A grammatical question for you

[Pablo]

Firstly, let me state that I am not having a go at the originator of the thread this comes from.

I was reading a post that started with,"Me and my wife are considering".

I thought,"should that not be (My wife and I)" ?

I then broke it down to:-

1) My wife are considering. 2) I are considering........both wrong !

But, Me are considering is not right either.

Frankly, I can't think of a short way of putting it correctly (grammaticly).

Any suggestions :think:

Again, I am not pointing at the person that wrote it. It simply has me thinking and hope it is seen as such.

Cheers

 

[chewraisins]

I think that "My wife and I are considering" is grammatically correct.
This is because it combines to “We are considering”.

If you want to seperate then I think it becomes “My wife is…”, “I am…”

Just my 2c.. pls do correct me if I'm wrong..

 

[Deadpoet]

This is what I would write -

My wife is considering X, and I am considering Y .... or My wife is considering X, but I am considering Y ... (the second option is used if X and Y are opposites)

or

My wife and I are considering Z ...

 

[GaoZi]

that sounds singlish.
and wondering perhaps if we shouldn't have to put some sort of orderliness into singlish?

i do agree "my wife and i" should be the right english format.

 

[pai]

"My wife and I are..." is correct

 

[StrifeYun]

can say:" I, and my wife ...... " ?

 

[Pablo]

can say:" I, and my wife ...... " ?

Thank you all for your input....Cheers for that.

StrifeYun, I don't think "I, and my wife" is correct.

Grammatically It does not sound (to me) right.

Even if taken from the masculine point of view. Starting with,"my wife" seems masculine.

Girls, please don't flame me hahaha, I am not sexist. Just interested in grammar :angel:

Deadpoet, The way you presented it, "My wife is considering X, and I am considering Y" is how I probably would write it.

You are correct in your examples I believe.

But .... try using it in speech. I had thought about how I might write it and it is similar, but how would I "say" it.

I would be interested to hear further suggestions.

Cheers

 

[Dream Merchant]

If I'm not mistaken, it should be

My wife and I were considering...

The sentence is always phrased in the past tense as the (act of) consideration must have already taken place for such a statement to be made.

That's just my opinion - I am definitely not a Grammarian. LOL!

 

[Drudkh]

I believe it was a direct translation (literally) from mandarin/chinese which starts with I or me in the sentence.

 

[Deadpoet]

Using past of present tense will depend on the context of the statement.

"My wife and I were considering ..." implies that the consideration was done some time ago, while "My wife and I are considering X ..." implies we are considering X at this moment.

 

[Pablo]

I believe it was a direct translation (literally) from mandarin/chinese which starts with I or me in the sentence.

Hi Drudkh,

I had not considered this.

My appology please. I am thinking in English and had not even thought of that.

Excuse me if I do continue the question directed toward English with my next post.

Cheers

 

[Pablo]

If I'm not mistaken, it should be

My wife and I were considering...

The sentence is always phrased in the past tense as the (act of) consideration must have already taken place for such a statement to be made.

That's just my opinion - I am definitely not a Grammarian. LOL!

Hi Dream Merchant,

I probably did not score well at school :bsmilie: , but some things tend to stick I guess.

Like opening a door for a girl/ walking on the road side of the footpath/ etc.

As you and Deadpoet have both put this suggestion forward; that of past tense, I am at question.

The way it was taught to me (wrong as it most likely is), was to take one person away and complete the sentence.

Looking at the suggestion it would come out like, "My wife were" also "I were".

Ahhhhh English.

I speak it from birth and still don't understand it.

Just for interest sake. I was told by a Spanish friend that in Spain, if you have a stadium of 10000 females it is referred to in the feminine.....

But if there was but one male amongst them, it is referred to in the masculine :bigeyes:

Excuse my OT of myself :bsmilie:

Cheers

 

[Gengh]

can say:" I, and my wife ...... " ?

I think that there's no strict rule in grammar that makes this wrong, except that it's standard to put yourself last in a list of people.

 

[Pablo]

Using past of present tense will depend on the context of the statement.

"My wife and I were considering ..." implies that the consideration was done some time ago, while "My wife and I are considering X ..." implies we are considering X at this moment.

Hi Deadpoet,

I agree with the suggestion of using past tense.

I guess that my teaching at school did me more harm than good :bsmilie:

Also as Drudkh pointed out, it was most likely a direct translation from Mandarin/Chinese.

I had not considered this.

Yet, my interest in how it would be both written and spoken in English bought me to this question.

I thank you for your interest and suggestions.

Cheers

 

[Pablo]

I think that there's no strict rule in grammar that makes this wrong, except that it's standard to put yourself last in a list of people.

Ahhhh Gengh,

That is a point. It works best grammatically but also respectfully.

Actually, I have tried to think of ways to say something including both myself and a friend, putting myself first....

I could not come up with anything other than what I wrote above.....

Ahhhhhh,

Both myself and my wife are considering ..... ?

(the sentence still can not have either person excluded)

Cheers

 

[syl]

Ahhhh Gengh,


Both myself and my wife are considering ..... ?

()

Now that is wrong - redundancy. It stands that with you and your wife, well then naturally, BOTH of you.... Hence it is unneccessary to add BOTH.

 

[Canonised]

Frequently spoken to not so close people ............

My Mrs and I have decided ............

My Mrs and I are considering whether to .......

My Mrs and I were considering about the consequences, .... :think:

 

[Pablo]

Now that is wrong - redundancy. It stands that with you and your wife, well then naturally, BOTH of you.... Hence it is unneccessary to add BOTH.

Good point, but how would you put the same phrase ?

Both my wife and I are considering .... :dunno:

Oh, hang about... you mean the word "Both" is redundant.... sorry I get your drift

Cheers

 

[Sion]

I probably did not score well at school :bsmilie: , but some things tend to stick I guess.

Like opening a door for a girl......

Your door? :bsmilie:

 

[Pablo]

Your door? :bsmilie:

Hello Sion :bsmilie:

Yes, my door/ the shop door/ her door/ elevator door ....etc.etc

Not my back door:bsmilie:

Oh, why am I saying this