Ask the Editor
Should a photo caption read "Jane and I" or "Jane and me"?
—
Lou
,
United States
Answer
A photo caption is often a sentence fragment, so it is not clear whether "Jane and X" is a subject or an object because there is not enough information to tell you. The choice between "Jane and I" and "Jane and me" depends on how you are interpreting the caption.
The most obvious interpretation is that "Jane and X" is a shortened version of the complete sentence "This is a photo of Jane and X." If this is how you are interpreting the caption, then "me" is the correct pronoun, because "Jane and X" is an object in the phrase "a photo of Jane and X."
Another common interpretation is that "Jane and X" is a shortened version of the sentence "This is Jane and X." Sometimes grammarians say that when a pronoun follows a linking verb—such as "is"—you should use the subject pronoun, in this case, "I." However, that is an old rule, and using "me" after a linking verb is accepted more and more often by grammarians. If this is how you are interpreting the caption, then either one is acceptable. "Jane and I" sounds more formal than "Jane and me," but "Jane and me" is the more common choice.
There is still another possible meaning. The caption could be interpreted to mean something like "Jane and X were at the beach/out for coffee/on vacation/etc." If this is how you are interpreting the caption, then "I" is the correct pronoun, because "Jane and X" is the subject of the sentence.
All of this means that either pronoun is fine to use, but "Jane and me" is the more common choice.
I hope this helps.
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