Mmm…Birthday Cake for My Friends

and Me!Using Pronouns

“I” and “me” correctly

With Sentences fromHoughton Mifflin Text p. 212-213

My Birthday Cake Me and my mom made

the best birthday cake ever for my birthday. I had a soccer party, so we decided to make a soccer cake. Me and my mom went to the store to buy all of the ingredients. She let me help with mixing and decorating. It came out great! Me and my mom had a fun time baking together.

Uh, oh! Do you see any mistakes in my paragraph?

Using “I” and “me”

We often use the pronouns I and me when we speak and write. Use the pronoun I only as the subject of a sentence. Use the pronoun me only as an object pronoun.

Examples:• I had a soccer birthday

party.• My friends brought me

presents.

Be Polite When you talk about another person and yourself, it is polite to name yourself last.

Examples:• Charlie and I scored a

goal.• My dad tossed the ball to

Marty and me.

Check yourself:To be sure that you are using the correct pronoun, use this test…Read or say the sentence without the other person’s name.

Example:Me and Jamel played well.Read the sentence without Jamel:Me played well.Does that make sense?Try again (and don’t forget to be polite…

say the other person’s name first):Jamel and I played well.Read the sentence without Jamel:I played well.Now, does it make sense?GREAT!

Check yourself:Now try the test with an object pronoun.

Example:My teammate passed the ball to Allen

and I.Read the sentence without Allen:My teammate passed the ball to I.Does that make sense?Try again :My teammate passed the ball to Allen

and me.Read the sentence without Allen:My teammate passed the ball to me.Now, does it make sense?GREAT!

Now try correcting “My Birthday Cake” again.

My Birthday Cake Me and my mom made

the best birthday cake ever for my birthday. I had a soccer party, so we decided to make a soccer cake. Me and my mom went to the store to buy all of the ingredients. She let me help with mixing and decorating. It came out great! Me and my mom had a fun time baking together.

Can you correct the mistakes now?

Let’s Practice:Read each sentence. Choose the sentence that is written incorrectly. Click the birthday cake to see the correct answer.

A. Reggie invited Jen and me to his house.

B. Jen and me walked home with Reggie.

C. Reggie talked to Jen and me about Barbados.

D. (no mistakes)

Let’s Practice:Read each sentence. Choose the sentence that is written incorrectly. Click the birthday cake to see the correct answer.

A. Me and Jen were very interested.

B. Jen and I ate with Reggie’s family.

C. The food tasted wonderful to Jen and me.

D. (no mistakes)

Let’s Practice:Read each sentence. Choose the sentence that is written incorrectly. Click the birthday cake to see the correct answer.

A. Jen and I had never eaten a roti before.

B. A roti is a curried meat pie.

C. Both Jen and I liked it immensely.

D. (no mistakes)

Let’s Practice:Read each sentence. Choose the sentence that is written incorrectly. Click the birthday cake to see the correct answer.

A. Scott and I visited Japan.

B. Scott came with me and my family.

C. Scott and I sat together on the plane.

D. (no mistakes)

Thank you!Oops! This thank you letter has 6 mistakes using I and me. Can you find them? Click the cake to see the mistakes. Then, write the letter correctly.

Dear Mrs. Ono,Thanks for being a great host to my family and I in Japan. You showed my family and me a wonderful time! My family and me will never forget you. Dad is trying all your recipes. He made me and my sister some bean-curd soup. Me and Mom were talking about the Bunradu puppets today. They looked so real! Becky and me look at the photos from our trip every day. Will you write to Becky and I soon?Yours Truly,Katie