Let John and I go is correct or not? Or should I use Let John and me go? Which one is correct and why? Here "I" is the subject pronoun and "me" is object pronoun. Above John and me/I is the subject of this sentence so I think John and I is correct. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
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4✘ Let I go. ✔ Let me go.– Jason BassfordCommented Jul 13, 2020 at 4:00
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No. Context is different– Abdullah Al MamunCommented Jul 13, 2020 at 4:22
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2The context doesn't change the grammar. You can't say Let I go, because the sentence requires the objective form, not the subjective form. This is explained in the answers there, all of which say the same thing as the answer here.– Jason BassfordCommented Jul 13, 2020 at 4:25
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Just want to mention that Huddleston & Pullum in CGEL (p. 934) devoted a special section discussing the acceptance of "let's you and I" in informal standard English. A bit different because the OP's question doesn't have the 's but it is pertinent to some extent.– Mohd Zulkanien SarbiniCommented Jul 13, 2020 at 4:50
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@user178049 Hebrew has a first person plural imperative that is often translated into English as "we shall do X" or "let us do X", but which in the original is an order (or at least a request), not a statement of fact. "Let's you and I" is an attempt to create such a tense in English.– JayCommented Jul 13, 2020 at 13:13
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1 Answer
"Let John and me go" is correct.
You are right that "I" is used for the subject and "me" for the object. Where you got tripped up is supposing that I/me here is the subject. It's not: it's the object.
This is an imperative sentence. In an imperative sentence in English, the subject is often not stated. It is assumed to be "you", that is, the person that the speaker is talking to. In this case, the person is demanding or requesting that "you" allow John and "me" to go. "you" is the assumed subject. "You" are doing the "letting go". The people you are letting go are "John and me". So "John and me" are the objects, and therefore "me" is correct.
