Growing up, I was constantly engaged in an English grammar battle with my father. I would say something, then I would be corrected. He corrected me daily on my verbal American English. Most likely, this is why I have spent my entire academic career understanding English grammar. Usually, these conversations revolved around "me" and "I." When I received a special request from one of NEOMED’s many offices on campus to explain, in simple terms, how to decide between using “I” or “me” in a sentence, I thought back to my childhood.
The rule: Use “I” in the subject of the sentence and “me” in the object of the sentence. “I” is acting upon the object of the sentence. “Me” is being acted upon by the subject of the sentence. In simple terms, use “I” if before the verb in a simple sentence (subject-verb-object), and use “me” when after the verb in a simple sentence.
I went to the store; he talked to me.
I bought several quarts of ice cream.
Dad corrected me on my English grammar.
The errors we see in the Writing Center are students using “I” in the object. The Writing Center encourages students to use simple sentences in their writing.