I get scolded a lot for saying "Me and Sal." What is actually wrong with that? While I have your attention, what about "I ain't got no pencil?" I am a proud product of the Parma City Schools.
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Are you sure your sentence doesn't require a nominative pronoun? – Centaurus May 04 '20 at 21:30
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Sal and I went to the store. – Hot Licks May 04 '20 at 22:07
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"Me and Sal…" what, though? – Robbie Goodwin May 04 '20 at 23:16
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https://youtu.be/N-L-PYnW8Uc?t=64 – Hot Licks May 05 '20 at 02:12
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You seem to have two questions. One at a time here please. And then it is unclear whether your first question is in the title or only relates to your relationship with Sal. In the latter case, you should provide a sentence to provide context. – David May 05 '20 at 18:55
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If me is the object of a sentence (or part of the object), and the sentence is constructed appropriately, then you can start it with me.
See When do I use “I” instead of “me?” for a related discussion of I versus me.
The following sentence starts with me:
✔ Me and Sal: tell us what you want.
The object of the verb (telling) is us, which is composed of me and Sal.
For example:
✘ Tell I what you want.
✔ Tell me what you want.
It's the same (grammatically) as this:
✔ The ball: kick it here.
The object of the verb (kicking) is it, which is the ball.
The only thing that normally prevents this type of sentence from being used is that it's unusual. But that's a matter of style, not grammar.
There could be other types of sentences that could also start with me.
If you are being scolded for using me and Sal, then it's likely you're using an ungrammatical construction.
For instance:
✘ Me went to the store.
✘ Me and Sal went to the store.
✘ Sal and me went to the store.✔ I went to the store.
✔ Sal and I went to the store.
？ I and Sal went to the store.
The final version is actually grammatical (in terms of syntax), but it's not stylistically normal. Typically, we put I last. So, the final version could be considered "wrong" by many people. However, despite violating conventional style, it is, nonetheless, grammatical in terms of following the rules of syntax. And if somebody does consider it wrong, it's not because of the use of I specifically, but because of where it's located.
Jason Bassford
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Pronouns in subject position in a main clause are typically in nominative case (I, he, she, they). However, just because something is not accepted as 'Standard English' shouldn't mean that it's wrong and pronouns in the accusative case (me, him, her, them) are quite common in informal speech when they appear in a coordination in the subject position of a main clause. In the end, usage dictates whether or not something is grammatically acceptable, and this is definitely acceptable in informal speech.
Another case where Sal and me or Me and Sal might start a sentence would be as the subject of a subordinate gerund-participial in subject position:
Me and Sal playing the game of our lives is the only thing I remember about that summer.
DW256
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