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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > You and me
You and me
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nite
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You and me
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Hi there!
I was wondering if someone could explain why do we say "you and me" instead of "you and I" in sentences where "you and me" are both the subjects of the sentence, i.e. "you and me are leaving soon" would be the same as "we are leaving soon", wouldn �t it? Then, why don �t we use "you and I"?
Thanx in advance!
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5 Apr 2010
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mena22
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Hi nite! According to Michael Swan, "object forms are sometimes used in co-ordinated subjects with and in informal speech; this is considered incorrect in more formal usage."
Hugs,
mena |
5 Apr 2010
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Vernica
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And also because after a conjunction we always use an object pronoum, according to Pullum but �We and she? or �We and her? The first one would be correct because it could create conffusion with the possesive. |
5 Apr 2010
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redcamarocruiser
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I don �t know any educated (native English speaking) adults who say "You and me are leaving soon."
Children make this mistake, but hopefully they outgrow it, if given the opportunity by being corrected by the adults in thehir lives.
It seems similar to the mistake "I goed outside, Mommy" that toddlers make when they have not yet learned the forms for irregular verbs.
Our teacher in junior high school gave us the mneumonic:
Don �t say, "Me an � Tom did something. It is like calling your friend �mean Tom �. You don �t want to call your friend �mean � do you?"
That worked for us. We thought it was funny because of course we didn �t want to say our friend was "mean."
Our wise teacher also told us to test the sentence tosee if it sounded correct to say "me" by leaving out Tom �s name. Does it sound correct to say "Me did something?" Of course the students could recognize that it sounds wrong.
My guess as to why children use "Me and Tom" in the subject of a sentence is because they are thinking of when "me " is used as an object.
An adult asks, "Who wants candy?" Some of the children raise their hands and say "me!" that is probably short for "Please give some to me." Because if the child is told to say the whole sentence before he can receive the candy, he correctly says "I would like some" or "I do" or Please give some to me.
When an adult asks, "Who did this?" "It was me" is short for "It was done by me."
I am not a linguist, so if these thoughts do not resonate with anyone else, please add your thoughts and corrections.
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5 Apr 2010
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nite
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Thanks for the answers.
I made up the sentence "you and me are leaving soon" but I �va heard "you and me" when they are subjects in many songs. I can distinguish "me" when performing object, but I had doubts about "me" performing subject.
Thanks Mena22 for suggesting Swan.
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5 Apr 2010
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libertybelle
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I agree with redcamero!
Also a reason could be that language is a living thing - is spoken by many people and changes with time.
You can �t read about street language, baby language and normal everyday changes in a grammar book.
You CAN hear them on the streets, in English speaking schools, among kids, in films and music.
I know that the Danish language is constantly changing, new words become part of the vocabulary, older words are pronounced differently than 20 years ago.
That �s life - things change.
And Camero is right - no native speaker I know would ever say
"You and me are leaving soon."
Another example of language changing?
When did American teens start ending every sentence with an upward in
fluctuation that makes every sentence sound like a question? Who
knows? It just happens.
L
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5 Apr 2010
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nite
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I �m not a native speaker that �s why I �m asking. I repeat I made up the sentence so it probably wasn �t an accurate example. I agree with you, I �m more interested in the living speaking language rather than the grammar, but I can �t help being curious and find out a, let �s say, grammatical explanation.
So, leaving out the grammar, would you say a sentence where "you and me" are subjects and if so, could you change it and say "you and I"?
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5 Apr 2010
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Redbull
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Yes you and I is good to say from England or any other English speaking country.
Use it.
It �s very good and high speaking or the Queen�s English.
YOU AND I NEED TO TALK WITH PETER NEXT DOOR ABOUT THE GARDEN..!
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5 Apr 2010
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yanogator
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Yes, redbull has a good sentence there.
You and I should be careful of our English.
Bruce |
5 Apr 2010
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mendiv
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If you are ever unsure try saying the sentence without the "you and" part. If it would be wrong to say "me" by itself, then it is wrong to say "you and me".
ex. You and I will be happy here.
I will be happy here. NOT Me will be happy here.
OR
This car is for you and me.
This car is for me. NOT This car is for I. |
5 Apr 2010
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redcamarocruiser
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Libertybelle said, "When did American teens start ending every sentence with an upward in
fluctuation that makes every sentence sound like a question? Who
knows? It just happens."
I agree, Libertybelle.
To me, the rising intonation has a meaning of including the conversation partner (listener). It feels to me like his rising intonation at the end of the sentence is the same as adding on , ",right?" , "got it?" , "do you follow/understand what I �m saying" , or ", "ok?" at the end of the sentence.
Example of a teen telling a narrative of an experience he has had.
"So, look. I was walking in the mall? Minding my own business? When suddenly this guard comes up to me and starts hasseling me about not wearing a shirt? I told him it �s none of his business if I wear a shirt or not? And then he said it is a mall policy for everyone to be required to wear shirts and kicked me out of the mall? Can you believe it?"
Equivalent to the following paragraph:
"So, look. I was walking in the mall, ok?
Minding my own business, right? When suddenly this guard comes up to me and
starts hasseling me about not wearing a shirt, ok? I told him it �s none of
his business if I wear a shirt or not, right? And then he said it is a mall
policy for everyone to be required to wear shirts and kicked me out of
the mall, ok? Can you believe it?"
In my experience, if memory serves, we have been talking like that since I was a teenager in the 1960s. I would be interested to learn if others also experienced this.
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5 Apr 2010
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