I vs. ME

Okay.

I will be honest, I tend to be snobby about my tendency to use proper grammar. I am not perfect, by any means, but I tend to try to be careful what I say or do. That doesn't mean all the time, and it doesn't mean when I think I am right, that I really am. But there are some things that bother me intensely. Today I am going to discuss the difference between ME and I.

I am a substitute teacher, and tend to work in mostly LD classes, so I have a tendency to avoid using “indirect, direct, reflexive” terminology. If you are an English teacher, feel free to correct me on any of this, but my goal is just to get people to realize when to use which word.

Both are pronouns, and they both mean the same thing, but that does not mean that they can be used interchangeably. The problems arise when people are using the "____and I" versus "_____and me" phrase.

I is what I will choose to call an Active pronoun. You use it when “I” (the subject) is doing something.
ME is more passive, when something is done to ME, with ME. (versus when I am doing something with someone else)

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER
If you do not know when to use it, take out the "_____ and" part. You would never say "ME am going to the store" so why would you say "John and me are going to the store"? You would never say, "Give it to I" so why would you say "Give it to John and I"?


Which sounds better?
A.
John and me went to the store with Sarah.
John and I went to the store with Sarah.

Hopefully you would never say, “Me went to the store with Sarah.” So the answer is the second one, John and I went to the store with Sarah.

B.
She came with John and me.
She came with John and I.

If it were just you alone, without John, would you say “She came with me” or “She came with I”?
So again, the answer is the one that sounds better without the other person. She came with John and me.
(okay, I prefer “me and john” but I am not gonna get into that today)

So, do not assume, please, please, please, that “John and I” is appropriate in all situations. THINK before you speak or write.



According to www.M-W.com
ME: Function: pronoun, objective case

Me is used in many constructions where strict grammarians prescribe I. This usage is not so much ungrammatical as indicative of the shrinking range of the nominative form: me began to replace I sometime around the 16th century largely because of the pressure of word order. I is now chiefly used as the subject of an immediately following verb. Me occurs in every other position: absolutely (who, me?), emphatically (me too), and after prepositions, conjunctions, and verbs, including be (come with me) (you're as big as me) (it's me). Almost all usage books recognize the legitimacy of me in these positions, especially in speech; some recommend I in formal and especially written contexts after be and after as and than when the first term of the comparison is the subject of a verb.

News About Celtic Love Knot Story

I just got an email today that confirms that Michelle Hasker will definitely be the second author in our Torrid Teaser from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid. It is to be released in February, 2007. It really is the DEBUT VOLUME for the Celtic Love Knot series, which excites me to no end. Michelle is such an awesome author, too, that I couldn't hope to be with someone better. Got my editor assigned, now just have to wait for the edits. :)

Busy Month

My 13 year old niece got here Thursday to stay with us for the next three weeks. We do this every year, have for the last 4 years. I have to admit there are times when I wonder how full time parents do it :). This year's is a short visit for us, usually it is much longer. We have all kinds of things planned, and I am looking forward to it. I haven't been horseback riding since I was her age, that is first on the list, along with camping, swimming, water parks, and all kinds of things. Weeeeee. Wonder when I will find the time to write.....

Debut Volume

I got an email the other day from the Executive Editor at Whisky Creek Press. The story they had decided to accept for either a Torrid Teaser or their new line? Well, they decided they wanted it definitely for the new line, the "Celtic Love Knot" series. Not only are they going to use it, but it is going to be in their Debut Volume!!! And to top it all off, the other story in the volume just happens to belong to my writing/critique partner, Michelle Hasker. We are sooo excited!!! How often does an author get to debut a new line? Now I can't wait. :)

First Blog

Okay, so I was told that I really should have a real blog instead of my faked one at my site. So, this is going to be my first entry. I am cheating and going to paste what I had at my old one :)

June 8, 2006
I got an email last night offering me a contract for a short story I submitted to Whiskey Creek Press. They want it for either a Torrid Teaser or for their new 2007 line, Celtic Love Knot. I'm so excited!!!!!

June 1, 2006I submitted another story to Whiskey Creek Press Torrid for their Christmas Anthology this time, Christmas Candy. It is about a woman that gets more than she bargained for on her blind date. I am sure I won't hear back from them until August or September as the deadline isn't until the end of the month.

May 17, 2006
Only about two more weeks of school, so not very busy in my day time job. Having a hard time getting moving on the second book I have scheduled after Dream Warrior. They will both be part of a series, hopefully, about the warriors of the Foundation for Paranormal Research. This second book is about another member of Gabe's team and the woman he meets when he is in deadly peril.. I have submitted a short story to Whiskey Creek Press Torrid for their Fall Festival anthology. They weren't even supposed to start looking at submissions until this month, so I guess it will be a while before I hear anything.Ellora's Cave was also accepting submissions for their Ellora's Cavemen anthologies for 2007. Submitted one for them, but I don't have high hopes for it. Hoping to submit another one in the next few months