“The boy spent a lot of time and effort fixing the boy’s toy car.”
Pronouns inherently exist for a reason: To avoid grammatically correct yet awkwardly redundant sentences like the one above.
However, like any other device whose job is to make our life easier and more meaningful, pronouns also serve other purposes in communication.
In today’s post, you’ll find out whether you really need to feel guilty about using “I” and “myself” together in a sentence.
Let’s start with an overview.
Is using “I myself” in a sentence grammatically correct?
“I myself” is a grammatically correct phrase in English used to deliberately add emphasis towards the subject. In this type of construction, “myself” is used as an intensive rather than a reflexive pronoun, which means it intensifies or highlights the presence of the antecedent “I.”
Pronoun whatnots: A grammatical background on “I myself”
In grammar, “I” is a type of pronoun that can only be used as a subject in the sentence.
So, unless “I” is intentionally nominalized or used as a noun, it should never appear in any other part of a sentence by all means.
Whereas, “myself” is also another pronoun that could either have a reflexive or intensive function in English grammar.
When we say that a pronoun has a reflexive function, it means that its job is to simply “reflect” a piece of action back to the subject or antecedent, just like a mirror does.
In a more technical angle, though, reflexive pronouns mark the coreference of one of the participants of a given situation with the sentence’s subject or subjects.
Reflexive pronouns are critical to the holistic meaning of the sentence, and thus, its removal would suggest either ungrammaticality or incompleteness of meaning.
Here are two examples of reflexive pronouns:
She moved the desk closer to herself.
I decided to buy myself a large box of pizza.
Meanwhile, we can say that a pronoun is intensive when it demonstrates a highlighting or emphasizing effect towards the subject and whatever action it does.
Unlike your reflexives, an intensive pronoun does not necessarily fulfill the meaning or argument of the verb, and thus, it is considered a grammatically dispensable element.
In its entirety, the implied meaning of the whole sentence would not essentially get lacerated without the presence of an intensive pronoun.
In other words, intensive pronouns play a rather stylistic role in language application instead of a syntactical one.
Please refer to the examples for intensive pronouns below to see the difference:
She moved the 200-pound desk by herself.
I ate the large pizza all by myself.
Besides the types of pronouns I’ve mentioned above, commas before relative pronouns also often cause confusion among native and non-native English language users alike.
But, as you get more familiar with these writing concerns and how to go about them, this activity will surely become just like a cakewalk for you.
Contextualizing “I myself”
Now that we’ve covered such nuances, it should be easier to make sense of the usage of “I myself.”
The case with “I myself” falls under the combination of a subject and intensive pronoun to represent more emphasis toward the subject and whatever it is doing in the sentence.
In sentences using this type of construction, “myself” is responsible for only intensifying or emphasizing the meaning of “I” and hence removable.
In addition, you would also notice that “I myself” is mostly used in poetic or philosophical rather than formal contexts.
This is because of the highlighting effect of the intensifier pronoun – a strategy used in conveying persuasive language.
As a result, the language tone becomes more personal or emotional in this type of construction and is thus avoided in formalistic situations.
Here are some examples of the emphatic use of “I myself” to demonstrate the series of explanations above:
I myself got offended by your reaction.
Everything turned out as planned, just as I myself wanted it to be.
How can I accept your apology when I myself do not feel any sincerity?
Sometimes, I myself get scared to face the atrocities of life.
We must never harm other people intentionally because I myself believe that karma does come around.
Punctuating “I myself” properly
In the “I myself” construction, the standard practice is not to place any commas around the second word.
Placing commas around “myself” might be perceived as grammatical overkill in most writing scenarios.
Why do you think so?
Albeit possible to enclose “myself” with parenthetical commas (commas used to set off grammatically dispensable elements), it is often avoided by writers.
Placing a comma before or after a parenthesis may also be a tricky situation for some, but constant reading and practice should always keep you on track.
As “myself” is already an intensifier per se, encapsulating the word with commas would simply make the writer seem a little too egotistical.
Consider the next example:
I, myself, don’t need your help with punctuation.
Context would immediately make you infer that I’m only using the example sentence above for emphasis.
But, in any other case, you wouldn’t want to read that kind of sentence in this blog, would you?
So, again, you may use commas to offset “myself” from “I,” but the grammatical convention is to drop the punctuation marks.
However, other structural reasons may prompt the adjacent use of commas to “I myself,” such as when it appears after an introductory expression or is introduced as a quoted speech.
Place a comma before “I myself” when it appears after an introductory sentence element.
(Introductory expression)
Sometimes, I myself get sick of her whims.
The rule of thumb is to place a comma before the opening quotation mark when “I myself” is introduced as a quoted speech.
Bear in mind, though, that some subtle differences exist between American and British English conventions in terms of placing a comma after a quotation.
(Quoted speech)
He continued, “I myself do not want to meddle with their problem.”
Commas are not rocket science. I believe going over our comma cheat sheet would also make things a lot clearer.
The case with“I” plus “myself” plus “a name”
Most, if not all, native English speakers do not resort to using “I,” “myself,” and “a name” all at once simply because it’s a grammatical triple kill.
I hope you have noticed how I punctuated the introductory phrase in the last sentence and how its meaning would’ve changed if I skipped my commas.
If not, please feel free to read our additional resource titled “‘Most if not all’: Does this expression need commas?”
Unless you are using the expression to emphasize the incomparable importance of yourself to a person who needs some form of reminder, then you had better steer clear of this usage.
Especially for followers of plain and clear English language use, any form of superfluous grammatical construction should always be avoided.
As regards punctuation, the standard practice is to omit the commas around “myself,” but, depending on the writer’s intent, it is still possible to enclose it with commas.
Incorrect: I, myself, Cassandra Peters, pledge to execute my social and environmental responsibilities.
Here’s the preferred version of the phrase being discussed, where commas are necessary to encapsulate the full name of the person:
Correct: I, Cassandra Peters, pledge to execute my social and environmental responsibilities.
Here’s an alternative, less emphatic, and more formal way to express it:
Correct: I pledge to execute my social and environmental responsibilities.
Here’s an emphatic and grammatically conventional version:
Correct: I myself pledge to execute my social and environmental responsibilities.
Lastly, here’s a stylistically and grammatically sound version but with a more personal and emotional tone:
Correct: I, myself, pledge to execute my social and environmental responsibilities.
Frequently Asked Questions on “Is ‘I myself’ grammatically correct?”
Which one is more correct, “I myself” or “me myself”?
“I myself,” a phrase only used for deliberately adding emphasis toward the subject and the action, is more grammatically correct than “me myself” particularly if it is used in the subject part of a sentence.
What is an example sentence using “I myself”?
“At times, I myself feel like the concept of humanity is already lost.”
“You can’t convince me to do it because I myself have experienced some of its consequences before.”
When can we use “me” vs. “myself”?
“Me,” an object pronoun, is never used in the subject part of the sentence, at least in standard Englishes. Whereas, “myself” can be used as an intensive pronoun right after the subject “I” to make it more emphatic.
Conclusion
Language is both systematic and arbitrary, and it should remain this way for as long as we are willing to embrace arguments based on science and art.
I hope you’ve got one takeaway by this point, and that is, contextualization is key in making sense of whether the phrase “I myself” is grammatically correct.
Marcel Iseli
Hey fellow Linguaholics! It’s me, Marcel. I am the proud owner of linguaholic.com. Languages have always been my passion and I have studied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics and Sinology at the University of Zurich. It is my utmost pleasure to share with all of you guys what I know about languages and linguistics in general.
FAQs
Is it correct grammar to say I myself? ›
Answer: Yes. Explanation: There are two ways—and two ways only—that you can refer to yourself as “myself” in a sentence. Both of them involve sentences that also include either “I” or “me.” In this case, “myself” is an intensive pronoun, added for emphasis.
Is there a comma between I and myself? ›Normally such commas would be unnecessary. When it repeats the subject, a word like “myself” is called an intensifier—it adds emphasis. Commas would draw even more attention to the subject, but unless you want readers to pause over that intensifier, leave them out.
How do you use the phrase I myself? ›Myself - used for emphasis, my own self or person; as I myself will do it; I have done it myself; -- used also instead of me, as the object of the first person of a reflexive verb, without emphasis; as, I will defend myself. It is perfectly ok as long as it refer to subject of the sentence.
What is the meaning of I myself? ›Myself is a reflexive pronoun, being the reflexive form of I. It is used especially in the following ways: as an object that refers to the speaker or writer who is the subject of the sentence or is mentioned somewhere earlier in the sentence: I blame myself for what happened.
Do you say myself and John or John and I? ›When to Use Myself and John. You should never use myself and John or John and myself. Both phrases are grammatically incorrect. Instead, use John and me if the speaker is the object of the sentence, and use John and I if the speaker is the subject of the sentence.
Can we use I with myself? ›Me, myself, and I. You may be tempted to use these words interchangeably, because they all refer to the same thing. But in fact, each one has a specific role in a sentence: 'I' is a subject pronoun, 'me' is an object pronoun, and 'myself' is a reflexive or intensive pronoun.
Is it David and I or David and myself? ›Is it David and me or David and myself? “Me” is the correct word. An easy way to remember which is right is to delete the other people in the sentence.
Do you put myself first or last in a sentence? ›A: There's no grammatical rule that when you mention yourself along with another person, you mention yourself last. This may be an issue of politeness, but it's not one of grammar.
What is the grammar rule for I and me? ›Use the pronoun "I" when the person speaking is doing the action, either alone or with someone else. Use the pronoun "me" when the person speaking is receiving the action of the verb in some way, either directly or indirectly.
What to use instead of I myself? ›- I personally.
- me personally.
- personally.
- the author.
- the speaker.
- the writer.
- yours truly.
What's another way of saying I myself? ›
| I | I for one |
|---|---|
| myself | yours truly |
| ourself | self |
| the author | the speaker |
| the writer | me personally |
The important part of that lesson was being polite, not using good grammar. But you need to know that you should say "Sally and I" ONLY when you need the subject of a sentence or phrase. If the words "Sally and I" are serving as the object of a phrase, then you need to switch to "Sally and me."
Why do I say to myself? ›It means that a person is thinking out loud. It doesn't mean that they're necessarily going crazy, or that they're mentally unstable or whatnot. It just means that vocalizing their thoughts and hearing themselves speak these thoughts, sometimes helps boost their cognition.
Is it Tom and I or Tom and myself? ›Whenever the compound is the subject of a clause, then you want I. For example: Tom and I enjoy pizza. In this sentence, the Tom and I are performing the action: enjoying.
Is it Steve and I or Steve and myself? ›Because of rules (1) and (2), most English speakers agree that “Steve and I attended the conference” is the prescriptively “correct” form of “Me and Steve attended the conference.”
Is it grammatically correct to say John and I's? ›Unfortunately, in this case, trying to sound like you have good grammar makes things worse because the grammatically correct form is “with John and me,” not “with John and I.” I have a theory about why this hypercorrection is so common.
Is it Jane and myself or Jane and I? ›Correct: Jane and I went to the store to get more groceries. Both you and Jane are completing the action here—you are the subjects of the sentence. So, like before, you refer to yourself with "I". Incorrect: Jane and me went to the store to get more groceries.
Why do people use myself instead of I? ›People often use the word "myself" because it seems egotistical to say "me". Sportspeople do this all the time, in an attempt to downplay the focus on themselves.
Is it Mary and I or Mary and myself? ›The answer of the question Mary and me or Mary and I is Mary and I is correct. Because in this situation first person should be used.
Do I always put myself first? ›It's okay to put yourself first. And it's not something you need to feel guilty about. Thinking about your own mental wellbeing before others is something a lot of people find hard to do. But living your life to please other people can have a major impact on your mental health.
Should we start a sentence with myself? ›
It's usually appropriate to use “myself” 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.” “Myself” is also fine in expressions like “young people like myself” or “a picture of my boyfriend and myself.” In informal English, ...
What is the difference between I and myself? ›Main Similarity and Difference
'I' and 'myself' are both pronouns and both refer to the same person. 'Myself' is the reflexive form of the pronoun 'I' and 'I' is the first person singular subject pronoun.
Nancy is the subject who is taking you to the park and applying an action on you. “I” is the subject of a sentence, while “me” is the object. Although this seems like such a simple rule, many people tend to overlook it. The corrected version of this sentence would be, “Nancy took Wesley and me to the amusement park.”
What is the rule concerning the use of the pronoun I? ›We use the 1st person pronoun I to take the role of the speaker. The 2nd person pronoun you is used to take the role of the listener. In the case of you, there is only one pronoun to cover the singular and the plural, so that it is sometimes necessary to use a form of words that will make clear who is being addressed.
Do you use I or me after a noun? ›But the question of whether to use I or me comes down to whether you are using the word as a subject or as an object in the sentence. Both words are pronouns, but I is a subject pronoun while me is an object pronoun. So, in the sentence, “She and I went to the store,” the correct word to use would be I rather than me.
What is an archaic way of saying myself? ›'Thyself' is an archaic pronoun meaning 'yourself' and it's used when talking to only one person.
How do you say I without saying I in an essay? ›Take a Third-Person Perspective
Changing the perspective is a good way to take first-person pronouns out of a sentence. A third-person point of view will not use any first-person pronouns because the information is not given from the speaker's perspective.
- One can introduce himself/herself without using I or myself by following ways:
- Here is.... ( name, designation/Profession)
- This is....(name, designation/Profession)
- The peson talking to you now is.....(name, designation/Profession)
- Yours truly is....(name, designation/ Profession)
| I for one | I myself |
|---|---|
| I personally | me |
| myself | yours truly |
| ourself | self |
| the author | the speaker |
Use "I" when it is the subject of the sentence and use "me" when it is the object of the sentence. The correct statement is "Happy Birthday from Bob and me." The phrase "Bob and me" is the object of the preposition "from" so you should use the object pronoun "me."
Is it Erica and I or Erica and me? ›
"Me" is the correct choice. So here is the rule to remember: Adding additional people to the sentence never changes whether you should use “I” or “me.”
Is it Liz and I or Liz and me? ›Even native English speakers often get this wrong. The very same rules that we have already learned apply. If the people are the subject of the verb, you should use I. If the people are the objects of the verb, me is correct.
Why do I refer to myself in second person? ›When you refer to yourself with second- or third-person pronouns, it can seem like you're speaking to another person. This can provide some emotional distance in situations where you feel stressed and help relieve distress associated with the task.
Why do I talk to myself in 3rd person? ›During stressful times, talking to yourself in the third person—silently—could help you control your emotions. This method doesn't take any more mental effort, say researchers, than talking to yourself in the first person, which is how people normally talk to themselves.
Why do I talk to myself like I'm talking to someone else? ›Self-talk can be a symptom of a number of mental illnesses. It can be a sign of an anxiety disorder, depression, PTSD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. More severe mental illnesses associated with self-talk include schizophrenia and psychosis.
How do I say myself and another person? ›So, to answer your question, you only use “myself and someone else in a sentence” when you are the subject of the verb and you and someone else are also the object: “I made dinner for my wife and myself.”
Can I start a sentence with myself? ›It's usually appropriate to use “myself” 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.” “Myself” is also fine in expressions like “young people like myself” or “a picture of my boyfriend and myself.” In informal English, ...
What is the wrong use of reflexive pronoun? ›Incorrect use of reflexive pronouns
A reflexive pronoun should only ever be used when the subject and object of a sentence are the same. When this is not the case – as in the following examples – a regular, garden-variety pronoun is sufficient and perfect: Wrong: I set up a meeting with yourselves.
"Jane and I" sounds more formal than "Jane and me," but "Jane and me" is the more common choice.