I, myself, and...me?
The misuse of “I” and “myself” for “me” is caused by nervousness about “me.”
Educated people know that “Jim and me is goin’ down to slop the hogs,” is not elegant speech, not “correct.” It should be “Jim and I” because if I were slopping the hogs alone I would never say “Me is going. . . .”
So far so good. But the notion that there is something wrong with “me” leads people to overcorrect and avoid it where it is perfectly appropriate. People will say “The document had to be signed by both Susan and I” when the correct statement would be, “The document had to be signed by both Susan and me.”
Trying even harder to avoid the lowly “me,” many people will substitute “myself,” as in “The suspect uttered epithets at Officer O’ Leary and myself.” “Myself” is no better than “I” as an object. “Myself” is not a sort of all-purpose intensive form of “me” or “I.” Use “myself” only when you have used “I” earlier in the same sentence: “I am not particularly fond of goat cheese myself.” “I kept half the loot for myself.” All this confusion can easily be avoided if you just remove the second party from the sentences where you feel tempted to use “myself” as an object or feel nervous about “me.” You wouldn’t say, “The IRS sent the refund check to I,” so you shouldn’t say “The IRS sent the refund check to my wife and I” either. And you shouldn’t say “to my wife and myself.” The only correct way to say this is, “The IRS sent the refund check to my wife and me.” Still sounds too casual? Get over it.
http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/myself.html
This is an online article by Paul Brians, Dept. of English at Washington State University
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Part II:
If you're still wondering about how to use I and me, think about this:
~ Trying leaving the other subject out of the sentence.
EX) Subjects: Cindy and Tom(being the speaker of the sentences)
Cindy and me are going to the movies.
me is going to the movies (DOES NOT WORK. Thus, Cindy and I would be the proper use for the sentence)
EX) The mayor invited Cindy and I to the movies.
The mayor invited I to the movies(This is wrong, thus Cindy and I is NOT the proper use)
The mayor invited CIndy and me to the movies.
The mayor invited me to the movies(This is correct, so the proper use of Cindy and the speaker in this sentence is: The Mayor invited Cindy and me to the moves)!!!!
WAHOO.
Educated people know that “Jim and me is goin’ down to slop the hogs,” is not elegant speech, not “correct.” It should be “Jim and I” because if I were slopping the hogs alone I would never say “Me is going. . . .”
So far so good. But the notion that there is something wrong with “me” leads people to overcorrect and avoid it where it is perfectly appropriate. People will say “The document had to be signed by both Susan and I” when the correct statement would be, “The document had to be signed by both Susan and me.”
Trying even harder to avoid the lowly “me,” many people will substitute “myself,” as in “The suspect uttered epithets at Officer O’ Leary and myself.” “Myself” is no better than “I” as an object. “Myself” is not a sort of all-purpose intensive form of “me” or “I.” Use “myself” only when you have used “I” earlier in the same sentence: “I am not particularly fond of goat cheese myself.” “I kept half the loot for myself.” All this confusion can easily be avoided if you just remove the second party from the sentences where you feel tempted to use “myself” as an object or feel nervous about “me.” You wouldn’t say, “The IRS sent the refund check to I,” so you shouldn’t say “The IRS sent the refund check to my wife and I” either. And you shouldn’t say “to my wife and myself.” The only correct way to say this is, “The IRS sent the refund check to my wife and me.” Still sounds too casual? Get over it.
http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/myself.html
This is an online article by Paul Brians, Dept. of English at Washington State University
--------------------------
Part II:
If you're still wondering about how to use I and me, think about this:
~ Trying leaving the other subject out of the sentence.
EX) Subjects: Cindy and Tom(being the speaker of the sentences)
Cindy and me are going to the movies.
me is going to the movies (DOES NOT WORK. Thus, Cindy and I would be the proper use for the sentence)
EX) The mayor invited Cindy and I to the movies.
The mayor invited I to the movies(This is wrong, thus Cindy and I is NOT the proper use)
The mayor invited CIndy and me to the movies.
The mayor invited me to the movies(This is correct, so the proper use of Cindy and the speaker in this sentence is: The Mayor invited Cindy and me to the moves)!!!!
WAHOO.