Correct Usage of the First Person “I” and “Me” Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns refer to a specific person (or people), place, or thing. Whether you use the personal pronoun “I” or “me” in a sentence depends on:

1. where these pronouns land in the sentence; and,
2. whether the speaker is on the receiving end of the action (i.e., is the object of the action) or is doing the action (i.e., is the subject of the action).

Use “me” when the speaker alone, or together with someone else, is on the receiving end of the action.

• “Will you come to the office with Todd and I?” INCORRECT.
• “Will you come to the office with Todd and me?” CORRECT.

Take Todd out of that sentence and you’ll clearly see why. You would never say, “Will you come to the office with I?” You would say, “Will you come to the office with me?”

Use “I” when the speaker is doing the action either alone or with someone else.

• “Me and Todd will go to the office with you.” INCORRECT.
• “Todd and I will go to the office with you.” CORRECT.

Again, take Todd out of that sentence and things will become clearer. You would never say, “Me will go to the office with you.” You would say, “I will go to the office with you.”

Personal Pronouns versus Reflexive Pronouns

The whole point of a reflexive pronoun is to highlight another noun or pronoun. It cannot be used in place of that noun or pronoun; rather, it can only be used along with it, to make it stand out more.

When it comes to the personal pronouns “me” and “I” versus the reflexive pronoun “myself,” sometimes even native English speakers confuse exactly when and how to use them. So, here are explanations to help you recall more easily.

Use the singular personal pronoun “me” when the speaker alone, or together with someone else, is on the receiving end of the action (i.e., is the object of the action).

• The manager gave a report to Patricia and myself. INCORRECT.
• The manager gave a report to Patricia and I. INCORRECT.
• The manager gave a report to Patricia and me. CORRECT.

Use the singular personal pronoun “I” when the speaker is doing the action either alone or with someone else (i.e., is the subject of the action).

• Patricia and myself received a report from the manager. INCORRECT.
• Patricia and me received a report from the manager. INCORRECT.
• Patricia and I received a report from the manager. CORRECT.

Use the singular reflexive pronoun “myself” to highlight the singular personal pronoun “I.”

• I will try to complete the report myself. CORRECT.
• I could not complete the report myself, so Patricia is helping me with it. CORRECT.