Word Confusion: We vs. Us

Dear Copy Bitch: I struggle with we vs. us. Consider this example: Your properly formatted text is due at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. However, us slow readers would like to receive it BEFORE then.

Is “us” correct? If not, do you have any ideas about how to get the rule into this squirrelhead?

—Squirrel Lover, Boston

Answer: Yes, Squirrel Lover, there is a simple way to test it (so you’ll need to remember the test).

Remove any nouns (and adjectives) that get in the way of the “we/us” and the verb. So in this case, remove “slow readers” and test it:

1. Us would like to receive it BEFORE then.
2. We would like to receive it BEFORE then.

After you perform this test, the answer is obvious. The second one is correct.

Hope this helps.