[General] Sorry, that'll be a private meeting.

[Silverobama]

I was chatting with Kevin in an online group about our meeting after the Chinese New Year. Someone wanted to join us for our conversation. Kevin and I are going to meet and have a conversation together. I refused them person saying "Sorry, that'll be a private meeting between Kevin and I".

Is the italic sentence natural?

 

[GoesStation]

It's very common for native speakers to say things like between Kevin and I. Learners should use the correct object pronoun.

 

[Silverobama]

It's very common for native speakers to say things like between Kevin and I. Learners should use the correct object pronoun.

I did use Kevin and I. Is my italic sentence natural?

 

[GoesStation]

I did use Kevin and I. Is my italic sentence natural?

You might hear a native speaker say it. I was too subtle in my previous post and didn't clearly point out the grammatical error it contains, one very commonly made by native speakers. Can you fix it?

 

[Silverobama]

You might hear a native speaker say it. I was too subtle in my previous post and didn't clearly point out the grammatical error it contains, one very commonly made by native speakers. Can you fix it?

I'd been thinking about that until I read your post in #4. I know the correct form or perhaps more common form is "between Kevin and me". Hmm, but I do see native spakers say "XX and I". Anyway, is my new italic sentence natural?

"Sorry, that'll be a private meeting between Kevin and me".

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I was chatting with Kevin in an online group about our meeting after the Chinese New Year. Someone wanted to join us for our conversation. Kevin and I are going to meet and have a conversation together. I refused the person, saying "Sorry, that'll be a private meeting between Kevin and me".

Is the italic sentence natural?

Hi, Silver!

The meeting is not between we. It's between us. It's between Kevin and me.

Without a comma, it's the person who wants to join you who says "Sorry." With a comma, it means you said "Sorry." So you need a comma.

 

[GoesStation]

I'd been thinking about that until I read your post in #4. I know the correct form or perhaps more common form is "between Kevin and me". Hmm, but I do see native spakers say "XX and I". Anyway, is my new italic sentence natural?

"Sorry, that'll be a private meeting between Kevin and me".

Your sentence is reasonably natural.

It's only grammatically correct with the object pronoun "me". Nevertheless, I'm certain that a large majority of Americans use the "incorrect" subject pronoun "I". They won't notice if you do the same but I encourage you to use "me".

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I'd been thinking about that until I read your post in #4. I know the correct form or perhaps more common form is "between Kevin and me". Hmm, but I do see native speakers say "XX and I".

Sometimes me is grammatical. Sometimes I is grammatical. It depends on the sentence. In yours, me is grammatical.

To make it more confusing, a lot of us native speakers (not we native speakers!) have terrible grammar. Hearing it doesn't make it right.

Anyway, is my new italic sentence natural?

The one below? Yes.

"Sorry, that'll be a private meeting between Kevin and me".

English can be a bear. Hang in there, man!

 

[Silverobama]

"Sorry, that'll be a private meeting between Kevin and me".

I read my sentences again and again and I have a question. Which is the most natural one?

1) Sorry, that'll be a private meeting. (It's okay because the context is clear and it's concise)
2) Sorry, it'll be between Kevin and me.

Or do I need to use my original one?

Sorry, that'll be a private meeting between Kevin and me.

 

[emsr2d2]

I was chatting [STRIKE]with[/STRIKE] to Kevin in an online group about our [STRIKE]meeting[/STRIKE] plan to meet online after the Chinese New Year. Someone wanted to join [STRIKE]us for our[/STRIKE] the planned conversation, but Kevin and I are going to meet [STRIKE]and have a conversation together[/STRIKE] privately. I refused [STRIKE]them[/STRIKE] that person, saying "Sorry, that'll be a private meeting between Kevin and [STRIKE]I[/STRIKE] me".

Is the italic sentence natural?

See above. I see no need for "between Kevin and me". You can just say "Sorry. It'll be a private meeting".

 

[Silverobama]

See above. I see no need for "between Kevin and me". You can just say "Sorry. It'll be a private meeting".

Hmm, it'll be a get-together between Kevin and me, actually, emsr2d2. It's an offline one. Is the above sentence still natural in this context?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Yes, it's still natural. Ems's version is just more concise. The meaning will be the same either way.