Practice
Is I and my colleague grammatically correct?
I and my colleague are joining the call. The sentence can sound unusual in careful work writing. My colleague and I are joining the call is the usual form because the pair is the subject and the other person comes first.
Use my colleague and I when the pair is the subject, use my colleague and me when the pair is an object, and choose the usual name order in formal writing.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
my colleague and I /maɪ kəˈliːɡ ən aɪ/
The short answer
Use my colleague and I when the two people are the subject: My colleague and I prepared the report. I and my colleague can be understood, but it is not the usual order in formal or edited writing. Use my colleague and me when the pair receives an action or follows a preposition.
My colleague and I will lead the meeting.
Why it works: The pair will lead the meeting, so it needs the subject pronoun I.
5 more examples
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My colleague and I are presenting the proposal tomorrow.
The pair is doing the presenting, so I is the subject form.
Not this:The director
asked my colleague and meto present the proposal. What changes: The director acts on the pair, so use the object form me. -
My colleague and I reviewed the budget before lunch.
The pair reviewed the budget. It is the subject of the sentence.
Not this:The finance team
sent my colleague and methe revised budget. What changes: The pair received the budget, so it is the object. -
My colleague and I need a quiet place to work.
The pair needs the place to work, so use I.
Not this:The office reserved a quiet room
for my colleague and me. What changes: The pair follows for, so use me after the preposition. -
My colleague and I agreed to answer the questions together.
The two people agreed, so they are the subject.
Not this:The interviewer spoke
with my colleague and meafter the session. What changes: With is a preposition, so the object form me follows it. -
My colleague and I can finish the draft this afternoon.
The pair can finish the draft, so I is correct.
Not this:The editor
gave my colleague and meclear feedback on the draft. What changes: The editor gave feedback to the pair, so use me.
Read the full guide
Check the pair's job before you worry about word order. Remove my colleague and read the remaining sentence. If I will lead the meeting works, use I. If the sentence becomes the manager called me, use me. After you choose the pronoun, place the other person's name first for the usual formal style.
Choose the subject form first
When the pair does the action, use I. The pair can be the subject even when it appears after another phrase at the beginning of the sentence.
My colleague and I are organizing the training session.
The pair is organizing the session, so it is the subject.
Choose the pronoun: My colleague and ___ will call the customer.
Use I: My colleague and I will call the customer.
Use me for an object
Use me when another person does something to the pair. The pair may receive a message, an invitation, a question, or thanks.
The coordinator emailed my colleague and me this morning.
The coordinator did the emailing. My colleague and me received the email.
Choose the pronoun: The client thanked my colleague and ___.
Use me: The client thanked my colleague and me.
Check after a preposition
After to, with, for, between, and similar prepositions, use me. The preposition makes the following phrase its object.
Please copy my colleague and me on the message.
The pair follows the verb copy here, so it is an object phrase.
Complete the sentence: The seats are between my colleague and ___.
Use me: The seats are between my colleague and me.
Use the one-person check
Remove my colleague and keep the rest of the sentence. This simple check shows the pronoun's role without changing the meaning of the verb.
My colleague and I signed the form. I signed the form.
I signed the form is correct, so the full sentence needs my colleague and I.
Test the sentence: The supervisor spoke to my colleague and ___.
The supervisor spoke to me is correct, so write my colleague and me.
Put the other person first in formal writing
After you choose I or me, use the usual name order for formal writing: my colleague and I or my colleague and me. I and my colleague is understandable, but it can sound less natural in a workplace message.
My colleague and I will send the final version by Friday.
The pronoun is I because the pair will send the version. My colleague comes first as the usual formal order.
Choose the usual formal phrase: I and my colleague, or my colleague and I?
Use my colleague and I when the pair is the subject.
Before you go
Remember this
First, find the pair's job. Use my colleague and I when the pair does the action. Use my colleague and me when someone acts on the pair or when it follows a preposition. In formal writing, put my colleague first after you make that grammar choice.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Is I and my colleague grammatically correct?"
Is I and my colleague always wrong?
I is the right pronoun when you and your colleague are the subject, so the pronoun choice can be correct. In formal or edited English, writers usually place the other person first and write my colleague and I. That order is a style convention. It does not change the subject role of I.
My colleague and I are presenting the proposal tomorrow.
Why is my colleague and me wrong in a subject position?
Me is an object pronoun. A subject position needs I when the pair does the action. Write my colleague and I completed the task, because the pair completed it. Use my colleague and me only when another person acts on the pair or when the pair follows a preposition.
The director asked my colleague and me to present the proposal.
How does the remove-the-name check help?
Remove my colleague and keep the rest of the sentence. If I can attend sounds right, write my colleague and I can attend. If the manager called me sounds right, write the manager called my colleague and me. The check keeps the pronoun in the same role.
My colleague and I reviewed the budget before lunch.
Should I use I or me after with my colleague?
Use me after with: The manager met with my colleague and me. With is a preposition, and the noun or pronoun after a preposition is its object. The same pattern applies after to, for, between, and from.
The finance team sent my colleague and me the revised budget.
Does putting my colleague first make the sentence correct?
Putting the other person first is the usual polite order in formal writing, but it does not choose I or me. Check the sentence role first. My colleague and I are ready is a subject pattern. The client spoke to my colleague and me is a preposition pattern.
My colleague and I need a quiet place to work.