Wow this is very helpful.
What we were taught in this part of the world is that "I" is a subject pronoun meaning it appears in the subject position of a sentence.
Example
Michelle and I have been busy lately.
Not
Michelle and me Have been busy lately.
While "me" is an object pronoun thus should be found only in the object position of a sentence.
Example
Sarah offended John and me.
Not
Sarah offended John and I.
I like your explanation better...
It's easier to remember and practice if we remove the other person first to see if the sentence will still sound correct.
The exact same thing I want to say. It took me a while to even know the difference between the object and subject of a sentence.
@penauthor
I have often found that 'proper' teaching doesn't actually sink in well with everyone, whereas plain speaking and simple instructions do.
Stephen King, in his excellent book On Writing says that if you've left school without learning grammar, don't stress too much about trying to learn, because it's too late in most cases and you probably already know the how to write, even if you don't know all the rules and terminology.
What I try to do is break down the fundamentals of writing and give it out in bite-sized chunks so it neither overwhelms nor becomes boring.
Excellently delivered.