I is not an object …

I is not an object … def. –pronoun 1. the nominative singular pronoun, used by a speaker in referring to himself or herself.

Me is not a subject … def. –pronoun 1. the objective case of I, used as a direct or indirect object.

In other words, you don’t speak to I, give things to I, or decide between I and another.

Nor would me speak to others, give them things, or make the decision between a and b.

I would speak to him. I would give things to her, and I would decide between x and y.

And, you would speak to me, she would give things to me, and he might decide between you and me.

The bigger question, and frequent misuse, seems to come when combining subjects and/or objects … mostly the latter. What do we mean?

Here goes …

Please call Mike and ___ . (I or me?)

Terry was speaking to him and ___ . (I or me)?

Pat gave the paper to you and ___ . (I or me?)

How can you decide between her and ___? (I or me?)

Hint: take out the other person, enter the correct form, then add the other person back in … like this:

Please call ___ . (I or me?) Therefore … Please call Mike and me.

Terry was speaking to ___ . (I or me?) Therefore … Terry was speaking to him and me.

Pat gave the paper to ___ . (I or me?) Therefore … Pat gave the paper to you and me.

Get it? Got it. Good.

As we were saying … “I is not an object …”

Learn more about reflexives at our post: Self-exploration …

References: grammarpolice.com, dictionary.com, Grammar Girl

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i before e, except, except, except …

We have been asked several times where we stand on this controversy … you know, the old rule: “i before e, except after c.”

Ever since the news came out that Britain would forego teaching this rule … (click here to read the news item) … we’ve been ducking the question.

At first, we thougt, “how could they?” … only because we have quite an affinity for grammar rules and helpful tips. Then, we got to thinking (always a dangerous proposition) … That led us to do some research. 

Our number one self-assigned task was to find the exceptions to this rule, that is, those words that, when spelled correctly, have an i before an e after a c. The results were astonishing …

Our search returned 364 words with a correct “… c-i-e …” sequence. Granted, the list includes multiple tenses of several words, plurals (using “…cies”), past tense (using “…cied”), and some words that we would swear are not real (or English, for that matter), however, here are a few notables:

• science, society, ancient, species, conscience, glacier, efficient, sufficient, coefficient, deficiency.

Next, we looked back for those words that actually fit the rule, in which, after c, the e comes before the i … and we found this to be even more astonishing–that there are so few. Our search led to only 134 entries, with such standouts as:

• ceiling, deceive, receive, perceive, conceit

The remainder of this list seemed to be filled out with variations on those few.

So, the position we held before Britain’s choice made the news, is now shattered, but we do like the new rule that we read about … “i before e, except when it isn’t.”

For more, take a gander through the great article about this on the always wonderful World Wide Words.

Therefore, instead of breaking from Britain and establishing our independence on this topic, we do hereby bow.

Happy Independence Day, America!

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Self-exploration …

A reader submits the GrammarGripe of the day: “myself” and “yourself”

So, we venture upon an exploration of self …

~SELF as in: myself, yourself, himself, yourself, itself, but never hisself.

Although we will only talk about the singulars today, know that the same rules apply for the plural versions:

~SELVES as in: ourselves, yourselves, themselves, but never theirselves.

When ~SELF or ~SELVES is added to a pronoun such as my, him, your, her, and it, the pronoun becomes reflexive (directed back on itself).

Think of a mirror; the reflection implying the subject’s action back on itself. Such as:

Someone else just sees her. However, in the mirror, she sees herself.

Same for him … others just see him, but he sees himself in the mirror.

What’s wrong with these examples?

1. “The horse has bolted, leaving myself steaming with frustration.”

Where’s the reflection? “I,” “me,” or “my” is never the subject of the sentence, so, the reflective “myself” as an object does not match. (The horse would not see “myself” in a mirror.) It should read, simply, “The horse bolted, leaving me steaming with frustration.” Recommendation: make sure the gate is locked.

2. “This serves as your exclusivity agreement between [co. name] and yourself that …”

This gets slightly confusing because “your” is part of the sentence. However, remember that it is the agreement (itself) that is the subject and “yourself” is used, incorrectly, as an object. Therefore the reflection is misaligned. (The agreement would not see “yourself” in a mirror.) This clause should read: “This serves as your exclusivity agreement between [co. name] and you that …” Recommendation: get a different lawyer to write your contract.

There are many usage notes on this topic. If you want more, check out a couple of other sources, including:

“myself” on Dictionary.com, and, our favorite:

Legal Lad’s explanations in Grammar Girl’s column from a couple of years ago.

You enjoy yourself!

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Oh, the insanity …

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Identity crisis?

Seems we have a theme for today … he/she, him/her, I/me

• In a movie synopsis: “…more educated and wealthier than him have failed.” Should be: he.  
• In a TV Commercial for Chef Michael’s Dog Food: “My name is Chef Michael and my dog Bailey and me love to hang out in the kitchen …” Should be: I.
• On a Facebook comment about cupcakes: “Bring Todd & I cupcakes!” Should be: me. This one was already tweeted, but it fits today’s theme and leads us to a new poll.
• In song lyrics: Loggins & Messina – Danny’s Song: “He will be like she and me …” We’re not even going to “should” on this one … We love the song, but this goof makes us crazy!

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