Two roads diverged in a wood and I .. I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.
-Robert Frost


Friday, 25 October 2013

‘My friends and I’ or ‘me and my friends’?


My friends and I’ or ‘me and my friends’? Both can be correct!! Let's take a look.


"Me and my friends"


Look at these two sentences:
  1. My father is taking me and my friends out to dinner.
  2. My father is taking my friends and I out to dinner.
In this case, the first sentence is correct. The test is to shorten the sentences:
  1. My father is taking me out to dinner. (Correct)
  2. My father is taking I out to dinner. (Incorrect)
The correct version is:
  1. My father is taking me and my friends out to dinner.


"My friends and I"


A similar test can be applied with the following two sentences:
  1. My friends and I are going out for dinner.
  2. Me and my friends are going out for dinner.
Just shorten the sentences:
  1. I am going out for dinner. (Correct)
  2. Me is going out for dinner. (Incorrect)
The correct version is:
  1. I am going out for dinner.


However, remember that when speaking or writing in a casual/informal style, it’s not a hanging offense to break these rules! English is a flexible language, so don't be afraid to make mistakes, as sometimes, the mistakes often go unnoticed. After all, the best way to learn is always to make mistakes. 

Courtesy of http://wordwatchtowers.wordpress.com/2010/02/07/my-friends-and-i-or-me-and-my-friends/

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