Which is right? "Someone else and me", or "Someone else and I"?

Well, there seems to be quite a bit of confusion about this point. The fact is both are right ... depending on what you want to say.

We are dealing with a shortened form here, so the easiest way to work it out is the long way. Say the whole thing and see how it sounds. "Jane and him are going to the concert" is short for "Jane is going to the concert and him is going to the concert". Does the long way sound right? Hardly! "Jane is going to the concert and he is going to the concert" sounds much more natural, and is right. Therefore, "Jane and I are going to the concert" is correct.  Similarly, "Tom and I both like reading" is correct because "I like reading" is right and "Me like reading" isn't.

Now, how about, "Our father saw my brother and me in the park"? Try it the long way. "My father saw my brother and my father saw me in the park" sounds right and is right. "... my father saw me..." is right. "... my father saw I ..." is not. Also, "The police sent a fine notice to them" is correct.  "The police sent a fine notice to they" sounds wrong and is wrong.

If you want more help with this point look in Arkana or post a question in a comment.

Arcana "Kate and I ..." or "... Kate and me"

In Arcana posts the following points apply.

• words in inverted commas ("... ") are to be taken as individual words in quotation. In the following sentence "Kate" indicates the word –– it could be any word –– which shows the doer of the action.

           If "Kate" is the  doer of the action ... "

•  words separated by slashes (...../.....) can be interchanged. Any one of them should work.

"Kate and I ..." or "... Kate and me"

This problem arises because personal pronouns (I, you he, us, them etc) still have special forms which distinguish nominative case (indicating the doer of an action) from accusative case (the person or thing to whom or to which an action is done). "You" and "it" are exceptions. These forms are as follows.

Nominative Case   I       you     he       she     it     we     they                
Accusative Case    me   you     him     her     it     us      them        

Now, "and" joins words of the same kind. If "Kate" is the doer of an action then any word joined directly to "Kate" by "and" must also be the doer of the same action. If "Kate" is the doer of the action (nominative vase), and  the word joined to "Kate" by "and" is a pronoun,  then the pronoun also must be nominative case.

          Kate and I are going to Canada next year.
          Kate and you/he/she/it (The dog?)/we/they are going to Canada next year.

Similarly, if "Kate" is the person to whom the action is done (accusative case), then any pronoun joined to "Kate" must also be accusative case.

          Bob found Kate and me in the library.
          Bob found Kate and you/him/her/it (Use your imagination!)/us/them in the library.

If two pronouns are being used as the doers of an action they also must be of the same kind.

          You and I/he/she/it/we/they are going to Canada next year.
          Bob found her and me/you/him/it/us/them in the library.
          Bob found me/you/him/it/us/them and her in the library.

Too arcane? Post a comment and a question or email me.