Today is National Grammar Day, and anyone who knows me knows the grammarian within me. Lend a hand to the persnickety among us who try to make the world safe for grammar: Don't misplace your "onlys," don't go all passive on us, and, for goodness sake, don't dangle any participles.
Natalie and I had The Talk. Sure, she's only four years old, and, sure, it's a lot for her mind to process, but it had to be done.
Oh, goodness, not that talk. The Me-Versus-I Talk. This one: "It's 'Connor and I would like to go for a bicycle ride,' not 'Me and Connor would like to go for a bicycle ride.' How would you say that only you wanted to go for a ride? 'Me want to go for a ride'? Or 'I want to go for a ride'?"
"I want to go for a ride."
"Right! 'I want to go for a ride.' So, if you both want to, you would say, 'Connor and I would like to go for a ride.'"
"OK." She's catching on, I can just tell.
"But then, what if you wanted to tell me that Daddy gave you and Connor cookies?"
"Daddy gave us cookies."
Touché, little one. Touché.
"Right. Or you could say, 'Daddy gave Connor and me cookies,' but not 'Daddy gave Connor and I cookies.' Do you know why?"
Silence. Eyes glazed. I'm pretty sure that means that she's getting it, that she's catching on. Pretty sure.
"Well, because, which sounds right: 'Daddy gave me cookies'? Or 'Daddy gave I cookies'?"
"Daddy gave me."
"Yes!" My enthusiasm startles my little grasshopper. "If ever you aren't sure whether to use 'me' or 'I,' just take the other person out of the sentence and figure out how you would say the sentence with just yourself in it. That will tell you what to do."
She looks at me, perhaps puzzled, perhaps hoping that this whole conversation is over, perhaps marveling at the wonder that is her mother. Hard to say.
I imagine Natalie later, trying to sort out my ramblings, and a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip where Calvin's dad tries to explain revolutions per minute, comes to mind:
My doubts ease up a bit when, at dinner the next evening, Natalie corrects Connor: "It's Natalie and I, Connor. Natalie and I." Little girl was right.
Next lesson: When to use "myself."
with thanks to vivian and kit
all tangled up
charm school
a book by its cover
