What is with the current (mis)use of the reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself) instead of the subjective (I, you) or objective pronoun (me, you)?
Any questions, please see myself.
Is it that people are so scared to use ‘me’ because as a child they were constantly told ‘Say Jane and I, not me and Jane’?
Really people, the rules are easy. If the sentence is about something you are doing, you are the subject, so use ‘I’. If the sentence is about something being done to you, you are the object, so use ‘me’.
I ran to the ball.
The ball was thrown to me.
Likewise in the second person, but there it’s even easier! Both subject and object use ‘you’.
If you have questions, see me.
I have some questions for you.
Wikipedia defines the reflexive pronoun as:
A reflexive pronoun is a pronoun that is preceded by the noun or pronoun to which it refers (its antecedent) within the same clause. In generative grammar, a reflexive pronoun is an anaphor that must be bound by its antecedent (see binding). In some languages, there is a difference between reflexive and non-reflexive pronouns; but the exact conditions that determine whether something is bound are not yet well defined and depend on the language in question.
Sounds complicated? I agree, but it can be summed up quite simply: If you are tempted to use ‘myself’ or ‘yourself’, ask yourself this question: (see what I did there? Wasn’t that clever!)
Is the person being referred to both the subject and the object?
If they are not, then do not say myself!
Of course, as with all things in the English language, there is a catch – ‘myself’ can also be a noun. ‘I am not myself’. But don’t let that confuse you.





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