In English: We use subject pronouns, really? Didn't know that.

CrystalMaiden 7.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

In English: We use subject pronouns, really? Didn't know that.

My daughter and they play together.

I thought it was, " them, " not, " they, " in English. I'm confused. I'd use Hugo and them, never Hugo and they. Huh?

Asked 6 years ago
Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

Yes, you are correct. That's as close as you can come to a stress pronoun in English.

My brother and me -- Mon frère et moi.
My brother and I (sounds a bit stilted) -- Mon frère and je (plain wrong).

-- Chris (not a native speaker).

J. M.A1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor
The reality is that in spoken English and in all but the most formal written English, we DO say "John and me went to the store." People say that it's not logical to do so, because "me" is acting as a subject. But no language except for an artifical one is perfectly logical like that. John McWhorter talks about this a lot in his books on English; he discusses "John and me" in "Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue," among others.
c. c.C1Kwiziq community member

Eh... I only rarely hear constructions like "Doug and me played cards." Not even informally, among friends, or when messaging. It would be considered an error to us. Maybe it's regional.

But "John and I were friends" is never wrong and doesn't sound the least bit stilted to me!

Miller B.B1Kwiziq community member

“Hugo and they” is grammatically correct English (technically) but you and pretty much everyone else would say “Hugo and them”   

Angie S.A2Kwiziq community member

Well, many English speakers will get this wrong. Often, we hear it said incorrectly so much, that correct grammar sounds incorrect.  But it should be "My daughter and they play together." If you leave off "My daughter" would it be correct to say, "Them play together?" No. "They play together." When it's a compound subject, you are supposed to use subject pronouns. 

Diego B.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Angie, the subject is the whole "My daughter and them". Taking only a piece of a subject doesn't need to make sense.

It would be like saying "My landlord is mean" is wrong because "Landlord is mean" doesn't make sense...

max p.A2Kwiziq community member

Did you never have to diagram a sentence?  Subject pronouns have to be used for the subject. 

CrystalMaiden 7.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

" diagram a sentence? " Huh? What kind of English is that? Did you never hear anyone say a sentence in English? Because " My daughter and they play together " sounds like the stupidest of Shakespearean outdated English.

susan b.B2Kwiziq community member

Angie is correct!  Along the same lines, it is incorrect to say that "He and me went to the store":  Broken down to two sentences, it would be "He went to the store" and "I went to the store".  So when the subject is compound, the correct version is "He and I went to the store".

D. A.B1Kwiziq community member

Personally I would say "My daughter plays together with them."

In English: We use subject pronouns, really? Didn't know that.

My daughter and they play together.

I thought it was, " them, " not, " they, " in English. I'm confused. I'd use Hugo and them, never Hugo and they. Huh?

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