Is it correct to say "me and my family" or "my family and I"?
2 Answers
It depends on whether the phrase is the subject or predicate noun in a sentence, or an object.
Explanation:
As the Subject:
My family and I appreciate your kindness.
As a Predicate Noun / Nominative:
It was my family and I who arrived on time.
As a Direct Object:
They named my family and me as the winners.
As an Indirect Object:
Please give my family and me the opportunity.
As the Object of a Preposition:
The party was for my family and me.
N.B: The verb "to be" should take a predicate noun or adjective, not an object, but that's not the current colloquial usage. Most people say, "It's me," or "It's us / them," instead of the grammatically correct way: "It is I / he / she / we / they."
That up there is the correct, grammatically explained answer, but an easy way to remember it is that you should refer to yourself as if there weren't another party in the sentence.
Explanation:
As the Subject:
My family and I appreciate your kindness.
or
I appreciate your kindness.
As a Predicate Noun / Nominative:
It was my family and I who arrived on time.
or
I arrived on time.
As a Direct Object:
They named my family and me as the winners.
or
They named me as the winner.
As an Indirect Object:
Please give my family and me the opportunity.
or
Please give me the opportunity.
As the Object of a Preposition:
The party was for my family and me.
or
The party was for me.
