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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
Use of "I" or "me".
I'm a typist and often feel compelled to correct what I see as grammatical errors in other people's documents. I corrected one recently and feel a bit uneasy after doing so, so I just need confirmation that I've done the right thing.
This is what I was supposed to type:
"The day we were preparing the office the following staff were on site:
Me, Mark, Sian, Annie, and Heather."
I changed "Me, Mark, Sian, ..." to "I, Mark, Sian, Annie, and Heather." because these persons are the members of staff, and the apposition word "staff" is the subject of verb to be ("were") in the preceding related sentence. So, "I was on site, Mark was on site, Sian was on site, etc." is another way to think of it, which clearly confirms "I" not "Me" is the correct choice and I was right to change "Me" to "I". You wouldn't say "Me was on site."
Thing is, though, it sounds much more natural to say "Me" in this sort of construction when the person refers to himself at the head of a list. "I" sounds really awkward at the front of a list but much more natural when it's placed at the end, where, of course, it should be:
"The day we were preparing the office the following staff were on site:
Mark, Sian, Annie, Heather, and I." (were on site).
Changing the order of what I'm supposed to type would be a step too far for my clients, so I can't do that (though would like to).
Likewise people often respond to questions with "Me" when "I" would be correct.
E.g. If someone who lives alone in their house were asked the following question: "Who lives in your household?"
Answer1: "Me." or "Just me."
Answer2: "I."
Almost everyone would say "Me" (or "Just me"), but "I" is correct - it just sounds really awkward by itself, "I live alone in my house." would be better for Answer2, but that doesn't mean "I" by itself is wrong. People say "Me" because it sounds like a coda and saves them having to say any more words. With "I" you feel the need to elaborate.
This sort of "Who lives in your household" question was asked in the British census form I've just completed, and one of the answers had the single word "Me". Wrong, right?
Any comments appreciated.
Thanks
This is what I was supposed to type:
"The day we were preparing the office the following staff were on site:
Me, Mark, Sian, Annie, and Heather."
I changed "Me, Mark, Sian, ..." to "I, Mark, Sian, Annie, and Heather." because these persons are the members of staff, and the apposition word "staff" is the subject of verb to be ("were") in the preceding related sentence. So, "I was on site, Mark was on site, Sian was on site, etc." is another way to think of it, which clearly confirms "I" not "Me" is the correct choice and I was right to change "Me" to "I". You wouldn't say "Me was on site."
Thing is, though, it sounds much more natural to say "Me" in this sort of construction when the person refers to himself at the head of a list. "I" sounds really awkward at the front of a list but much more natural when it's placed at the end, where, of course, it should be:
"The day we were preparing the office the following staff were on site:
Mark, Sian, Annie, Heather, and I." (were on site).
Changing the order of what I'm supposed to type would be a step too far for my clients, so I can't do that (though would like to).
Likewise people often respond to questions with "Me" when "I" would be correct.
E.g. If someone who lives alone in their house were asked the following question: "Who lives in your household?"
Answer1: "Me." or "Just me."
Answer2: "I."
Almost everyone would say "Me" (or "Just me"), but "I" is correct - it just sounds really awkward by itself, "I live alone in my house." would be better for Answer2, but that doesn't mean "I" by itself is wrong. People say "Me" because it sounds like a coda and saves them having to say any more words. With "I" you feel the need to elaborate.
This sort of "Who lives in your household" question was asked in the British census form I've just completed, and one of the answers had the single word "Me". Wrong, right?
Any comments appreciated.
Thanks
Top answer
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11 Answers
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I applaud your insights and feel your pain. There's no solution that I'm aware of.
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Anonymous"The day we were preparing the office the following staff were on site:
Me, Mark, Sian, Annie, and Heather."
You could delete 'me' and replace it with 'myself' at the end. Some people would object, but I think it sounds better, and you might as well.
Anonymousand one of the answers had the single word "Me". Wrong, rig
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AnonymousAny comments appreciated.From a strictly grammatical point of view you are absolutely right. Idiomatic English just need not always be grammatical.
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AnonymousChanging the order of what I'm supposed to type would be a step too far for my clients, so I can't do that (though would like to).Surely, the placement of "I" in the "first position" would be a more egregious error than placing it at the end where it belongs.
As Philip suggests, better to be fired than to offend the Queen's English!
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Thanks to everyone.
I love English but it's hard to feel confident writing it - you think you know everything there is to know about a particular aspect of the language, then someone writes something that makes you think twice before correcting what looks at first sight like an obvious grammatical error. Happens all the time.
Peter
I love English but it's hard to feel confident writing it - you think you know everything there is to know about a particular aspect of the language, then someone writes something that makes you think twice before correcting what looks at first sight like an obvious grammatical error. Happens all the time.
Peter
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Are you a typist or a proofreader? I've never been in a position of having someone else to do my typing, but I think I would be annoyed if they changed anything without consulting me. How do you know the person didn't deliberately use "me" instead of "I" in order to sound more informal or less pretentious? (I'm not saying I think correct grammar is pretentious, but some people might.) I think
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It is rude to put 'I' at the the first place when you mention yourself among others.
'Me' (in your example-situations) used in the subject case is common and, slowly but surely, is going to be placed as a standard in the descriptive grammar the way the preposition is now accepted at the end of the sentence.
'Me' (in your example-situations) used in the subject case is common and, slowly but surely, is going to be placed as a standard in the descriptive grammar the way the preposition is now accepted at the end of the sentence.
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Anonymous"The day we were preparing the office the following staff were on site:One thing that hasn't been specifically mentioned is that this is a list.
Me, Mark, Sian, Annie, and Heather."
I'm not sure in what way the rules of grammar and etiquette apply.
It's not like saying, "Me and Mark were in the office."
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AvangiIt's a list all right, but the list is in a senteAnonymous"The day we were preparing the office the following staff were on site:One thing that hasn't been specifically mentioned is that this is a list.
Me, Mark, Sian, Annie, and Heather."
I'm not sure in what way the rules of grammar and etiquette apply.
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