A Stupid Thing to Bitch About

[torque]

When is it appropiate to say "someone and I"?

if you were doing it by yourself, and you would say "I", say "someone and I"

"Joe and I subscribe to Carla Niven"

if you were doing it by yourself and you would use me, say "someone and me"

"Carla gave genital herpes to both Joe and me."

What, I don't get it. If you were doing it by yourself then you use someone and me and if you were doing it by yourself you use someone and I.  :?

edit: ack now I get it. I and me. *is too stupid*

[Quorneater]

It depends if the someone and me/I is the subject or the object of the verb.  But anyway, without thinking of all that grammar crap, if in doubt try saying exactly the same thing without "someone and" in it.  If it sounds odd like that, you got it the wrong way round

[torque]

thanks for the tip! Another thing I don't get quite well is the somebody, someone, anybody, anyone thingy.

[jicour]

When is it appropiate to say "someone and I"?

if you were doing it by yourself, and you would say "I", say "someone and I"

"Joe and I subscribe to Carla Niven"

if you were doing it by yourself and you would use me, say "someone and me"

"Carla gave genital herpes to both Joe and me."

God, how I remember this being drilled into our tiny little heads in grade school.  I still remember to think it out using that principle before using I/me. Good example, by the way.

[ViolentDucky]

This is the very reason why I'm glad my Mama corrected my grammar since I started to talk. Everyone was having trouble, and I was just, like, "What the fuck is YOUR problem?"

Unfortunantly, she didn't teach comma usage. Sometimes, it looks like I just threw a handful of comma's at a sentence, and called it a day. >.<

[Doursim]

I am also addicted to commas... and elipses

[Plum]

I think I got the comma usage down, but I'm an elipses whore.

[ViolentDucky]

Elipses are...natural! My thoughts usually trail off, anyway.

I have to stop myself though. At least with my comma slave-driving, the sentences eventually end.

[Simpleton]

It depends if the someone and me/I is the subject or the object of the verb.  But anyway, without thinking of all that grammar crap, if in doubt try saying exactly the same thing without "someone and" in it.  If it sounds odd like that, you got it the wrong way round

I'm only glad someone taught me this! It makes getting it right easier.

[littlemisspirate]

The "someone and I" used to trip me up in compound sentences, stuff like "She and I didn't get along like he and I."  My father drilled me incessantly about it.  The way I remember I/me is to add a verb at the end.  If it sounds stupid, use me.  If it sounds right, use I.

This vaguely reminds me of the verbal beatdown my AP English teacher gave us after half our class bombed the school-wide grammar test.  He was particularly peeved that since he'd left the room and we, being a bunch of enterprising little bitches, started cheating our asses off.  "Can't you AP kids even cheat well?" was the refrain from that lecture.

[poopdeckswabber]

My high school English teacher was saying to me, "You use commas correctly, but it is as if you use them anytime it would be acceptable."
I so enjoy commas.