I often hear people use the pronoun “I” when they should be using “me.” Here’s a quick lesson on the difference between the two.

“I” is a subject pronoun, which means it should be used only when you, the speaker, are the subject of the sentence, i.e., that you are DOING something.

For example:

• Yesterday I decided to write this blog post
• Today I am writing this blog post
• Tomorrow I will read this blog post

“Me” is an object pronoun, which means it should be used only when you, the speaker, are the object of the sentence, i.e., that someone ELSE is doing something to you, with you, or for you.

For example:

• Yesterday Maria decided to write ME a letter
• Today Maria sees ME at the store
• Tomorrow Maria will meet with ME at the coffee shop

All too often I hear people say things such as:

• This blog post is for Maria and I (INCORRECT)
• He gave Maria and I a great tour of the city (INCORRECT)
• It’s time for you to have a chat with Maria and I (INCORRECT)

I think so many people make the above mistakes because they think we’re supposed to use “I” no matter what. However, I never hear anyone say things such as:

• This blog post is for I and Maria
• He gave I and Maria great tour of the city
• It’s time for you to have a chat with I and Maria

Nor do I ever hear the following:

• This blog post is for I
• He gave I great tour of the city
• It’s time for you to have a chat with I

The next time you’re confused about whether to use “I” or “me,” think of the above examples. Remove the extra person from the equation or switch the order of the people involved, and your ear will tell you which is correct every time.

-Maria

This blog post originally appeared on CreateSpace.com. Reprinted with permission. © 2015 CreateSpace, a DBA of On-Demand Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.