an easy grammar lesson!

Back when, it seemed as if everyone was saying things like, "Me and him are going to the store, and "Them and us went out last night." But then people got with it and realized that they should be saying, instead, "He and I," or "she and they."

Well, then people went the next unecessary step and figured that the "he and I" and "she and they" were inviolable units, that they had to be kept together no matter what and no matter where in the sentence they ended up. So here we are now with sentences like, "Throw the ball to he and I," and "Let Jerry and I know when you're coming over." That's an example of a hypercorrection, just as "I feel badly" is!

Anyway, the perplexing thing is that I doubt anyone would say, "Throw the ball to I," or "Let I know when you're coming over." But add someone else into the mix, and the grammar goes haywire. It doesn't have to, though! Here's how to know whether to use "he/him," "she/her," or "I/me":

• If you'd say, "Throw the ball to me," then if you add someone else into the mix, you'll then say, "Throw the ball to Jerry and me," or "...to me and Jerry."

• If you'd say, "If you have any questions, let me know," then you'd say, "If you have any questions, let Mary or me know."