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Technical Writing in the Financial Industry, Part 1
The User Guide and the Training Manual: Learn to Write Both
Who Are We? 2005 Phoenix Chapter Survey Highlights

Basics for Communicating Clearly

For this issue, Linda slightly edited a piece that she wrote for the STC Metro Baltimore Chapter newsletter and that was reprinted in Technical Communication, Third Quarter 1990.

I/me, he/him, she/her, we/us, they/them

Would we ever say “Jack brought books for I and Amy”?

No.

Then why are some tempted to say “Jack brought books for Amy and I”?

Personal pronouns aren’t common in technical communication, but using them correctly in speech and in writing is worthy of the professional communicator’s attention.

I have a two-part theory for why normally competent speakers of English have trouble with personal pronouns, especially I/me, he/him, and she/her, not so much we/us and they/them:

As children, our parents and teachers taught us not to say “Me want a cracker” or “Him’s my brother,” but some of us never learned how me differs functionally from I, how him differs from he.

As adults, we fear the humiliation of appearing undereducated or underrefined, so we tend to use pronouns that some believe sound more highbrow — I, he, she rather than me, him, her — except when those “highbrow” forms sound silly to us, as in “Jack brought books for I.”

Single subjects, compound subjects, and single objects normally cause no confusion:

He [single subject] brought books for me [single object].

Jack and he [compound subject] brought books for her [single object].

Compound objects, though, sometimes fool even the most careful speakers and writers. These examples of compound objects are correct:

He brought books for you and me. [Never correct: …for you and I.]

Jack told Amy and him about the movie. [Never correct: …told Amy and he….]

Gail gave tickets to him and his brother. [Never correct: …to he and his brother.]

If we can’t get the “easy” stuff right (pronouns), why should our employers, our clients, and our SMEs think we can get the technical stuff right?

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Questions? E-mail Linda Shacklock.

Rough Draft Home | Phoenix Chapter Home | STC Home | Send Us Feedback | Archives

Technical Writing in the Financial Industry, Part 1
The User Guide and the Training Manual: Learn to Write Both
Who Are We? 2005 Phoenix Chapter Survey Highlights