"I and Tom" instead of "Tom and I"

[Nightmare85]

Hello,
I don't know if this applies to English, too.
In German, it is bad to start something with "I".
Example:
Question:
Who will be at the party tonight?
Bad answer:
I, Tom, and Mark will be at the party tonight.
Good answer:
Tom, Mark, and I will be at the party tonight.

But as said: This is for the German language!
What about English?
Doesn't it matter if you tell yourself first and then the rest?
Or is it better first to tell all the others and to tell yourself in the end?

Cheers!

 

[Offroad]

Or is it better first to tell all the others and to tell yourself in the end?
Yes, it's about being polite.
Cheers!

:up:

 

[Searching for language]

Hello,
I don't know if this applies to English, too.
In German, it is bad to start something with "I".
Example:
Question:
Who will be at the party tonight?
Bad answer:
I, Tom, and Mark will be at the party tonight.
Good answer:
Tom, Mark, and I will be at the party tonight.

But as said: This is for the German language!
What about English?
Doesn't it matter if you tell yourself first and then the rest?
Or is it better first to tell all the others and to tell yourself in the end?

Cheers!

An acceptable answer would also be "I will be at the pary, and of course Tom and Mark will be there also."

Ich bin auch keine Leherin.

 

[buggles]

In polite society, we English always put ourselves last.
We always say, "My wife and I...", "My brother and I" and so on.

However, in general conversation it's not uncommon for people to combine two mistakes: they use "me" when they should use "I" and they put "me" first.

"Who's coming to the party?"
"Well, me and Joe will be there."

"What was that all about?"
"Me and Mum were arguing about my girlfriend."

That's very common and wouldn't raise any eyebrows.


buggles (not a teacher)

 

[Offroad]

An acceptable answer would also be "I will be at the pary, and of course Tom and Mark will be there also."

Ich bin auch keine Leherin.

Who's Leherin?

 

[Nightmare85]

Thank you all for your replies!

Who's Leherin?

No, she means she is not a teacher.
(The German word "Lehrerin" = female teacher.)

Cheers!

 

[kfredson]

In polite society, we English always put ourselves last.
We always say, "My wife and I...", "My brother and I" and so on.

However, in general conversation it's not uncommon for people to combine two mistakes: they use "me" when they should use "I" and they put "me" first.

"Who's coming to the party?"
"Well, me and Joe will be there."

"What was that all about?"
"Me and Mum were arguing about my girlfriend."

That's very common and wouldn't raise any eyebrows.


buggles (not a teacher)

It would raise MY eyebrows. It makes a person sound very uneducated.

Unless, of course, you are Janis Joplin and you are riding with Bobby McGee.

 

[buggles]

It would raise MY eyebrows. It makes a person sound very uneducated.

Unless, of course, you are Janis Joplin and you are riding with Bobby McGee.

I'm afraid British English has become somewhat "dumbed down" in recent years and those who say, "Tom and I" rather than "Me and Tom" tend to be regarded as a bit posh! Sad, but true! :-(

 

[Barb_D]

Still sounds like nails on a chalkboard to me.

 

[buggles]

Still sounds like nails on a chalkboard to me.

And so it should! ;-)

 

[Nightmare85]

"Who's coming to the party?"
"Well, me and Joe will be there."

This makes me a bit think.
Some weeks ago we had a topic about "I or me".
In this case:
I will be there. + Joe will be there.
Why is it "Me and Joe", and not "I and Joe?"?

Cheers!

 

[nuharani]

Still sounds like nails on a chalkboard to me.

Sorry I'm not English speaker and what does that proverb mean?
As far as I know that using I in the first or I in the end is for polite attitude. Is that right?

 

[Kondorosi]

Ich bin auch keine Lehrerin.

Ich habe immer gedenkt dass Sie ein Mann ist. Assumptions are... .

 

[Kondorosi]

This makes me a bit think.
Some weeks ago we had a topic about "I or me".
In this case:
I will be there. + Joe will be there.
Why is it "Me and Joe", and not "I and Joe?"?

Cheers!

Although the nominative case is considered correct traditionally, the accusative has spread in popular usage and is considered the normal choice in practice, both in spoken and written registers. Ich weiss leider nicht warum.

 

[buggles]

"Still sounds like nails on a chalkboard to me."

Sorry I'm not English speaker and what does that proverb mean?
As far as I know that using I in the first or I in the end is for polite attitude. Is that right?

It's not a proverb - it's a simile.

In the UK, we'd say, "Like nails on a blackboard".

Either way, it means it sets your nerves on edge: it's something which really upsets you.

If you've never scraped your fingernails across a blackboard, try it sometime -then you'll really understand what it means! ;-)

 

[Barb_D]

If you've never scraped your fingernails across a blackboard, try it sometime -then you'll really understand what it means! ;-)

Gaaa! I shuddered just reading that! :shock: