Grammar help, please!

[PapaRomantic]

I've just finished writing my entry for the Heroism event and have begun the editing process.

The rule in question has always been difficult for me, for some reason, so I'm asking for your help. The sentence in question says this - "One of the officers stood by the attacker, and the other stayed close to Sara and me."

Should it be "Sara and I" instead? I've seen it both ways in multiple stories here on Lit and I want to make sure I get it right.

Thanks!

 

[StillStunned]

Sara and me. Because if Sara wasn't there, it would just be me.

The accusative form, not the nominative, because the narrator isn't the subject of the sentence.

 

[PapaRomantic]

Sara and me. Because if Sara wasn't there, it would just be me.

The accusative form, not the nominative, because the narrator isn't the subject of the sentence.

Makes sense. Where were you when I was learning English in school?

 

[AllenWoody]

Sara and me. Because if Sara wasn't there, it would just be me.

The accusative form, not the nominative, because the narrator isn't the subject of the sentence.

J'Accuse!

 

[MillieDynamite]

I'd suggest, "One officer stood by the attacker, and the other stayed close to Sara and me." You're grammar is correct, but streamlining it might work better.

 

[NotWise]

Use "I" in the subject of a sentence or independent clause and "me" in an object.

You're talking about the independent clause "the other stayed close to Sara and me." The subject is "the other", and "Sara and me" is the object of the prepositional phrase "close to Sara and me."

 

[WittyUserName]

I've just finished writing my entry for the Heroism event and have begun the editing process.

The rule in question has always been difficult for me, for some reason, so I'm asking for your help. The sentence in question says this - "One of the officers stood by the attacker, and the other stayed close to Sara and me."

Should it be "Sara and I" instead? I've seen it both ways in multiple stories here on Lit and I want to make sure I get it right.

Thanks!

The trick I learned is to imagine the sentence without the other person. Since "the other stayed close to I" makes no sense, it should be "me."

 

[XerXesXu]

This comes up from time to time. English is not a language inflected for case: 'I' and 'me' are grammatically synonyms. This devolves into a matter of usage - who and when?

I'm a well-educated English person whose professional life has depended on the persuasive use of the spoken word. I would say ' ...Sara and I.' Early in life one learns that the words one uses project status, and relative status. No one in my professional sphere would pay attention to someone who said '...Sara and me.' No one would have paid me to speak for them.

This is dialogue, so, Who and When? Who is speaking? What's their status? When are they speaking? Are they addressing a high official or their gardener?

Contrast 'Bain't yourn.' and 'Bain't yourn?' The inflections for case matter not a jot. Inflect for status.

 

[Cagivagurl]

Me, maybe correct, grammatically. My grammar is terrible, so I will not argue.
However, in my circle of highly uneducated Antipodean friends. We would all use I, rather than me... It simply sounds correct... IMO...

Cagivagurl

 

[WCSGarland]

I've just finished writing my entry for the Heroism event and have begun the editing process.

The rule in question has always been difficult for me, for some reason, so I'm asking for your help. The sentence in question says this - "One of the officers stood by the attacker, and the other stayed close to Sara and me."

Should it be "Sara and I" instead? I've seen it both ways in multiple stories here on Lit and I want to make sure I get it right.

Thanks!

Be safe and use - One of the officers stood by the attacker, and the other stayed close to Sara and myself.

 

[AG31]

I've just finished writing my entry for the Heroism event and have begun the editing process.

The rule in question has always been difficult for me, for some reason, so I'm asking for your help. The sentence in question says this - "One of the officers stood by the attacker, and the other stayed close to Sara and me."

Should it be "Sara and I" instead? I've seen it both ways in multiple stories here on Lit and I want to make sure I get it right.

Thanks!

The rule that works everry time is to re-state this sentence with only one person. You wouldn't ever say "to I."

 

[Britva415]

No one in my professional sphere would pay attention to someone who said '...Sara and me.'

I wonder what profession that is, because this is valid for "Sara and me went to the store."

It's asinine, as a reaction to "something happened to Sara and me."

Extending "them and I" to all instances of "them and me" in spite of of grammatical function and position in the sentence is not correction, it's hypercorrection. Which is when the correction is not correct, but incorrect.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Between you and me, you and I need to have a serious discussion on the usage of 'you and me' versus 'you and I.'

In this case, I am correct when I say, "me is correct."

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

This comes up from time to time. English is not a language inflected for case: 'I' and 'me' are grammatically synonyms. This devolves into a matter of usage - who and when?

I'm a well-educated English person whose professional life has depended on the persuasive use of the spoken word. I would say ' ...Sara and I.' Early in life one learns that the words one uses project status, and relative status. No one in my professional sphere would pay attention to someone who said '...Sara and me.' No one would have paid me to speak for them.

This is dialogue, so, Who and When? Who is speaking? What's their status? When are they speaking? Are they addressing a high official or their gardener?

Contrast 'Bain't yourn.' and 'Bain't yourn?' The inflections for case matter not a jot. Inflect for status.

And me and all my college educated associates would cringe to hear you misuse I in this context.

 

[Britva415]

ME LIKE COOKIE
https://i.imgflip.com/9xuipc.jpg

 

[Rustyoznail]

English...

"Me and Alfie went down the pub." vs "Alfred and I visited the local ale house."

Who's speaking can play a bigger part than grammar.

 

[SimonDoom]

Me. It is used as an object of a preposition. "To me."

 

[XerXesXu]

The rule that works everry time is to re-state this sentence with only one person. You wouldn't ever say "to I."

I'd never, but I'm very familiar with the usage, 'Give it to I'. We're talking dialogue. Your character's speech should follow the usages that your character would use.

 

[XerXesXu]

I wonder what profession that is, because this is valid for "Sara and me went to the store."

It's asinine, as a reaction to "something happened to Sara and me."

Extending "them and I" to all instances of "them and me" in spite of of grammatical function and position in the sentence is not correction, it's hypercorrection. Which is when the correction is not correct, but incorrect.

I practised as an utter barrister of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple for 36 years.

Frankly, I don't follow the point you make.

Do you mean, 'they and I'?

You seem to grasp that usage will differ between the characters into whose mouth you're putting words.

 

[XerXesXu]

And me and all my college educated associates would cringe to hear you misuse I in this context.

Not every character has been force fed a style guide. Your writing will improve if your character's dialogue reflects the usage your character would use. If you avoid using things that sound cringy to your ear, you're missing a basic and important trick: all your characters will sound like the same person.

 

[Britva415]

Do you mean, 'they and I'?

Yeah! You know what, I suppose I do!

 

[Actingup]

I practised as an utter barrister of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple for 36 years.

This sounds like the kind of place where one would be liable for a spanking for not following the Temple grammar rules. I take your point that characters should use common language, but I would still default to characters speaking grammatically unless decided otherwise.

 

[Britva415]

I would still default to characters speaking grammatically unless decided otherwise.

Especially characters who are narrators.

 

[XerXesXu]

Me. It is used as an object of a preposition. "To me."

Well done. It's the dative case, but unlike Latin, English isn't an inflected language. It's usually described as the INDIRECT-object, as in 'You (subject) give (verb) it (direct-object) to (preposition) me (indirect-object).

See #18.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Not every character has been force fed a style guide. Your writing will improve if your character's dialogue reflects the usage your character would use. If you avoid using things that sound cringy to your ear, you're missing a basic and important trick: all your characters will sound like the same person.

Not necessarily. It’s actually pretty easy to build creative dialogue with correct grammar.