The Grammar Doctor

Q. We are having a debate in the office with these sentences....can you help?

1) However, several people chose to support you and I and our company. 2) He goes on to refer to you and I as "helpful.")

Is it "you and I" or is it "you and me"? and what is the explanation?

A.Both of these should be "you and me." They are objects of an infinitive (to support and to refer). Confusion about whether to use "I" or "me" occurs when it is combined with a noun or a pronoun such as "you" that does not change form for the nominative or objective case.

One way to clarify which word to use ("I" or "me") is to mentally take out the word that goes with it. The correct form then will always be clear:

Several people chose to support me and our company. (Without "you," it becomes clear that "me" is the right word here.)
He goes on to refer to me as "helpful."


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