As a non-native English speaker, I always enjoy grammar threads including the recent one “weary of cost.” Since I do not talk to many people, I thought I would ask you a question.
In some of the TV shows I watch (such as Judge Judy or reality shows in History, Discovery, and NatGeo channels), most people say, for example, “Me and my sister went shopping” instead of “My sister and I went shopping.” I know that many people in those shows are not highly educated. So my question is whether saying “Me and …” is considered acceptable among educated people these days.
When my child says “Me ‘n’ my friend,” I usually retort “What’s ‘mean’ about him/her?” It happens very infrequently, and of course the child does not like it very much, but it is a reminder.
I hate it when I hear people say, “Me and (someone) are going…”
Not only is it incorrect, but you’re never supposed to list yourself first.
It’s not only under-educated people on “Judge Judy” that talk that way, but educated people. I do love it when she corrects people on their grammar. She was very disappointed to learn that “conversate” has somehow become a “real word.” (Not in my world! lol)
I do love that JJ corrects people who use the word “loan” instead of “borrow.”
Ugh…my oldest son does that and it drives me crazy. I keep reminding him.
OP…I read one way to know which is the proper way is to take out the other person, and does it make sense.
Example: Me and Brian ard going to the mall. Now, take out the other Person. “Me is going to the mall”? No, you would not say that. So, you know it is “Brian’s and I am going to the mall”.
Example: I want that for me and Brian. Yes, that is correct. “I want that for me”. You would not say “I want that for I”.
So…take out the other person, and you will see if it sounds correct.
Of course it’s incorrect, but it doesn’t drive me crazy. When I am with my friends and family, my grammar is lacking. When I am in a professional setting I will employ proper grammar. As long as you know what is proper, I have no issue with " me and xxxx"
Of course, I know it is grammatically incorrect (even though I am not a native English speaker). What I am asking is if such an expression is considered acceptable these days because so many people use it. As you know, there are other expressions commonly used even by educated people that are grammatically incorrect.
No, it’s not considered acceptable. The people who are in those courtrooms are the dregs of the earth to begin with. Very little they do is “acceptable.”
It is not considered acceptable by those who speak English correctly. There will always be people who do not know or care how to speak English correctly … but the fact that they may consider “me and …” to be correct does not make it so!
Definitely not acceptable. The other one I hear a lot is ‘I seen him go into the store’. I don’t understand what is so difficult about saying ‘I saw’ instead of ‘I seen’.
The “me and him” used as a subject of a sentence is a mark of ignorance. But, it’s becoming common as secondary schools dumb down the curriculum and insist that correcting incorrect usage is somehow oppressive or elitist. (I’m from a blue collar family where only one parent finished high school, and I knew how to speak correctly back then.)
The one that gets me currently (although it’s subtle and common) is the persistent use of “try and” instead of “try to” or “attempt to”. I hear it all the time on television from educated speakers, and I see it, it seems, several times a month in journalistic writing.
For non-native English speakers, and those who graduated from high school less than 40 years ago, I recommend purchase of “the Elements of Style” by Strunk and White. It’s very brief and will keep you from embarrassing yourself.
(Edited to properly punctuate the contraction “it’s”. )
It’s also not acceptable when people try to sound knowledgable and use “myself” instead of “me.” As in “Cindy and myself went to lunch.” I’ve noticed that one popping up all the time lately.
and…
Too many people don’t realize that you’re supposed to use “were” instead of “was” in sentences like: “If I were going to buy a new car, I would buy…”
