The reflexive and intensive pronoun myself is often used incorrectly. The following guidelines show the standard and non-standard uses of myself.
Standard use
There are two correct ways to use the pronoun myself.
- To reflect the action back onto I, me or my:
- I hurt myself skydiving.
- The instructor helped me strap myself into the parachute.
- My plan was to hurl myself out of a plane once a week.
- To emphasize the subject I:
- I will build the tree house myself.
- I myself have no objections.
Non-standard use
When writing, avoid using myself to replace I or me as the subject or object of a verb.
- Greg, Tim and I (not Greg, Tim and myself) walked home.
- Meg let Jan and me (not Jan and myself) use her computer.
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