‘You and Me’ Versus ‘You and I’ Explained

Learning English grammar can be a very daunting task, even for the well-educated native English speaker. The language is filled with complicated rules, numerous exceptions, and even more exceptions to those exceptions! It’s surprising that we can even understand each other when we write or speak. One of the common debates involves the correct use of “you and me” versus “you and I.” Both forms are correct, depending on the context in which they are used.

You and Me

You should use the phrase “you and me” when you are referring to the object of a sentence.

Example 1:

“She told me that she would like to go the dance with you and me.”

In this case, the subject is “she” so you would use “you and me.”

Example 2:

“The children asked if they could accompany her and me to the amusement park.”

In spoken English, many people use this term, even when they are referring to the subject of the sentence. Although this is commonly accepted, it is not grammatically correct.

You and I

The term “you and I” should be used when you are referring to the subject of a sentence.

Example 1:

“You and I should take a trip to Australia next year.”

In this case, “you” and “I” are the subjects of the sentence so this version is correct.

Example 2:

“Have you met John? He and I will complete our college courses in two more months.”

Object Pronouns

A similar rule exists when it comes to using object pronouns after words such as but, as, or like. If the clause is followed by a subject and a verb, you need to use subject pronouns.

Example:

“He isn’t as smart as me, so he should take some more classes.”

“He isn’t as smart as I am, so he should take some more classes.”