Personal Pronouns – Is It ‘I’ or ‘Me’ in ‘Keep Tom and I/Me Updated’?

casecoordinationformalitypersonal-pronouns

In this case what is correct?

  1. Keep Tom and I updated.

or

  1. Keep Tom and me updated.

I understand that me is an object pronoun. And therefore I feel the second option is correct.

Especially, because I would say "Keep him updated" and also "Keep me updated".
Instead of "Keep he updated" or "Keep I updated".
But something about saying "Keep him and me updated" feels wrong.

However I am not sure, because several people have told me that in this case I is the correct option because it is being used in conjunction with a name (Tom) and not a pronoun. Is that correct?

Best Answer

You are correct: me is the object pronoun and should be used here, since it is going in the object position.

Normally you would probably say "keep us updated", so "keep him and me updated" may feel a bit off even though it's perfectly correct.

As to the people who tell you that you should always use "I" in conjunction with a name: they are WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! Ignore them! It's a form of "hypercorrection"--when you "correct" something that's already right based on some rule that doesn't actually apply.

Too many people have gone from:

"you never say 'Tom and me went to the store' (because "Tom and me" is the subject, so you need I instead of me)"

to

"You never say 'Tom and me', ever"

and then had to invent a reason for their mis-remembered rule.

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