Me or Myself?
Me or Myself?
(OP)
This was recently the topic of some spirited debate between a co-worker and I in my office:
When I write a letter and want to close by saying that the individual may contact me or another person with questions, I always write: "Please feel free to contact Joe Smith or me with any questions."
As I understand it, this is proper grammer. You would not say: "Please contact I with questions" or "Please contact myself with questions", you would use "me".
However, I rarely see "me" used in this context. Am I the only one?
Sadly, it often crosses my mind that the recipient may get a chuckle from my percieved "poor grammer". It's a shame that the improper forms of this closing has become so ubiquitous that the proper form seems incorrect. - By the way, I never did convince my co-worker to use the proper form. He said it didn't sound right.
When I write a letter and want to close by saying that the individual may contact me or another person with questions, I always write: "Please feel free to contact Joe Smith or me with any questions."
As I understand it, this is proper grammer. You would not say: "Please contact I with questions" or "Please contact myself with questions", you would use "me".
However, I rarely see "me" used in this context. Am I the only one?
Sadly, it often crosses my mind that the recipient may get a chuckle from my percieved "poor grammer". It's a shame that the improper forms of this closing has become so ubiquitous that the proper form seems incorrect. - By the way, I never did convince my co-worker to use the proper form. He said it didn't sound right.





RE: Me or Myself?
a) Where the object of the action is the same as the speaker; e.g. "I corrected myself."
b) As an emphatic pronoun, to reinforce the simple pronoun "I"; e.g. "I was wondering about that issue myself."
"Myself" should NOT be used as part of a compound subject of a verb, where "me" or "I" would be the correct singular form; i.e. "Please feel free to contact Joe or me" is correct; "Feel free to contact Joe or myself" is incorrect, even though it "feels" better somehow.
Also, since we are in "nit-picking" mode:
a) This was actually the subject of a debate "between a co-worker and me", NOT "between a co-worker and I".
b)The system by which words are joined together to form intelligible utterances is "grammar". "Grammer" is a little old lady who crochets doilies and drinks tea.
:->
RE: Me or Myself?
It appears I proved my point in the very first sentence of my post! Oops! :)
RE: Me or Myself?
corus
RE: Me or Myself?
Why not use "the undersigned" since YOU are writing the letter?
Joe Borg
www.methode-eur.com
RE: Me or Myself?
However "Please contact my husband and I" would be wrong, whereas "Please contact Phil and me would be correct".
Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein
RE: Me or Myself?
Why not put emphasis on yourself?
Please contact myself....
Alternatively, Joe Smith can help you with any questions.
RE: Me or Myself?
Corus, isn't the verb active (I) passive (me) that determines whether the Queen is right or wrong ?
RE: Me or Myself?
corus
RE: Me or Myself?
I ran to the store
Tom popped me on the head.
Thus, you would feel free to contact me, while I would feel free to contact you.
Edward L. Klein
Pipe Stress Engineer
Houston, Texas
"All the world is a Spring"
All opinions expressed here are my own and not my company's.
RE: Me or Myself?
"My husband and I are deeply embarrassed about the behaviour of our children"
and
"The behaviour of our children is a source of deep embarrassment to Phil and me"
RE: Me or Myself?
I have regularly used this without knowing how correct it is and why.
Ciao.