Today’s Grammar Tip — Me, Myself and I
Me, myself and I look like simple words that we use on a regular basis, but they’re easy to misuse. Here’s an example: “Matt and myself are going to the movies.” Writers may think they’re being more formal by talking that way, but it’s not proper usage. The correct way to phrase that sentence would be, “Matt and I are going to the movies.”
When do we use myself? When the word actually reflects back on us: “I feel the same way myself.” Use of this reflexive pronoun is becoming less popular, unless you want to emphasize a point. For example, “President Obama himself greeted us at the door.”
What about me and I? You can say, “Marianne and I are best friends; she tells me everything.” You don’t want to say, “Marianne and me are best friends; she tells I everything.” Most of the time you can figure that one out by reading it out loud.
Sigrid Macdonald is the author of three books, including Be Your Own Editor, available at Lulu.com. Check her out at http://sigridmacdonald.blogspot.com/.
