As Good As I / As Good As Me

REMEMBER:

GREEN for RIGHT
RED for WRONG

WHY IS THERE A PROBLEM?

There is a tendency to say

She is as good as me at playing the keyboard.

instead of

She is as good as I at playing the keyboard.

EXPLANATION of RULE:

The word as is a CONJUNCTION, which is a word that joins words, phrases, clauses and sentences. Common conjunctions are and, if, but, or, until, as and although. The SUBJECTIVE FORMS of PERSONAL PRONOUNS must match up at either side of the CONJUNCTION when comparisons are being made. To make an analogy, we must compare apples with apples as in she (P.P.S.F.) and I, (P.P.S.F.) and not apples with oranges as in she (P.P.S.F.) and me. (P.P.OBJECTIVE. F.)

In the sentence above with the green I, include the word am after the green I and re-write.
She is as good as I am at playing the keyboard.

It’s correct to say I am good at playing the keyboard.

It’s incorrect to say Me am good at playing the keyboard.

The SUBJECTIVE / NOMINATIVE CASES (or FORMS) of the PERSONAL PRONOUNS must be used in comparisons, rather than the OBJECTIVE CASES.

USAGE:

I am as fast as her.
I am as fast as she (is).

She is as nice as him.
She is as nice as he (is).

He was as slow as me.
He was as slow as I (was).

We are as bad as them.
We are as bad as they (are).

They are as foolish as us.
They are as foolish as we (are).

QUICK REVISION:

Think of Line Symmetry in Mathematics. Think match-up of shapes on either side of the vertical line. Imagine the first as being placed at the top left-hand side of the line and the second as being positioned at the top of the line on the right-hand side. Think PERSONAL PRONOUN / SUBJECTIVE CASE before the first as and think match-up with PERSONAL PRONOUN / SUBJECTIVE CASE after the second as.

May I digress for a short period of time. While on the subject of Mathematics, take a look at this equation. Insert a minus sign (-) to make everything hunky-dory. This question featured in a television quiz for 4 / 5-year-olds some time back.

10   10   10   = 9:50 (twenty seconds to answer)

I think that a four-year-old girl got the right answer. I wish I had been as clever as she when I was asked the question!

TEST:

Write the correct form of the PRONOUN in these sentences:

1. I was as stupid as ______. (he / him)
2. They are as funny as ______. (we / us)
3. We are as lazy as ______. (they / them)
4. He is as sweet a singer as _____. (her / she)
5. She is as thoughtful as _______. (I / me)
6. He was as poor as ______. (me / I)
7. Ye were as frightened as ____. (we / us)
8. Ye are as committed as ______. (they / them)
9. We were as generous as ______. (them / they)
10. I am as good a penalty-taker as _____. (she / her)

ANSWERS:

1. he 2. we 3. they 4. she 5. I 6. I 7. we 8. they 9. they 10. she

KEY ELEMENT OF LESSON:

Don’t mix the NOMINATIVE and OBJECTIVE CASES of PERSONAL PRONOUNS when using the CONJUNCTION as and an ADJECTIVE to compare people.

LEARNING TIP:

We’ve all heard of the expression This is as good as it gets. It’s a good one to remember for this lesson. Focus on the PERSONAL PRONOUN it. As it represents both the SUBJECTIVE and OBJECTIVE FORMS – and it may be unclear which of the two forms is being used – I need to substitute I or me for it when talking about myself. Say the expressions aloud and it will be apparent immediately which of the PERSONAL PRONOUNS is, in fact, correct.

This is as good as it gets.
This is as good as me gets.
This is as good as I get.
This is as good as I‘ll ever get at playing the piano.
This is as good as he / she gets.
This is as good as he‘ll / she‘ll ever get at playing the piano.
This is as good as we get.
This is as good as we‘ll ever get at playing the piano.
This is as good as they get.
This is as good as they‘ll ever get at playing the piano.

An easier way perhaps to remember the correct form of the PRONOUN – and using the same expression – is simply to drop the letter i from the word it and drive on from there.

This is as good as it gets.
This is as good as I get.

Even though the learning tips help in choosing the correct words, it’s more important to understand why the SUBJECTIVE FORM is used for She is as good as I / he / we & they. (It’s because the CONJUNCTION as calls the shots, so to speak.)

NOTE OF CAUTION:

It’s a different matter entirely if the expression This is as good as it gets for me is used. The inclusion of the PREPOSITION for results in the OBJECTIVE FORM me being correctly used. The song says Love Changes Everything. The grammar book says The Preposition Changes Everything.

DON’T FORGET:

She is as good as I (am) at playing the keyboard.