I or me?

Having a dispute with a poster on another forum. He posted:

"To be fair, literally is misused by a lot of people, the media included. Very few people would say figuratively, unlike you or I..."

I think he should have used "me" at the end of that sentence but his argument is:

"I is the nominative form. Me is the accusative and dative. You love me, e.g. But I want, you and I play, this is from me, etc. (Although there are some poetic forms, such as "It isI who you love", etc)

In essence, the sentence is "Very few people would say "figuratively", unlike you or I (, who would say "figuratively")." The missing part in brackets which is alluded to.

You couldn't use me in this context."


Is he right?

Thanks.

Thanks, Heuvos. I have a reasonable understanding of the rules of grammar but I am by no means an expert, so when I come up against parts of speech quoted against me I struggle!

Thanks again.

Tom

Grammar Geek

They do this, unlike [the way that] you or I [would do such a thing].

I don't agree. Just because the verb is implied doesn't mean the pronoun should be subject. No person who has learned English purely through acquisition would ever use the subject pronoun in this case; it's just not "English". 

 

GG, do you say "me too" or "I too" in the following? (Do you like Rock'n'Roll? ... "Me too".)

Grammar Geek

I would have said "Unlike you or I" with the mental completion of "would."

They do this, unlike [the way that] you or I [would do such a thing].

Obviously, some would find this contrived.  I do believe that we need to consider to whom we are speaking:  the highlighted would sound stuffy and unnatural to some audiences, but other audiences would find the alternative ['unlike you or me'] quite a jolt. 

Huevos

No person who has learned English purely through acquisition would ever use the subject pronoun in this case; it's just not "English".  

What an astonishingly strange thing to say! I ASSURE you I learned English through "acquisition" and indeed, I'd say it. I wouldn't find anything odd about someone saying "unlike you and me" but it's not what I would say.

Huevos

GG, do you say "me too" or "I too" in the following? (Do you like Rock'n'Roll? ... "Me too".)

Neither. If someone said "Do you like Rock and Roll?" I'd say either "Yes" or "No."