If Subject and Object Pronouns Confuse You...Use This Simple Trick

Confused by subject and object pronouns?

 Although I live in a community where poor grammar is the norm rather than the exception, I can't recall ever hearing anyone over about the age of 2 saying something like "Me want a cookie" or "Give she a cookie."

 If you are raised speaking English, many people along the way will have corrected that error, and you'll grow up knowing that "Please come visit I" simply sounds wrong.

Referring to one person is easy, but...

 Unfortunately, when the words I, me, she, he, her, and him are combined with another person's name, the ability to hear that it sounds wrong goes out the window for many people.

 Around here you're very apt to hear something like "Me and my wife went to the lake for the week-end." Or, "Him and Jerry are rebuilding an engine in the garage." I have a friend who says things like "Her and her sister stopped by for coffee on Friday."

 Even my neighbor – a retired educator with a Master's Degree – gets this wrong. Last night he was talking about someone and said "I always enjoyed visiting with he and his wife." He also says things like "The kids came to visit Hazel and I."

 So how can you always get this right?

Simply remove the other person for a minute and see how it sounds.

You would not say "Me went to the lake," or "The kids came to visit I." You wouldn't say "Her stopped by for coffee on Friday."

After you have it right without the other person, put them back in.

 Of course, you need to remember to check the verb as well. You don't want to end up saying "He and Jerry is rebuilding an engine." If there are two people, you need the plural verb: are.

 Does all this really matter?

Yes - if you don't want to put big stop signs in the middle of your messages!