When to use "me", "myself" and "I" - Emma Bryce

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Me, myself, and I. You may be tempted to use these words interchangeably, because they all refer to the same thing. But in fact, each one has a specific role in a sentence: ‘I’ is a subject pronoun, ‘me’ is an object pronoun, and ‘myself’ is a reflexive or intensive pronoun. Emma Bryce explains what each role reveals about where each word belongs.

Lesson by Emma Bryce, animation by Karrot Animation.

Me, myself, and I.

You may be tempted to use
these words interchangeably

because they all refer to the same thing,

but in fact, each one has a specific role
in a sentence.

"I" is a subject pronoun,

"me" is an object pronoun,

and "myself" is a reflexive
or intensive pronoun.

So what does that reveal about
where each word belongs?

Let's start with the difference
between subject and object.

Imagine the subject
as the actor in a sentence

and the object as the word
that is acted upon.

"I invited her but she invited me."

The object can also be
the object of a preposition.

"She danced around me,
while he shimmied up to me."

In some languages, like Latin and Russian,

most nouns have different forms
that distinguish subjects from objects.

However, in English,
that's only true of pronouns.

But so long as you know how to distinguish
subjects from objects,

you can figure out what belongs where.

And when you encounter
a more complicated sentence,

say one that involves
multiple subjects or objects,

and you're not sure
whether to use "I" or "me,"

just temporarily eliminate
the other person,

and once again distinguish
subject from object.

Here's another.

You wouldn't say, "Me heard gossip,"
but sub in "I" and you're good to go.

Then what about "myself?"

This grand character is often substituted
for "me" and "I"

because it seems more impressive.

"Please tell Jack or myself"
may sound elegant,

but in fact, "me"
is the right pronoun here.

So where should you use "myself"?

In its function as a reflexive pronoun,

"myself" only works
if it's the object of a sentence

whose subject is "I."

"I consider myself the most important
pronoun at this year's party."

"Myself" can also add emphasis
as an intensive pronoun.

"I, myself, have heard others agree."

The sentence works without it,

but that extra pronoun gives it oomph.

To check if "myself" belongs
in a sentence,

simply ensure that there's also an "I"
that it's reflecting or intensifying.

So that's "me," "myself," and "I,"

ever ready to represent
you, yourself, and you.