Megastar Beyonce wears a lot of hats but English teacher isn’t one she dons, at least not notably. Based on observation, the reference to self wreaks communications havoc on a daily basis. Long gone is Tom Wolfe’s “Me Decade” of the 70s but today many insert “myself” where “me or I” should be. The surge in third person references is as puzzling as a Rubix Cube. Rather than elevate as if we’re rock star royalty, it merely deflates our grammatical precision.
Usage is dependent on the subject or object in a sentence’s structure. Sounds complicated, right? Before you dismiss it, consider these examples:
(1) A few weeks ago in the Houston Chronicle, an NFL draft entrant incurred a partial grammatical penalty when he made this statement: “If I don’t believe in myself, who do I expect to believe in myself?”
Correction: If I don’t believe in myself, who should believe in me? Since who is the subject of the verb clause, “should believe,” the word “me” should be used.
(2) A corporate professional conveyed these directions via email: “Just send it to Don, James and myself.”
Correction: Just send it to Don, James and me. The person speaking should refer to themselves as “me” instead of “myself.” In other words, send it to them but also send it to me.
(3) A reality TV star said “How different Jason and myself are.”
Correction: “How different Jason and I are.” This statement is made in first person so “I” is appropriate. It in essence communicates that I am different and Jason is different.
Dr. Grammar’s rule of thumb: Use myself only when you have used I earlier in the same sentence: 'I am not particularly fond of goat cheese myself.' (Brians, Common Errors in English Usage)
For a handy breakdown of when to use “me, myself or I,” don’t consult Beyonce but do read here:
http://www.marcandangel.com/2006/09/27/me-myself-and-i-grammar
No comments:
Post a Comment