by Amy Keuper, VP Sales

Communicating well is foundational to success. In sales, you can quickly lose your credibility with the use of a grammatically incorrect word or phrase. Even so, using proper grammar isn’t typically a conscious pursuit. On one particular point, however, people are sipping with their pinky fingers raised, verbally speaking. They are striving for correctness but getting it wrong. 

Not one lesson in all of history seems to have stuck in the minds of American children more than the English teacher’s maxim—misunderstood and boiled down to this principle: that using “I” is proper in every sentence, no matter what. I am hearing “I” misused on a regular basis—on the news, in conversation, and on TV shows. The English teacher in me would like to set things straight. 

First of all, rest assured—you aren’t as wrong as you fear. Only my children and the veritable Country Bumpkin are in danger of regularly using “me” incorrectly as a subject: “Me and Billy are going fishing.”  One easy way to check what is correct is to say what you naturally would say if you were referring to yourself alone: “I am going fishing.” This is it folks—what your English teacher was preaching. Don’t say, “Me want ice cream.” 

The confusion comes when the subject is at the end of the sentence, usually in a comparison. You can test what is right by finishing the sentence and repeating the verb. 

Wrong: “Stacy has brown hair like me.”
Correct: “Stacy has brown hair like I have.” 

Wrong: “Their family celebrates different holidays than us.”
Correct: “Their family celebrates different holidays than we [celebrate].” 

Wrong: “I am taller than him.”
Correct: “I am taller than he [is tall].”

What your teacher wasn’t saying is that “I” is always right. As an object, “me” is correct. Even with another person’s name included, “me” is proper. 

Examples, all correct:

“If you have any questions about tonight’s program, see me afterward.”
“If you have any questions about tonight’s program, see Gary afterward.”
“If you have any questions about tonight’s program, see Gary or me afterward.” 

The rule is that when you are the subject of the sentence, “I” is the way to go. “He,” “She” and I are pronoun subjects—the being or doer unnamed. 

Example:

“I was born on September 1^st.”
“He was born on September 1^st.”
“He and I were both born on September 1^st.” 

When you are the object, “me” really is okay! “Him,” “her” and “me” are simply pronouns used as objects—something is done to, for, or with, etc. this person. 

Example:

“Mom hugged me.”
“Mom hugged Ashley.”
“Mom hugged Ashley and me.”
“Mom hugged her and me.” 

I hope this is helpful. If you have any comments about this blog entry, email I and me will respond.