Are you wondering whether to use ‘I’ or ‘me’? It can be confusing because they both refer to yourself, but how do you know which is correct to use? Below, we’ll go over the difference between the words and teach you how to use each word correctly in a sentence.
In short:
- Use the pronoun ‘I’ when you’re the person doing the action, either alone or with someone else.
- Use ‘me’ when you’re receiving the action of the verb in some way, whether that’s directly or indirectly.
Both words are considered pronouns, but ‘I’ is a subject pronoun, and ‘me’ is an object pronoun.
Never use these pronouns interchangeably because your writing will not be grammatical or correct.
When to Use ‘Me’ and ‘I’
If English isn’t your first language, it can be pretty tricky trying to figure out which pronoun to use – ‘I’ or ‘me.’
Should you say:
‘I want to go to the store’ or ‘Me want to go to the store’?
In this case, it’s obvious that ‘I’ would be the correct word to use.
That’s because you’re the one doing the action – the wanting.
However, if you’re the one receiving the action, you’d use me.
For example, if someone did something nice for you, you might say:
‘Callie did something so nice for me today.’
You wouldn’t use ‘I’ in this case because you’re not the one performing the action. You’re receiving it.
I vs. Me
It can be tempting to use whichever you want when you don’t know the answer. But you cannot use them interchangeably, so it’s best that you know exactly how to use both words.
If someone is doing something to you or for you, use ‘me.’
For example:
‘My dad hugged me.’
If you’re the one doing something to someone else, you will use ‘I.’
For example:
‘I gave my sister five dollars to go to the store.’
Definition of ‘I’: What Does ‘I’ Mean?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ‘I’ as:
- The ninth letter of the English alphabet.
It also means:
- A graphic representation of this letter
- A speech counterpart of orthographic i
- One
- One designated I, especially as the ninth in order or class
- Something shaped like the letter I
- A unit vector parallel to the x-axis
- A grade rating a student’s work as incomplete
- One graded or rated with an i
- I formation
- The one who is speaking or writing
- Imaginary unit
Definition of ‘Me’: What Does ‘Me’ Mean?
The same dictionary defines ‘me’ as:
- The objective case of ‘I.’
Top Tip! ME can also be an abbreviation for the state of Maine in the United States.
Pronunciation: How to Pronounce ‘I’ and ‘Me’
Are you wondering how to pronounce these words? Here’s a short guide.
To pronounce ‘I’ correctly, here’s the phonetic spelling:
IE or EYE
To pronounce ‘me’ correctly, here’s the phonetic spelling:
mEE
How to Use ‘I’ in a Sentence
Now that we know what both words mean and the difference between them when it comes to usage, let’s look at examples of how to use them in sentences.
I
- I don’t want any more cookies. I had way too many last night. Take them away from me before I gain 20 pounds, please!
- I have bitten off more than I can chew, and I need a little bit of help now. Would you be willing to help me?
- I have that dress in every color – red, pink, purple, and white! You look so good in it, Ellie. Maybe we can dress like twins one of these days!
- I always say that I’m a work in progress because I’m continually working on improving myself. I realized that I really needed to change some things about myself.
- I always had a taste for caramel. I like to use it on top of my ice cream sundaes, along with bananas, strawberry syrup, chocolate syrup, nuts, sprinkles, and a cherry on top.
- I can’t wait to go on vacation with my family this summer. We’re going to Martha’s Vineyard, and we’re also taking an end-of-summer trip to Canada. It’s going to be so much more fun than last year’s summer break.
How to Use 'Me' in a Sentence
Now let's see how to use 'me' in a sentence.
Me
- My dad gave me $20 a week as an allowance when I was a kid. Back then, that kind of money wasn’t bad. But today? $20 is like $2.
- I wonder if anyone can see me behind this dumpster. I just need to change really quick, so I hope no one sees me. I also hope there are no cameras out here anywhere.
- My boss called me in the office this afternoon. I thought I was getting fired, but it turns out I got a promotion! I can’t wait to spend some of my new promotion money.
- My mom says she doesn’t know what got into me. I’ve never behaved so badly before, but I can’t tell her what really happened. She’d never forgive me.
- A biker accidentally sniped me as he rode by. I was tempted to turn around and yell an obscenity, but I decided just to let it go. That wouldn’t have helped the situation anyway.
- My best friend bought me my favorite fiction book series collection. I’m so lucky to have a friend like her because that thing had to cost more than she could afford. I love her!
Concluding Advice on ‘I’ and ‘Me’
To recap, we learned the following:
- Use the pronoun ‘I’ when you’re the person doing the action, either alone or with someone else.
- Use ‘me’ when you’re receiving the action of the verb in some way, whether that’s directly or indirectly.
Remember, these words are considered pronouns, but ‘I’ is a subject pronoun, and ‘me’ is an object pronoun. Avoid using these pronouns interchangeably because your writing will not be grammatical or correct.
If you ever get stuck on anything, you can always come back to review what you learned. We’ve got a whole library of content on confusing words you might want to check out. Come back anytime.
