There is a saying in English that we’re never alone because we are always with “me, myself, and I.” These are three common pronouns to denote ME as the subject and object of a sentence, yet they are commonly misused by English speakers. Let’s have a brief look at how to use them properly.
I is of course the most common pronoun because it refers to me as the subject.
- I went to the store.
Easy right? So what happens when you go with someone else to the store? You always put I second in the subject.
- Julia and I (subjects) went to Japan.
Putting I first is incorrect, sounds dreadful, and English speakers virtually never do it. I would never say, “I and Julia went to Japan.”
Problems with pronouns arise when we use ME.
ME should always be used as the object in a sentence.
- Julia (subject) went to Japan with me (object).
When there is more than one person in the object, put me second.
- Ai and Yuka sang karaoke with Julia and me.
One of the most common errors amongst native English speakers is to use ME as the subject pronoun.
- Me and Julia went to Japan.
- Julia and me went to Japan.
TRY TO AVOID THIS!
Myself is also troublesome. Myself is a reflexive pronoun that refers to the subject AFTER already establishing I as the subject pronoun. It is most commonly used in the following way:
- I couldn’t see myself in the mirror.
- I wanted to buy myself a Washlet in Japan.
A terrible habit amongst English speakers is using MYSELF as either the subject or object in a sentence, like in these ear-splitting examples:
- Julia and myself went to Japan.
- Myself and Julia went to Japan.
- Julia went to Japan with myself.
- Ai and Yuka sang karaoke with Julia and myself.
These are common mistakes that annoy English teachers because we should know better, yet even I catch myself using me and myself incorrectly at times.
As native English speakers we may never travel alone, but we should always know the difference between me, myself, and I.
Paul Panchyshyn 