Question

Which is (more) correct - "Me and Johnny" or "Johnny and I?"

Everybody at school seems to say that "Johnny and I" is correct, but I read a vocabulary enhancer book at it says that "me and Johnny" is grammatically correct. So which one should I use formally?

Answer 1

Both are grammatically correct when used in a sentence correctly.

Explanation:

The terms "me and Johnny" and "Johnny and I" are both noun phrases that function as a compound subject or a compound object in a sentence.

The pronoun "me" is an object pronoun , so the noun phrase "me and Johnny" must be the object of a verb or a proposition in a sentence. Examples:
- My mother took me and Johnny to the mall. (direct object of the verb "took")
- My mother made me and Johnny some sandwiches. (indirect object of the verb "made")
- My mother made lunch for me and Johnny . (object of the preposition "for")
Note: "me and Johnny" is grammatically correct but is considered impolite to put the first person pronoun (me) before the noun (name) for another person. The phrase "Johnny and me" is preferred.)

The pronoun "I" is a subject pronoun , so the noun phrase "Johnny and I" must be the subject of a sentence or a clause. Examples:
- Johnny and I went to the mall. (subject of the sentence)
- My mother made the sandwiches that Johnny and I had for lunch . (subject of the relative clause)
Note: The phrase "Johnny and I" is the common form by putting the first person pronoun after a noun (name) for another person.