I and me are both pronouns. Generally, I is the subject and me is the object in a sentence.
- I = performing an action
- Me = having an action done to you
It seems pretty straightforward until other elements are introduced. For example, what do you do when two or more people are the subject or object in a sentence?
Here’s the trick to remember: When you have a sentence like this, mentally remove the other people from the list and see if the sentence still makes sense with the pronoun you have at the end.
- Katie, Jose, and I went to the meeting. → I went to the meeting.
- My boss invited Diana and me to lunch. → My boss invited me to lunch.
Many people overcorrect and will use Diana and I in sentences like that last example. Chances are you learned in grade school that saying “Me and Diana are going to lunch” is incorrect and the right way is “Diana and I are going to lunch.” Once you hear that over and over, it’s natural to develop an aversion to “me” as too informal and hypercorrect to I to sound proper.
But I and me have two different roles—one is a subject pronoun and one is an object pronoun. There’s no informality in using me in grammatically correct situations.
Why does this matter? Readers will understand what you mean either way, but it’s an unnecessary distraction for anyone who recognizes the difference, and it hurts our credibility a bit when our communications have these grammatical errors.
Remember to use the trick of isolating the I or me pronoun in the sentence, and you’ll get it right every time!
Write for humans, rank with machines
Note: For more information on this new monthly feature from Marketing Strategist Staci Stickovich, see the November Editor’s Note.
Search engines perform best when content directly answers real questions people are asking. Pages built around simple what, how, and why questions are easier for people—and AI—to understand than content framed around abstract concepts. When the question is clear, the answer is easier to find—and easier to summarize.
A frequent challenge in higher ed is readability. Even when the content is accurate and well researched, starting with overly technical language can lose readers early and make it harder for AI systems to quickly identify and surface key points. Leading with clear, plain language doesn’t reduce expertise; it helps more people reach it.
Here’s how to improve clarity:
- Search engines reward content that answers real questions.
- Use natural language to signal intent clearly in section headers and titles.
- Aim for an 8th–10th grade reading level so key points are easy to understand.
March goal: Start small by improving clarity on one high-priority page using the tactics above.
Pop quiz
This month’s pop quiz format is going to be a little different—instead of looking for a correct answer, I’m taking a poll. I’ll share the results in next month’s email.
There are no wrong answers this month! By participating, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a prize.
Do you know the difference between weary and wary?
January pop quiz winner
Congrats to the winner of the January pop quiz: Michelle Cuneo, associate editor, Notre Dame Magazine!
How many errors are in the following sentence?
She had to change her password so that she could log-on to the Institute’s live stream.
Answer: Three
There are three style errors in the example sentence. Let’s go through them.
Log on: This is what’s known as a phrasal verb. A phrasal verb is a verb that includes a preposition or adverb, and the words together create a distinct meaning. Think of break vs. break in—although these verbs have the same root word (break), they have completely different meanings. Phrasal verbs are never hyphenated.
Where this gets confusing is when a verb phrase is turned into a noun:
She could not log in to her account. vs. She forgot the login for her account.
When used as nouns, these words are styled differently. If you don’t know what format to use, consult the University Style Guide or Merriam-Webster.
Institute: Following the Chicago Manual of Style, and most other style guides, institute should be capitalized when used as part of a complete title but lowercased when used alone. On its own, the word is a descriptor and not a proper noun.
Livestream: Following University style, this word is styled as all one word, no hyphen.
Considering all of this, the stylistically correct sentence is: She had to change her password so that she could log on to the institute’s livestream.
What we’re reading
These are stories that we found to be interesting, fun, or thought-provoking. The views are not necessarily endorsed. Want to share a story you found? Feel free to send it to me.
An Ohio newspaper has a new star writer. It isn’t human.
The Washington Post (gift link)
The Washington Post (gift link)
Latest style guide updates
There are no updates this month. Have a suggestion for a new or updated entry? Please feel free to send it to me at bcollin8@nd.edu!
Have a grammar or style question?
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