ENGLISH TEACHERS!! "Me" or "Myself"?

Question

Is there a place on the net that describes WHY a sentence should have one or the other? I have noticed so many people using "I" when I know that it should be "me"--people that REALLY should know better, but I cannot be such a grammar snob if I don't even know the answer to the "me/myself" question!

Answer 1

I assume you already know that the proper pronoun for the "subject" of a sentence (the one doing the action) is "I". You CANNOT substitute "myself" in this instance (though there IS a proper use of it along WITH "I" -- see (2) below)

For the pronouns you mention -- "me, myself" follow the same rules as "him, himself", "her, herself", etc

The first of each of these pairs is the one you use WHENEVER the subject and object are DIFFERENT persons (which is most of the time!):

"She told ME."

As for MYSELF (himself, etc) -- there are TWO sorts of uses -- "reflexive" (object when subject is the same person) and "intensive" (to emphasize the subject).


Explanation:

1) the REFLEXIVE use -- when the subject and object are the SAME person (or thing!), use a -self pronoun form for the object.

That is, if you are doing the action.. and you are also the one your are doing it TO (with, etc), then "I" is the subject AND "myself" is the object (e.g., "I could kick myself!" or "I saved one doughnut for myself."). Cf."He shot himself."

A few people have already mentioned this first use, though I hope my explanation helped a bit.


2) the INTENSIVE (or emphatic) use, in combination with the SUBJECT ("I")

a) "I. . . myself" (separating the two). May be used to emphasize that *I* too (like you or others) have had a particular experience. . . as in "I used to feel that way myself." (might be used to show empathy and/or encourage another...hardly bad things) OR "I did it myself." to emphasize that I was able to do it without someone else's help (that is "I" is the ONLY subject). This last case is very close to "I did it (all) BY myself!", which LOOKS like use #1, but in meaning is more of an intensive

Some criticize this use, but it is a perfectly normal way to speak. There are times, like those suggested, when emphasizing the subject is necessary to the point you are making.

b) "I myself . . . " (no separation of the words) is not as common, but still is useful. In some cases this is used to brag or put on airs, but it can also simply be a variant of (2a) "I, myself, wrote that." OR you might say "I've heard people say he could be nasty, but I myself never heard him say an unkind word." Again, the basic point is to EMPHASIZE the subject -- in this case to emphasize that I do NOT have any personal experience of something (though I may 'know' or have heard of it).


Finally, it might help to underline the most common MISUSES of "myself".

One is the SUBSTITUTION of the reflexive pronoun "myself" for the object pronoun (me) when "I" is NOT the subject. Example: you make this request of a friend -- "Remember to put in a good word for myself." Correct use is simply "for me"

The other I can think of is simply the use "me myself", that is, using this pronoun as an emphatic with the OBJECT ("me", etc). I cannot think of any instance where thiswouldbecorrect.

more explanation:
http://www.grammartips.homestead.com/self.html

Answer 2

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Answer 3

You use 'I' when describing an action such as 'I went to the shop'. You use 'me' when something is done to you like 'Give the ball to me,' Queen Elizabeth often says 'My husband and I.....' when referring to something both have done such as 'My husband and I had eggs for supper.', the inference being that you could omit the 'My husband and' bit and the sentence would still make sense. If you said 'My husband and me had eggs for supper.' then omitted the 'My husband and' bit you would get 'Me had eggs for supper' Not good English is it?and that's the test. Similarly you wouldn't say ;Give the ball to I.' would you?

Answer 4

Use "myself" when both the subject (actor) and the object of the action are the same person -- whether directly or in a prepositional phrase.

Ex: I injured myself on the treadmill. (Not "I injured me . . ..")
I mixed a good salad for myself. (Not "for me.")

When the subject and the object of the action are different persons, "myself" is inappropriate.

Ex: Jason, [you] bring the book to me. (Not "to myself.")
Carly invited Hank and me to dinner. (Not "and myself.")

"Myself" is never a subject. (Except, I guess, in this sentence I just wrote. ;>)

Answer 5

If you're talking about the subject of a sentence, use "I". For example, "I went to the doctor's office." "I" is the subject (the one who is doing something). Use "me" when it's in the predicate of the sentence, like "The doctor came to me." "The doctor" is the subject, and "came to me" is the predicate.

Myself is something different.. like "I wanted it done right, so I did it myself." "Me" would not fit in that sentence, just as "myself" would not fit in the sentence, "The doctor came to me."

Answer 6

Ask, and ye shall receive:

http://curmudgeonlywriter.blogspot.com/2003_03_16_archive.html

Answer 7

Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
I've been around for a long long year stolen many man's soul and faith
I was around when Jesus Christ had His moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate washed his hands and sealed His fate
Pleased to meet you hope you guess my name
But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game

Answer 8

ME MYSELF AND I