Me, myself, and I: using the correct pronoun
November 28th 2008 15:01
One of the most confusing things in English grammar is when to use me, myself, and I. Most people tend to overuse "I", resulting in statements such as, "I will make dinner for Declan and me," which is what my husband said last night, and "This is a picture of my friend and I."
The easiest way to determine when to use me, myself, or I, is to omit the other parties in the statement:
You say, "I will make dinner for myself"; thus, say, "I will make dinner for Declan and myself".
You say, "This is a picture of me"; thus, say, "This is a picture of my friend and me".*
You say, "I have no qualms about eating cold pizza"; thus, say, "My sister and I have no qualms about eating cold pizza".
*This is debated amongst grammarians. Though it doesn't follow the rule (What? Inconsistent English grammar rules? You don't say...), the more correct usage is "I". But that sounds stilted and formal. People almost always say "me" in this context, and colloquial use wins here. That's why Agent Scully always says, "Mulder, it's me," and not "Mulder, it's I."
----------------------------- -----
BTW I know it's been ages. I've been terribly busy and tired with a newborn at home, but I hope to find more time to keep my blogs up to date.
The easiest way to determine when to use me, myself, or I, is to omit the other parties in the statement:
You say, "I will make dinner for myself"; thus, say, "I will make dinner for Declan and myself".
You say, "This is a picture of me"; thus, say, "This is a picture of my friend and me".*
You say, "I have no qualms about eating cold pizza"; thus, say, "My sister and I have no qualms about eating cold pizza".
*This is debated amongst grammarians. Though it doesn't follow the rule (What? Inconsistent English grammar rules? You don't say...), the more correct usage is "I". But that sounds stilted and formal. People almost always say "me" in this context, and colloquial use wins here. That's why Agent Scully always says, "Mulder, it's me," and not "Mulder, it's I."
----------------------------- -----
BTW I know it's been ages. I've been terribly busy and tired with a newborn at home, but I hope to find more time to keep my blogs up to date.
| 41 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by KaTchI
Japan Slate