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Pronoun Order

January 30, 2011
General Grammar

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by Mignon Fogarty

"Me first" is a bad attitude in life, and it's a bad approach in grammar, too. When you put yourself in a list with others, it's a rule of politeness to put yourself last:

Squiggly and I are shopping.
Please send the recipe to Squiggly, Aardvark, and me.

When you're combining nouns and pronouns, the rule is to put the pronouns first, unless that pronoun is "I" or "me." (Politeness trumps the other rule.) Although the sentences below illustrate the rule, they sound awkward. In most cases, you'd probably use plural pronouns such as "they" and "us."

She and Squiggly went shopping.
Please send the recipe to her and me.

Other Articles About Pronouns

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“Than I” Versus “Than Me”
Can “They” Be a Singular Pronoun
“Yo” as a Pronoun
“One” Versus “You”
“Who” Versus “That”
“Who” Versus “Whom,” Basics
“Who” Versus “Whom,” Advanced
Indefinite Pronouns
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sheetal
11/3/2011 3:08:54 AM

Please help me with my dilemma!

The sentence:
May the radiance of this blessed occasion grace YOUR FAMILY AND YOU with peace and warmth.

The question:
Is it 'You and your family' or 'Your family and You'?

HELP!!!

Rosi Parker
2/8/2011 7:17:43 PM

I try to make sure the "current" speech trend isn't taking over the world, but too many grownups use it to be "cool" or to blend w/kids. I always do it playfully, so it won't be taken as superiority. Oh, I want, so much, to save the language, but on TV and in social gatherings I hear young and old alike using "me and my..." and--my pet peeve--"...where we are AT." God save us!

Patty
2/8/2011 6:48:09 PM

I have a friend that says "I and Ted went fishing"; the other one that drives me crazy is when people use "I" when they should use "me" and in the wrong order- like "I and Nelson are responding to the fire".

mary
2/8/2011 6:10:56 PM

I have a friend or two who always say "Me and so and so".What is a nice way to correct them?

Jon
2/8/2011 5:43:10 PM

I know these are other topics that I am sure you've covered before, but I wish you had addressed (at least briefly) objective vs. subjective in relation to this topic. I am amazed at all the "Me and Squiggly went to the mall" sentences I hear now, and not just from kids. I'm also amazed at how otherwise well-spoken people insist on "Squiggly and I" (apparently out of a misguided attempt at politeness?) even when the usage is objective (i.e. "Give Squiggly and I a call later").

Micah
2/8/2011 3:36:35 PM

What about if the order is specific? For instance, if I were listing the chain of command in the work place and I was second in command, could I say, "Bob, I and Paula should be informed."?

Helen Gibson
2/8/2011 1:53:08 PM

Thank you for the tip on pronoun order. I have, at times, recast a sentence because I was not sure about the order of pronouns.

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Pronoun Order

"Me first" is a bad attitude in life, and it's a bad approach in grammar, too. When you put yourself in a list with others, it's a rule of politeness to put yourself last:

Squiggly and I are shopping.

Please send the recipe to Squiggly, Aardvark, and me.

When you're combining nouns and pronouns, the rule is to put the pronouns first, unless that pronoun is "I" or "me." (Politeness trumps the other rule.) Although the sentences below illustrate the rule, they sound awkward. In most cases, you'd probably use plural pronouns such as "they" and "us."

She and Squiggly went shopping.

Please send the recipe to her and me.

Other Articles About Pronouns

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