h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Shouldn't that caption read: Ant, Shim, Emma, Sean, Jim and Me?

Just wondering.

Oh, I can never remember that one. I'll change it and see if anyone corrects I--er, me.

The way to remember is to think what you'd write if you were only talking about you. If it was only you in the picture, you'd put 'Me' not 'I'.

Hm, I can't believe you had to correct Spartus of all people on that very simple little concept. Ah, well.

As I understand it, the rule says that you should exclude everyone else in the sentence list and see if it still makes sense.

For example: "Spartus, Ant, Jim and I ate snails" is correct because it simplifies to "I ate snails".

But "Ant hit Spartus, Jim and I in the face with a haddock" is wrong because it would simplify to "Ant hit I in the face", which is clearly tosh.

The picture caption wasn't a full sentence, so it's hard to tell the structure, but the sentence implied was "A picture of Ant, Shim, Emma, Sean, Jim and Me". Excluding everyone else in the sentence would yield "A picture of me", which is correct, as opposed to "A picture of I", which isn't.

So, "Me" was the right choice.

Next!

Unless, of course, your caption wished to imply the sentence "Ant, Shim, Emma, Sean, Jim and Me are about to be hit in the face with a haddock", or course, which would be wrong, because it would simplify to "Me is/are about to be hit in the face with a haddock", which should obviously be "I". Clear?

I've actually been hit around the face with a plaice.

Does that make a difference?

Was the plaice battered, or just you?

Oo Ant's right, that was fun!

D'oh!

Yeah, yeah. Enjoy my mistake, although none of you except Jim saw it anyway.

Oh, and bee?

That's why I wrote this: http://www.h2g2.com/P91478

Honestly, does no one read anything anymore?

Well not as you've only just written it

Well, he posted his boo-boo 8 hours ago, and I wrote that yesterday. Get some sense of timing here, Ant.

You'll also notice I had the tact not to mention that handy 'preview message' button, for fear of being patronizing again.

Well, until now.

Yeah but, I haven't been able to comment until now. Have some pity for me.

*Pities Ant*

I feel much better now, thanks

Oh man! Now it's ten hours later, and I feel like a 10-hour dolt!

Er,



Woo hoo!

Better late than never, bee.

Try telling that to my old maths teacher.

Oh, and if you do, punch him in the face while you're there, would you? Ta