Speaking English: You and I (or is it You and Me?!?)

0:00 Me and David just checked into the hotel.

0:03 David and I just checked into the hotel.

0:05 David and me or David and I?

0:08 Which one is right?

0:10 There's a really common mistake in spoken English, but it's an easy fix.

0:14 Don't worry.

0:16 In this video, I've come to New York City with my husband,

0:19 and we're going to go over so many examples of when it

0:22 should be David and I and when it should be me and David.

0:26 Also, notice each time I say this, there's the word and.

0:31 And notice it's never pronounced and.

0:34 It's always pronounced and.

0:37 David and I.

0:38 So, today we're also going to really study as a bonus the reduction of the word

0:43 and so that you have smooth and connected speech and a natural American accent.

0:50 I'm Rachel.

0:51 I have a background in opera singing, and I've been teaching the American accent

0:55 to non-native speakers for over 20 years.

0:58 Scan this QR code or go to rachelsenglish.com/free to get my free course,

1:04 the top three ways to master the American accent.

1:08 It will blow your mind.

1:09 It will give you totally new ideas on how to get the sound you've always wanted.

1:15 First, let's go over the basics of David and me or David and I.

1:21 The name David never changes,

1:23 but the pronoun me or I does change depending on the grammar.

1:28 If it's the subject, the person doing the action, then it's I.

1:33 I checked into the hotel.

1:35 You'll never hear me checked into the hotel.

1:39 People only really mess up pronouns like this when

1:42 we're using and and a name like David.

1:46 So, you'll probably never hear a native speaker say,

1:50 "Me checked into a hotel." But you will definitely hear,

1:54 "Me and David checked into a hotel." But it's not correct.

1:59 Who's doing the action here?

2:01 Is it a hotel?

2:02 No, it's Rachel and David.

2:05 We are the subjects, so it has to be I.

2:08 I checked into the hotel.

2:10 David and I checked into the hotel.

2:13 My friend and I checked into the hotel.

2:15 So, remember, subject of the sentence, use I.

2:21 Our other pronouns are as follows.

2:24 You is the subject and the object.

2:28 You gave me a dollar.

2:30 I gave you a dollar.

2:32 He is the subject and him is the object.

2:35 He gave me a dollar.

2:37 I gave him a dollar.

2:39 She is the subject and her is the object.

2:42 She gave me a dollar.

2:44 I gave her a dollar.

2:45 For it, it's both the subject and the object.

2:50 It gave me a stomach ache.

2:52 I gave it a second coat of paint.

2:54 We is the subject and us is the object.

2:58 They is the subject and them is the object.

3:02 We gave them a dollar.

3:05 They gave us a dollar.

3:07 Okay, now what about in this sentence?

3:10 Which is right?

3:12 The hotel gave me and David an upgrade.

3:16 The hotel gave David and I an upgrade.

3:20 David and I or David and me?

3:23 Who's doing the action here?

3:26 It's the hotel.

3:28 They're giving the upgrade.

3:29 So, David and I are receiving the action.

3:32 We're getting it, so we're now the object.

3:36 The hotel gave me an upgrade.

3:39 The hotel gave me and David an upgrade.

3:42 We would never say, "The hotel gave David

3:45 and I an upgrade." This is grammatically incorrect.

3:49 It has to be me and David because I'm the object here.

3:54 The hotel gave me and David an upgrade.

3:57 The hotel gave her an upgrade.

4:00 The hotel gave him an upgrade.

4:03 The hotel gave us an upgrade.

4:06 The hotel gave them an upgrade.

4:09 Okay, with what you've learned so far, pick the correct one for this sentence.

4:16 are running late.

4:18 Me and David or David and I?

4:21 Let's take out David.

4:23 Can we say, "Me is running late." or "Me are running late."?

4:28 No, that's not correct.

4:30 I am running late.

4:34 So, it has to be David and I are running late.

4:38 Not "Me and David are running late." My friend's name is Audrey,

4:43 and she and I met when we sang together in the Bronx Opera Company years ago.

4:49 Let's look at that sentence.

4:51 My friend's name is Audrey,

4:52 and she and I met when we sang together in the Bronx Opera Company.

4:56 She and I or me and her?

4:59 Or her and I?

5:01 Okay, first of all, her and I is never an option.

5:05 These two should never go together because when it's the subject, it's I or she.

5:11 When we're talking about the object, it's me or her.

5:14 So, I can never do her and I together.

5:20 She and I met when we sang together in the Bronx Opera Company.

5:24 We are the subject of this sentence.

5:26 She and I is correct.

5:28 My friend's name is Audrey,

5:30 and she and I met when we sang together in the Bronx Opera Company years ago.

5:36 Bronx Opera hired she and I at the same time.

5:39 Bronx Opera hired her and I at the same time.

5:43 She and I?

5:44 Her and I?

5:45 Are either of these correct?

5:49 Do you remember what I just said?

5:51 Her and I can never go together, so that expression was incorrect.

5:56 What about the first expression?

5:58 Who's the subject?

6:00 Bronx Opera hired she and I at the same time.

6:03 It's Bronx Opera.

6:05 Who's the object?

6:07 I am.

6:08 Audrey is.

6:09 The hiring was done to us.

6:12 So, it needs to be her and me.

6:16 Bronx Opera hired her.

6:18 Bronx Opera hired me.

6:21 Bronx Opera hired her and me at the same time.

6:25 And right now, David and I are on our way to meet my friend Lynn.

6:30 Lynn also sang with us in the Bronx Opera.

6:34 David and I are on our way or me and David are on our way?

6:39 Which is right?

6:40 Who's doing the action?

6:42 It's David.

6:43 It's me.

6:44 We are the subjects.

6:46 So, the correct answer is David and I.

6:49 David is on his way.

6:51 I'm on my way.

6:53 David and I are on our way.

6:55 Never me is on my way.

7:00 Me and David think the light reflecting off these buildings is gorgeous.

7:05 Who's doing the thinking?

7:07 The subject.

7:09 I think the light reflecting off this building is gorgeous.

7:13 David thinks the light reflecting off this building is gorgeous.

7:18 David and I think the light reflecting off this building is gorgeous.

7:22 We are the subjects.

7:25 Me and David think the light reflecting off these buildings is gorgeous.

7:30 Wait, me and David?

7:32 David and I.

7:35 Before the show, David and I met up with my friend Lynn for dinner.

7:40 My friend Lynn and I just had dinner.

7:42 Delicious.

7:43 And Lynn and I both sang with Audrey in Bronx Opera.

7:48 So, we're so excited.

7:50 So long ago.

7:51 Honestly, I'll share some photos.

7:53 [laughter] Um but we're so excited to go see her.

7:56 Yeah, we are.

7:58 Now, I'm talking about myself and Lynn.

8:01 Again, we're the subjects, so I use I.

8:05 Lynn and I.

8:06 And yes, I do have some photos.

8:08 This is me.

8:10 This is Lynn, and this is Audrey.

8:13 Notice I didn't say, "This is I." In the phrase this is me, me is the object.

8:20 Sometimes under a photo, you'll see something like me on a hike.

8:25 It's grammatically correct.

8:27 It's short for this is a picture of me on a hike.

8:31 And I want to be clear, these kinds of mistakes happen all the time.

8:36 Even I, someone who's passionate about English and about grammar,

8:40 make mistakes like this from time to time.

8:43 For example, I noticed I made a mistake in this text to my aunt.

8:47 David and I are the objects.

8:49 The photo is of us.

8:52 So, I should have said,

8:53 "Here's a picture of me and David a couple weekends ago." I would never say,

8:58 "Here's a picture of I." But when putting it with and in a name,

9:02 mistakes can creep in.

9:04 My friend Lynn and I just had dinner.

9:07 Delicious.

9:07 And Lynn and I both sang with Audrey in Bronx Opera.

9:12 Lynn and I first met in It was in Florida, right?

9:16 Yeah, in Florida.

9:17 You and Gabby Yes.

9:20 Gabby.

9:21 You were living right next door to me and Holly.

9:26 Me and Holly.

9:27 Is this correct?

9:29 Lynn and Gabby are the subjects.

9:31 Holly and I are the objects.

9:33 We were the ones they were living by.

9:36 So, yes, Holly and me is correct.

9:39 You and Gabby were living next to Holly and I.

9:41 This is incorrect.

9:43 You and Gabby were living next to me and Holly.

9:46 And you and Gabby Yes.

9:50 Gabby.

9:51 You were living right next door to me and Holly.

9:56 David and I brought the train in today

9:59 and the hotel gave me and David an upgrade.

10:03 Really?

10:04 No, they all didn't but I just I was trying

10:06 to use me and David as an object instead of a subject.

10:09 Okay, so I was lying earlier when I said we got an upgrade.

10:13 We didn't but it was a good way to make us the subject of the sentence.

10:18 The hotel gave me and David an upgrade.

10:21 You have a nice view.

10:23 We do have a nice view but that's cuz I paid for it.

10:25 I thought yeah, I know.

10:26 That's New York for you.

10:28 That's New York for you.

10:29 Yeah, no, it's nice though.

10:30 The thing about you Yeah.

10:32 is you can use you as a subject or an object.

10:35 I can say you met me in Florida and then I can say I met you in Florida.

10:41 But so you was the same in both of those but I had to switch between I and me.

10:46 I met you, you met me.

10:47 You met me.

10:48 Yes, we met each other.

10:50 We met each other.

10:51 Yeah.

10:52 And we're still friends.

10:53 And we're still friends all these years later.

10:56 I wonder if I actually have photos from that year, that summer.

11:00 I probably do.

11:02 I checked.

11:03 I don't have any [clears throat] photos from that summer.

11:06 Okay, here's a bonus, the pronunciation of grocery.

11:10 Well, there's a grocery store we could probably Yeah.

11:13 Oh yeah, let's go and do let's just go in the grocery store.

11:16 You know what?

11:16 Some people ask me about the word grocery.

11:19 How to say it?

11:21 Yeah.

11:20 I say grocery, what do you say?

11:22 I I say grocery.

11:23 You do?

11:24 Grocery.

11:25 It's so soft.

11:26 I can't fit, Rachel.

11:29 [laughter] I heard you.

11:31 Okay, hold on.

11:32 There we go.

11:33 Okay.

11:34 You say wait, you say what?

11:36 Grosh or gross?

11:38 Gross.

11:38 Grocery.

11:39 And I say grosh.

11:40 I think so, groceries.

11:42 Grocery No, I do not say that.

11:43 I say grocery.

11:45 Grocery.

11:45 I mean I think I could also say that but most of the time I think I say grosh.

11:49 Huh.

11:50 All right, let's find some nice flowers here.

11:52 I love to our best.

11:54 We'll find flowers for her, not for she, for her.

11:58 We'll find flowers for her.

12:01 For you.

12:02 For him.

12:04 For me.

12:05 All objects.

12:07 I think she would like that.

12:08 That's pretty.

12:08 All right, let's do do it.

12:09 Let's go.

12:10 We said let's do it at the exact same time.

12:13 All right, where's checkout?

12:14 Very good, Jen.

12:16 Here, here.

12:16 Checkout.

12:19 Okay, perfect.

12:20 Good.

12:21 I feel good about showing up with this.

12:23 The pray through the mana, does it?

12:25 I think Yeah, I think it is.

12:27 Here.

12:27 We're meeting her in the lobby after, did I tell you?

12:29 Your receipt.

12:30 Oh, thank you.

12:31 Okay, good.

12:32 She is meeting you and me.

12:34 Not you and I.

12:36 Well, I just grabbed that.

12:37 Touch out.

12:38 Don't forget your receipt, Rachel.

12:39 That's your receipt.

12:40 Oh, that's mine.

12:40 You're right.

12:42 Lynn and I are meeting her.

12:44 Her is the object.

12:47 She, now the subject, is meeting me and Lynn.

12:51 Lynn and I are meeting her.

12:54 She's meeting me and Lynn.

12:57 Thank you.

12:59 Thank you.

12:59 Oh, she'll love that.

13:01 She will.

13:01 Not her.

13:02 She.

13:03 She'll love it when we give them to her and we will enjoy giving them to her.

13:08 We will feel so good.

13:10 It will make me and you feel wonderful when you and I give her the flowers.

13:21 [laughter] It will make me and you feel wonderful.

13:23 We are the objects, the ones who receive the feeling of wonderful.

13:28 When you and I give her the flowers,

13:30 now for this part of the sentence we're switching to the subject.

13:34 So me changes to I.

13:38 We're the subjects, the ones doing the action of giving.

13:42 When you and I give her flowers, it will make me and you feel wonderful.

13:48 Okay, quiz time.

13:50 Take one more look at the graphic.

13:52 Pronouns for subjects and pronouns for objects.

13:56 There are seven questions here.

13:58 Can you get a perfect score?

14:03 She thought that David and I went to the store.

14:07 She thought that me and David went to the store.

14:11 The structure of this sentence is a little bit

14:13 confusing because David and I are not at the beginning.

14:17 And we usually think that the subject is at the beginning.

14:21 But actually, this sentence has two different subjects.

14:24 She and then the word that resets.

14:30 So David and I are also subjects.

14:32 She thought that David and I went to the store.

14:38 David and I are the subjects of this part of the sentence.

14:52 So that's why the correct answer is she

14:54 thought that David and I went to the store.

15:01 Her and I used to work together.

15:04 She and I used to work together.

15:18 Me and Jenny left at 3:00.

15:21 Jenny and I left at 3:00.

15:36 My brother and I got into a big fight.

15:40 Me and my brother got into a big fight.

15:55 Mom and I are leaving.

15:58 Me and Mom are leaving.

16:13 They left David and I with the bill.

16:16 They left me and David with the bill.

16:31 They left when me and David got there.

16:34 They left when David and I got there.

16:37 This is sort of confusing just like the first sentence.

16:41 David and I are not at the beginning of the sentence

16:44 but we're the subjects of this part of the sentence.

16:48 The word when resets it.

16:51 So they is a subject but David and I are also a subject.

16:55 They left when David and I got there.

16:59 David and I are the subject of this part of the sentence.

17:12 Hey, what score did you get?

17:14 Put it in the comments below.

17:16 Don't [snorts] forget to check out

17:18 rachelsenglish.com/free to get my free course,

17:22 the top three ways to master the American accent.

17:25 Keep your learning going now with this video

17:28 and don't forget to subscribe with notifications on.

17:31 I love being your English teacher.

17:33 That's it and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.