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I do not know about native speakers but the second line sounds better to me.

My daughter likes roller skating. Her brother and she are off to the park.

My daughter likes roller skating. She and her brother are off to the park.

I was wondering whether there is a pattern (X and she) much the same as (X and I) that is:

Her brother and she are off to the park

much the same as in

Her brother and I are off to the park

So which is natural or more common:

  1. Her brother and she
  2. She and her brother
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  • 3
    With "I" in "brother and I", normally you put the first person at the end of the list. In the case of two third parties, the order is not so important. To me, it should be "She and her brother" because 1. it sounds better. and 2. the her in "her brother" refers to she, so why not say she first.
    – user3169
    Commented Aug 20, 2016 at 13:36
  • @user3169: Sounds like a good basis for an answer!
    – Nathan Tuggy
    Commented Aug 20, 2016 at 21:13

1 Answer 1

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In your example

she and her brother

is the more natural choice since "she" is the focus of interest, "her brother" being a secondary reference. Consider the difference between

1) his friends, her brother, and she
2) she, her brother, and his friends

the references are reversed in #1 in terms of closeness to the focus, "she". #1 in understandable, but the listener must think more about the relationship than #2 which has a natural progression of relationship.

The exception is when referring in first person, "I" usually comes last. I was taught this was because of politeness considerations.

she, her brother, his friends, and I

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