided to watch Toy Story.
2. Going into space is something that Ellen and __ wanted to do.
3. Fred invited Emma and __ to visit him in Oxford.
4. You and __ are going to be best friends.
Have you guessed everything? Do you know how to correctly use the words advice and advise? If you are not sure, read the rule and examples of its use.
How to correctly – ‘taller than’ me’ or ‘taller than I’?
If you need a quick answer, then both options are correct. However, not everyone will agree with this, and therein lies the problem. Today, the word than (than, rather than) is classified both as a conjunction (then after it the pronoun is placed in the nominative case - I), and as a preposition (this means that after it the pronoun is placed in the indirect case - me).
The safest option is to spread the sentence after than as widely as possible.
Than as a union
Than as a union can accept the following options:
John is taller than I am.
John is taller than I.
Than as an excuse
Than takes the following variant after itself as a preposition:
John is taller than me.
Grammarians have been arguing for several centuries about which part of speech this than belongs to. Here is the preliminary result of these disputes:
‘than I’ (than he than she than we than they)
or
than me” (than him than her than us than them)
For most 'than me’ sounds more natural, but this version, which is more often criticized, is always subject to criticism. All because 'than I‘ was more common for a long time and was therefore considered grammatically correct. However, today it sounds more “pathetic”, so there is something to think about using more weighty arguments.
How to avoid ambiguity in using Than Me
Unfortunately, the subject of our article does not imply use at will, with reference to the fact that grammarians themselves have not been able to agree on the correct use for several generations. There is one more point: sometimes the option “than me” implies ambiguity. Let's look at an example:
Anna likes Peter more than me.
This could mean:
Anna prefers Peter to me.
or
Anna loves Peter more than me.
The best way to deal with than in this case is to use it as a conjunction, and write the part of the sentence after it in full:
John likes Peter more than I do.
or
John likes Peter more than I like Peter.
Than Whom
There is one more “meanness”. Nobody will like a proposal like this:
You like him more than who
Anyone will agree that it should be like this:
You like him more than whom?
Therefore, when who is a pronoun in a question, than should always be taken as a preposition and correctly written or said “than” whom.”
The safest option is to spread the sentence after than as widely as possible. As a rule, this means at a minimum adding a verb (for example, than he is / than they have). This will remove any ambiguity and make the sentence more natural.