Hello, it is I. Those are the lyrics, right? Should they be? The phrase it is I is correct for formal writing. It’s me is considered an informal style. Today, most native English speakers use it’s me instead of it is I.
I, me, us, and we are all first-person pronouns, which means they always refer to the speaker or writer of a sentence. But the speaker can be a subject or an object and that makes picking the.
Classic, Formal Usage
Traditionally, the use of I is appropriate when it follows a linking verb like is, was, or were. Linking verbs express a state of being rather than describing an action. They’re usually paired with subject pronouns. Subject pronouns include I, he, she, they, and we. They reference the person performing the action in the sentence.
In writing, it is I sometimes shows ranks or formal relationships. For example in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, John Willoughby says to Mrs. Dashwood, “It is I who may rather expect to be ill—for I am now suffering under a very heavy disappointment!” Sense and Sensibility was published in 1811, a time period where a proper young man was expected to speak formally to an older woman.
Modern, Relaxed Usage
Me is usually an object pronoun. In most cases this means it’s on the receiving end of the action in a sentence. For example, “My sister gave me the book,” where the speaker is the recipient of the giving. The use of me in the phrase it’s me isn’t typical usage of the pronoun, since there is no action to receive.
It’s me is used more often in casual speech. Judy Blume’s book, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, uses the informal phrase in the title and throughout the work. In this young adult novel, Margaret deals with the questions and challenges in her life by talking to God. Since Margaret is an 11-year-old girl, she speaks casually: “Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret. We’re moving today.” She’s talking to someone she trusts and confides in, so there’s no need for formality.
In general, both it is I and it’s me are valid ways of introducing yourself. It’s just that it is I is more formal, and can sound old fashioned to the modern ear. It’s me is more casual and relaxed, and you’re more likely to hear it in present-day conversations
As we say goodbye to 2014, it seems as good a time as any to correct a language error that a lot of people continue to make.
It's using 'I' where they should use 'me' or vice versa.
If you already know the rule from grammar school, good for you!
Consider these two sentences:
He's taking Jane and me to the park.
He's taking Jane and I to the park.
Which is correct?
![Me vs i grammar rules Me vs i grammar rules](https://www.merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/images/video/vid-video-play-lg/video-between-you-and-i-or-me-1142@1x.jpg)
If you said the first, you're right:
He's taking Jane and me to the park.
It's right because 'Jane and me' are the objects of the sentence (the things being taken) while 'he' is the subject (the thing that is taking). After all, 'me' is the objective form of the first-person pronoun while 'I' is the subjective form.
For an example of proper 'I' usage, just flip the subject and object:
Jane and I are taking him to the park.
The distinction is fairly simple when you think about it — yet even well-educated native English speakers screw it up.
Bryan Garner, in his excellent book ' Garner's Modern American Usage,' lists this among several examples of people getting 'I' and 'me' wrong:
'My mother was busy raising my brother and I [read me].' / 'Give Al Gore and I [read me] a chance to bring America back.' Bill Clinton, accepting the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, 16 July 1992.
I come across this error a lot, in writing and in speech. I suspect one reason for this error could have to do with kids frequently being corrected when they say, for example, 'me and Jane' — as adults tell them to put the other person's name first to be polite and to say 'I' to be grammatical.
The result is that some people seem to think you always have to say 'Jane and I' and that you can therefore never say things like 'Jane and me.' Language experts call this ' hypercorrection.'
But again, that's just not right. For example, 'I' is correct when used as a subject here:
Right: Jane and I are eating pizza!
Wrong: Jane and me are eating pizza!
But 'me' is correct when used as an object here:
Right: Jane is making me pizza!
Wrong: Jane is making I pizza!
Here's where confusion frequently happens:
Wrong: Jane is making Mike and I pizza!
Just because Mike is getting pizza too doesn't mean you change from 'me' to 'I.'
Right: Jane is making Mike and me pizza!
If it 'sounds wrong' to your ear, that's probably because you've been saying it and hearing it wrong all this time. Or you had things like 'Jane and I' hammered into you so often the correct way now sounds, well, incorrect.
The error is common enough that you might even get into a situation where someone tries to 'correct' you! This has happened to me. And it's always so awkward trying to explain it. You come off as a pedant. But know that there are people judging you when you make this error.
Another explanation for the error might have to do with people incorrectly thinking that the 'and I' sounds 'more correct' or 'more formal' than 'and me.' But that's plain wrong.
A trick for getting it right: No one would ever say 'He's taking I.' You'd always say 'He's taking me.' You'd never say 'Jane is making I pizza.' You'd always say 'Jane is making me pizza.' So even though you're mentioning another person 'in between' the subject and the object — that is, you — don't incorrectly change 'me' to 'I.' Just remove the other person — in this case Mike — and see if what you're saying sounds right.
All of these are correct, by the way:
Jane is making me pizza.
Jane is making Mike pizza.
Jane is making Mike and me pizza.
Between you and me, Mike makes delicious pizza.
OK, so if you'd like some practice, here's a short quiz on 'I or me?'
Coincidentally, as I was writing this post just now, I found this brand-spanking-new NPR list. And gee — look what's No. 1 on the list.
Also, Bill Flanagan has a pretty good explanation on CBS.
Clinton got 'I' and 'me' mixed up, and he should have known better. One guy I'm giving a pass, however, is Jim Morrison. Recall the line from the Doors' ' Touch Me' in which he sings:
'I'm gonna love you till the stars fall from the sky for you and I [read me].'
Happy New Year!