I diagram particularly tricky sentences when writing or editing for clients in order to check subject/verb agreement, make sure verb tense is consistent, and check that adjectives, adverbs, and their associated phrases occur in the correct order. One of the most common challenges I have as an editor, is the correct use of pronouns. While we can usually identify most pronouns correctly, knowing when to use which kind can be tricky.  

For example, when to use “me” and when to use “I.”

So many of us in our youth were incorrectly corrected when we used the pronoun “me.” So much so, we quit using it all together and were left wondering why in the world the word existed in the first place. In fact, “me” is an important pronoun and a different part of speech that “I.” Thus, it has an entirely different place within a sentence. They are not interchangeable.

“I” is used as the subject of the sentence. For example, I went to the park. “I” is the subject of the sentence who is performing the action, in this case, “went.”

“Me,” on the other hand, is used as a direct or indirect object of a sentence, which is where most people’s eyes glaze over and they start thinking about different kinds of phrasing to avoid the word. This simply means, “me” is used when the speaker of the sentence is on the receiving end of the action.

Here’s an example: Jennifer and I came up with the idea.

The subjects or actors of the sentence are Jennifer and I.

But if the sentence were structured differently it could read like this: The idea belongs to Jennifer and me.

In this instance, the idea is the subject of the sentence, Jennifer and me are the objects, so it’s okay to use the word “me” and not “I” in this instance.

When in doubt, read your sentence out loud. We can tell a lot about correct grammar from how it sounds. And you can always check any grammar questions against your favorite style guide, like the Chicago Manual of Style, or use Google or Grammarly.