I or Me?
Grammar Lesson #2
You may lay your work on the desk and even lie down on the couch while contemplating this second grammar lesson. Today we consider the proper use of personal pronouns. Remember these two terms: subjective and objective. A subjective pronoun does something. An objective pronoun has something done to it.
Thus,
I (subjective) hit the ball.
The ball hits me (objective).
This is easy enough, but we tend to trip up when we add another pronoun or use prepositions. For example, someone knows to say, "I like to play ping pong." That same person, however, might also say, "Her and I like to play ping pong." You, of course, know the answer is "she." If you get confused, simply try the sentence with one pronoun, and you most likely will know what to do.
What about prepositions (of, to, on, about, for...)? Treat them like verbs that do something to the pronoun.
Incorrect usage:
I hit the ball to Bob and she.
You have done so much for Willy and he.
I've asked Tom, on behalf of Sally and I, to say a few words.
Correct usage:
I hit the ball to Bob and her.
You have done so much for Willy and him.
I've asked Tom, on behalf of Sally and me, to say a few words.
Hopefully, this will be of help to they who want to improve themselves. Let Linda Boice know I am doing my duty. She and me tried to teach our students correctly. Occasionally, a sharp student might correct she and me in class, but not often. And if you are a sharp student, you will have already noted the three mistakes in this paragraph.
You may lay your work on the desk and even lie down on the couch while contemplating this second grammar lesson. Today we consider the proper use of personal pronouns. Remember these two terms: subjective and objective. A subjective pronoun does something. An objective pronoun has something done to it.
Thus,
I (subjective) hit the ball.
The ball hits me (objective).
This is easy enough, but we tend to trip up when we add another pronoun or use prepositions. For example, someone knows to say, "I like to play ping pong." That same person, however, might also say, "Her and I like to play ping pong." You, of course, know the answer is "she." If you get confused, simply try the sentence with one pronoun, and you most likely will know what to do.
What about prepositions (of, to, on, about, for...)? Treat them like verbs that do something to the pronoun.
Incorrect usage:
I hit the ball to Bob and she.
You have done so much for Willy and he.
I've asked Tom, on behalf of Sally and I, to say a few words.
Correct usage:
I hit the ball to Bob and her.
You have done so much for Willy and him.
I've asked Tom, on behalf of Sally and me, to say a few words.
Hopefully, this will be of help to they who want to improve themselves. Let Linda Boice know I am doing my duty. She and me tried to teach our students correctly. Occasionally, a sharp student might correct she and me in class, but not often. And if you are a sharp student, you will have already noted the three mistakes in this paragraph.
posted by M Clark at 10/06/2005 11:35:00 AM
5 Comments:
In your third example, why would it not be "on behalf of Sally and myself" since the pronoun refers to the subject of the sentence? I've always found this confusing. (And is it the asking or the saying that is on behalf of Sally and the speaker?)
myself is reflexive (objective that reflects back to the subject), such as "I gave myself a raise", and sometimes only for emphasis, as in "I myself warned you".
this may be a problem of overcorrection (the I vs me problem), or simply that folks want to be less direct for modesty. in any case, you can say what you want (we all understand you), but if you want to be 'grammatically correct', which is decreasingly important, he's right, it's me in the third example.
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, "myself" can be used reflexively as the object of a preposition as well as a direct or indirect object. I'm still hesitant to use it in Marion's example, but I'm not sure why.
you're hesitant because it is 'incorrect'. open up your AHD again, and reread the first definition- it is used "As a reflexive pronoun, [either] forming the direct or indirect object of a verb or the object of a preposition."
and see the usage note-
"Eighty-eight percent [of the usage panel] find this sentence unacceptable: The boss asked John and myself to give a brief presentation."
I think one of the errors is supposed to be the use of "hopefully," thought I tend to agree with a growing number of grammarians that this is an acceptable usage as a sentence adverb, at least outside of the most formal of writing contexts.
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