We're taught early on that it's barbaric to use the word "me" in reference to oneself. But the lingering fear of our third grade grammar teacher can get us into some really awkward situations:
For instance, it's incorrect to ask, "Are you riding with Starsky and I?"
Or, "Trent called Mikey and I about the party in the Hills."
Sometimes we get so worried about always using "I" that we even make up words:
"Janice is his and I's sister." [Correct: "Janice is his and my sister."]
Some of us get so freaked out that we resort to the somewhat uncomfortable and very often misused "myself":
For example, "Please see Bob or myself about the TPS reports" is incorrect. [Correct: "Please see Bob or me about the TPS reports."]
Here's the first (and possibly only) rule:
1. Leave them out of it.
Think about what would happen if the sentence were only about you:
For instance, "Trent called I about the party in the Hills" doesn't work. We would say, "Trent called me about the party in the Hills." So when we add Mikey back into it, this sentence should read:
"Trent called Mikey and me about the party in the Hills."
That's it. "Me" is perfectly acceptable in this case. No worries. No crack on the knuckles from Sister Agatha. This is absolutely correct.
And so is, "Are you riding with Starsky and me?" [Think: "Are you riding with I," or "Are you riding with me?"]
Note: In every instance, it is, in fact, correct to list the other person before oneself. Just think about putting others before yourself.
Example: "Me and my brother went to Boston" should read, "My brother and I went to Boston." [Think: "I went to Boston," and make sure to list the other person first.]
2. "What about 'myself'?"
The dictionary definition of "myself" gave The Driver tired-head. It was, after all, past his bedtime. And since he really wants this series of posts to be user-friendly and approachable, that means he's going to have to work a bit harder to dumb it down for you. Plus, he's not even sure he knows how to correctly use 'myself'... um... himself. He usually just re-writes the entire sentence to avoid stuff like that.
3 comments:
Dear Driver, I need to know if it's correct to say "I, myself prefer men with mullets".
Absolutely. Except without the comma.
"I myself prefer men with mullets."
Advanced Learnin': Note the punctuation of your quote within a question:
I need to know if it's correct to say, [comma] "I myself prefer men with mullets." [period inside the quotation mark]
The Driver doesn't make the rules. He just criticizes people who miss them.
I can not stand when people misuse "myself." I have several coworkers who do that and it's like nails on a chalkboard for me. Thanks for this PSA. I only wish that it could reach the masses.
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