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“Me” first?

Q: Why did Pat say on the air last month that Origins of the Specious, your latest book, was written by “me and my husband”? I was always taught that one put oneself last.

A: There’s no grammatical rule that when you mention yourself along with another person, you mention yourself last. This may be an issue of politeness, but it’s not one of grammar.

Interestingly, this politeness issue may have led to what’s perhaps the most common grammatical mistake of all – using “I” in place of “me.”

Too many people would have ended the sentence you mentioned by saying “my husband and I” instead of the correct “my husband and me” or “me and my husband.” Both of the latter choices are equally correct.

In case you’re interested, we ran a blog item last year on the subject (and object) of “I” versus “me.” And if you’d like to learn more about Origins of the Specious, which is due in May, check out this page on our website.

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