I and Me

If you're wondering whether to say "Bob and I" or "Bob and me," here's the trick: Take "Bob and" out of the sentence, correct the number implied by other words, if necessary, and judge whether the sentence sounds right.


Example 1: "Bob and I just want the best for you."

Drop Bob: "I just want the best for you."

The rewritten sentence sounds right, so "Bob and I" is correct in this example. The sentence should be, "Bob and I just want the best for you."


Example 2: "That award belongs to Bob and I."

Drop Bob: "That award belongs to I."

That doesn't sound right. So this example should be "That award belongs to Bob and me."

And you can test that again by changing "I" to "me" and leaving out Bob. "That award belongs to me." (But don't say that to Bob!)


Example 3: "We want to create the same experience you would have if you had called both Bob and I into your office for a meeting."

Drop Bob: "I want to create the same experience you would have if you had called I into your office  for a meeting."

That doesn't sound right. Let's try "me."  "I want to create the same experience you would have if you called me to your office  for a meeting." Better.

So, the better sentence is: "We want to create the same experience you would have if you had called both Bob and me into your office for a meeting."


That's it. Those of us who speak English as a native tongue, already know the unspoken rules of grammar; we just get confused when we try to follow the artificial rules we were taught in schools or by well-meaning friends.