Pronouns and Verbs with Compound Subjects
Summary
Use subject pronouns like I, he, she, and they (instead of me, him, her, them) as the subject in a sentence, even when they are part of a compound subject.
- He and I are here.
- You or she should go check what’s happening.
- He and she make a great team.
- Neither they nor their books are here.
When you use or or nor to form a compound subject, the verb that follows should agree with the part closest to it.
- Either he or I am right.
- Neither they nor she is wrong.
- Neither she nor they are wrong.
In informal speech, many speakers use me in place of I.
- Informal: You and me can handle this together.
- Informal: Who should go: you or me? Informal: Me and my friends went out for dinner.
Pronouns in compound subjects
A compound subject is made up of two or more subjects joined by a word like and. These then together share the same verb in the sentence. (The subject is whom or what the sentence is about.)
- Maya and Tumkin are going to Seoul.
Maya is going to Seoul + Tumkin is going to Seoul = Maya and Tumkin are going to Seoul.
- Anita or her doctor will know what to do.
- Neither soap nor detergent can get this stain out.
A compound subject may contain pronouns like I, you, and they.
- My sister and I grew up in a little village by the sea.
- They and you have to together decide on the best course of action.
- She or her friends have the tickets.
- Neither they nor she was at the party.
In this article, we discuss which pronoun to use in a compound subject (I or me, he or him) and whether to use singular or plural verbs (am, is, are, etc.) after the pronoun.
You and I or you and me?
In formal writing, use subject pronouns like I, we, they, he, and she in the subject position: you and I, not you and me. The subject is the person or thing that the sentence is about (I adopted a cat). In contrast, object pronouns (me, us, them, him, and her) are meant to be used not in the subject but the object position. The object is the recipient of an action (A cat adopted me).
- Tumkin and I/
meadopted two cats from the shelter.Tumkin adopted + I adopted = Tumkin and I adopted - You and I/
mewill always be friends. - She/
herand her friends are throwing a party. - My family and I/
memeet at least once a year. - They/
themor their delivery partner should contact the customer immediately. - You and we/
ushave a lot in common. - He and she /
him and herare both astronauts. - Either she or he /
her or himis right. - Neither you nor we/
usare wrong.
In informal communication, especially in speech, object pronouns are often used in the subject position, especially when they’re part of a compound subject.
- Informal: You and me should figure this out together.
- Informal: You and us have a lot in common.
- Informal: Him and his team should handle this.
- Informal: Me and Mom both love spaghetti.
Although object pronouns like me, him, and her are acceptable in compound subjects in casual usage, in formal writing, the distinction between I and me is maintained. In a cover letter or a thesis for example, use “you and I” or “they and I,” not “you and me” or “them and me,” as the subject in a sentence.
- Incorrect: My supervisor and me have reviewed the paper.
Correct: My supervisor and I have reviewed the paper.
Use object pronouns like me, her, and them in the object position in a sentence.
- My parents adopted my sister and
I/me when I was seven.They adopted my sister + They adopted me = They adopted my sister and me. - The Harrises have invited my family and
I/me to dinner tomorrow. - This present is for both
he and she/him and her. - I believe in
you and I/you and me.
I versus myself as subject
Although the grammatically correct pronoun to use in a compound subject is I, speakers sometimes use myself instead as a mark of politeness.
- Anita and myself will handle the project.
- My wife and myself will be there tomorrow at 9 a.m.
Such usage is seen mainly in speech rather than in writing. Some people consider such usage erroneous, but it is widely used and considered idiomatic and acceptable in spoken English.
Hypercorrect pronoun usage
Speakers and writers of English sometimes use hypercorrect forms of pronouns. For example, people are told so often to use “you and I” instead of “you and me” in the subject position, that they incorrectly use “you and I” in the object position as well. (Hypercorrection occurs when an incorrect form is used in the mistaken assumption that it is the correct form or that it sounds more elegant).
- Poor: She has sent a message to both you and I.
Better: She has sent a message to both you and me.
Hypercorrect forms often become acceptable over time. This trend can be seen with “you and I” being used in the object position, especially in American English. In formal texts, “you and me” is still the correct form to use as the object in a sentence and “you and I” as subject.
- Correct: Subject: You and I/
meare in these photos. - Correct: Object: These photos are of you and
I/me.
Either you or I are/am?
When pronouns like “you” and “I” are joined using or or nor, the verb that follows should agree with the pronoun closest to it.
- Either you or I am/
areto blame.The pronoun closest to the verb is “I,” with which we use “am”: I am to blame. Use “am,” not “are.” - Either they or she is/
areright about this. - Either she or we
is/are right about this. - Neither they nor he knows/
knowthe answer. - Neither he nor they
knows/know the answer.
If you find it awkward to use am after a compound subject, you can always rephrase and move the conjunction or or nor to later in the sentence.
- Incorrect: Either you or I are to blame.
- Correct: Either you or I am to blame.
orCorrect: Either you are to blame, or I am.
When you have two pronouns, one singular and the other plural, consider placing the plural pronoun later, so the agreement between subject and verb sounds more natural.
- Awkward: Neither they nor he knows the answer.
Better: Neither he nor they know the answer.
You could also, of course, rephrase.
- They don’t know the answer, and nor does he.
For more rules and examples, see this article on using the singular or plural verb with compound subjects.
Order of pronouns: You and I vs. I and you
For the sake of politeness, first-person pronouns (like I and me) usually appear last in a list: You and I rather than I and you. Think of it as offering slices of cake to everybody else before taking one yourself.
- Poor: I and you can handle this together.
Better: You and I can handle this together. - Poor: I and Tumkin went to Malaysia last year.
Better: Tumkin and I went to Malaysia last year. - Poor: Anita, I, Farley, and Nesbit went on holiday together last year.
Better: Anita, Farley, Nesbit, and I went on holiday together last year.