Use I as the SUBJECT of a sentence.
subject of a sentence: the word (or group of words) that comes before a verb. The subject is what the sentence is about.
I live in Greece. (“I” is the subject. “live in Greece” is what is said about the subject.)
Someday, I will write a best-selling novel. (“I” is the subject. “will write a best-selling novel” is what is said about the subject.)
NOTE: The most common error with I occurs when the subject contains more than one word.
Study the following sentences:
My family and I travel in the summer.
Jack and I had dinner with the Smiths.
My friends and I volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.
It would be possible to turn the subject words around:
I and my family travel in the summer.
I and Jack had dinner with the Smiths.
I and my friends volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.
HOWEVER, it is more polite and more idiomatic (sounds better in English) to begin the sentence with the other person’s name and leave the I until last.
ERROR ALERT: If you find yourself starting a sentence with the words “Me and…,” you are speaking non-standard English. Depending upon your occupation, you may lose credibility as to your ability to do careful, competent work. If you are writing a novel, the construction “me-and-so-and-so did such-and-such” is the speech marker of an uneducated person.
The same rules apply to the subject forms he, she, we, and they. It doesn’t matter how many names are in the subject, the subject forms of the pairs he/him, she/her, we/us, and they/them are the only forms that are correct when beginning a sentence.
He works at night.
Jack and he bowl together.
She sews bridal gown.
She and Mary won a prize for design.
We marched with the band.
The neighbors and we picked up trash.
They climbed Everest.
The Smiths and they rode together.
ERROR ALERT: Most errors with this group of pronouns occur with he and she. If you find yourself beginning a sentence with him, you will be speaking non-standard English. If you begin a sentence with her, however, you may or may not be committing an error. For an error to exist, the “her” must function as a subject.
Non-standard English: Her and Mike will be here at 8.
If the “her” has the function of a possessive adjective, it is OK to begin the sentence with the “her,” as long as it is followed by a noun.
Correct: Her mother and she climbed Everest last year. (The “her” is qualifying “mother.” The “she” is part of the subject that includes “mother and she.”)
