Two grammar questions...

[mrsamandab]

My teachers are so good at stumping me!  Here are two grammar questions:

1) Ujin likes the same music as I.  or Ujin likes the same music as me.

I feel like the first is awkward but maybe grammatically correct.  I want to find the actual rule for this though and couldn't come up with anything online.

2)  I like an apple. 

I have a lot of students say things like this when they're trying to express that they like apples in general or that they would like an apple.  My teachers say they don't understand the difference between "I like an apple.",  "I like apples." and "I would like an apple."  Can anyone help me with the actual grammar rule for this? 

Thanks all!

[kayli_blue]

As far as the apple question goes, whether or not you use an article is dictated grammatically by whether or not it's a count/mass noun which is a pretty huge can of worms to open.  This is a grammatical feature of most world languages, but is especially difficult to explain in English, so I don't really have a simple way of explaining it.  Maybe this website will be of use if you're looking to boggle your mind some more...
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Count_noun

[rdh2209]

I is always used as a subject of a sentence. Me is always used as an object.

[Bittens5]

I think it should be the second one, using me.  Although I can't be sure that that is actually correct. 

You can use this as a reference: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/me

As for the other one.

I would never say I like an apple.  To me, that's you like one apple and only one apple.

I like apples is I like all apples.

And I would like an apple is I want an apple, if there is one available.

[mrsamandab]

Thanks everyone!  The apple one, I've been telling them that, but they don't seem to understand.  Ah well, usually I can just say, "It's awkward" and they'll let it go...

[Davey]

As far as the apple question goes, whether or not you use an article is dictated grammatically by whether or not it's a count/mass noun which is a pretty huge can of worms to open.  This is a grammatical feature of most world languages, but is especially difficult to explain in English, so I don't really have a simple way of explaining it.  Maybe this website will be of use if you're looking to boggle your mind some more...
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Count_noun

1)  "I" is correct, though it sounds awkward, so most people use " me," even though it's grammatically wrong. to make it sound better, say, "as i do." or say, "ujin and I like the same music."

2) generalities...no article required.

[eggplant_tyrant]

I'm fairly certain that "the same as I" is correct -- you would say "the same as I do," not "the same as me do." However, nobody ever says it that way, at least where I'm from, which is why it probably sounds strange to your ears.

As for question two, I would interpret "I like an apple" as meaning that I like one, and only one, specific apple. All other apples I consider to be unpleasant. The difference between "I like an apple" and "I would like an apple" is how using "would" modifies the meaning of the word "like." With "would like," "to eat" is implied. It's talking about desire. (I would like to eat an apple.) Only saying "I like..." is a statement of preference....

Maybe you can try explaining "would like" to your co-teachers as a single lexical unit? Show them that it's synonymous with "want," rather than "enjoy." Then they may understand that by omitting "would," they're changing the meaning of the sentence.

[Davey]

I'm fairly certain that "the same as I" is correct -- you would say "the same as I do," not "the same as me do." However, nobody ever says it that way, at least where I'm from, which is why it probably sounds strange to your ears.

As for question two, I would interpret "I like an apple" as meaning that I like one, and only one, specific apple. All other apples I consider to be unpleasant. The difference between "I like an apple" and "I would like an apple" is how using "would" modifies the meaning of the word "like." With "would like," "to eat" is implied. It's talking about desire. (I would like to eat an apple.) Only saying "I like..." is a statement of preference.

i think if you wanted to say that you like a specific apple, you'd use "the," "this," or "that."

e.g., "the apple you gave me was good."

"this apple looks good."

"that apple looks good."

if you like a certain TYPE of apple, then it's a generality again, so you'd say, "i like fuji apples."

correct me if i'm wrong. thanks!

[amanda.marvin]

Me is correct.  It is the object of the sentence.  An easy way to remember it is this:  if it comes before the verb it is "I", and if it comes after the verb it is "me."

[eggplant_tyrant]

davey, I agree that your examples would be more logical ways to express liking a specific apple. What I meant was that I would parse "I like an apple" as having the same meaning as the sentences you wrote. It's not a general statement expressing an enjoyment of apples, because it uses the indefinite article "an," which indicates that something is singular. Change the verb -- "I have an apple" means "I have one (specific) apple." It's the same as saying "I have this apple."

Me is correct.  It is the object of the sentence.  An easy way to remember it is this:  if it comes before the verb it is "I", and if it comes after the verb it is "me."

Is it the object, though? I don't know, here.... I am not receiving the liking; the music is.
(I'm not trying to be a jerk; I'm genuinely curious. I dig these kinds of questions.)

[Halcyon]

Just to help clear up some of the confusion..It is most definitely NOT "as me"..."as I" follows the same rule as when using "than"..It is no more grammatically correct to say "He is taller THAN ME" as it is to say "She likes the same music AS ME".
"He is taller than I AM", "He has more hair THAN I DO/HAVE", "She is the same AS I AM",   She has more friends than I DO/HAVE"--These sentences all exhibit proper grammar.  Using "me" in any of those instances is considered improper grammar.

People do speak this way, using "me" for "I" and "I" for "me" erroneously, and it is accepted.   I personally feel it's not that big of a deal. However, if my students are old enough, I do stress the difference between the colloquial way and the proper way when I teach.  If they aren't I simply teach them the proper way using "I".

[amanda.marvin]

Schooled.  I learned that trick and totally forgot one of the big rules associated with it. 

[mrsamandab]

Just to help clear up some of the confusion..It is most definitely NOT "as me"..."as I" follows the same rule as when using "than"...Using "me" in any of those instances is considered improper grammar.

I was actually finding some information that the rule for I vs me, especially when using "than" is not that cut and dry.  It depends on whether you consider "than" to be a preposition or a conjunction.
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/than-I-versus-than-me.aspx

What a great grammar debate we're all having though!  Thanks for everyone's input! 

[Halcyon]

Apologies, I should stop typing so close to the bell! :p..In the limited time my mind got stuck in the context of the original sentence the OP posted. I should have been more thorough.

You're right that more should be considered but I'm not sure it's as simple as determining whether "than" is a preposition or a conjunction.  I say that mainly because, one, I don't think native speakers consider that as they're speaking and, two, what does that even mean (okay, we do but I doubt most do?!) :p

This is a quote from a dictionary reference:
In informal, especially uneducated, speech and writing, than  is usually treated as a preposition and followed by the objective case of the pronoun: He is younger than me. She plays better poker than him, but you play even better than her.

In formal academic prose, when you're comparing subjects (what I assumed the OP was asking) you should use subject pronouns and when you're comparing objects, direct or indirect, you should use object pronouns.  Informally, you can use object pronouns for subject comparisons with than.

Let's take the sentence "I like her better than he/him."

-I like her better than he (likes her) --> comparing how much the subjects, 'I' and 'he', like "her" --> use the subject pronoun
-I like her better than him. --> comparing which is liked better, 'her or him' --> use the object pronoun

In the OP's example

1) Ujin likes the same music as I.  or Ujin likes the same music as me.

I think it's clear that the sentence is a comparison of the subjects.

Therefore, in this case, the grammatically proper sentence would be--> Ujin likes the same music as I (do/like).

I agree..great debate!^.^

[sarsabf5]

1. ... likes the same music as I.

The most full version of the sentence would be "Ujin likes the same music as I like/do." It's not necessary to use the verb twice because the context takes care of it. In vernacular usage, yes, we would use "me." It's a question of accuracy v. fluency, I suppose.

2. You only need to use "an" when you are clarifying what type of apple you like. For example, "I like an apple that's sweet and juicy."

[siamagoo]

Regardless of your views on "Stronger than me/I", if you're teaching 6th grade lesson 10 (I'm stronger than you) you probably should use "me" since that's what they use in the textbook. Be conformist!